Mountaineering in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan mountaineering tourism. North of Kazakhstan

Northern Tien Shan

Nowadays mountaineering is one of the most popularforms of extreme sport in the world. The Republic of Kazakhstan has unique mountaineering resources among which the Northern Tien Shan mountains are. They are located in Almaty Rerion. Another name for this place is Zhetysu-Semirechie, meaning a lot of rivers flowing through this land and draining into Lake Balkhash. Zhetysu is a Kazakhstan's pearl. It is a beautiful and unique place. Striking secrets are kept there where routes and historic fates of many tribes and nations met in the far past.

The Zaili Alatau, the most northern range of the Tien Shan, stretches latitudinally for about 400 km forming an arch extended southward.

The central part of the range stretching for 170 km and ranging from 33 to 50 km in width towers between the Kumbel pass in the west and the Amanzhol pass in the east. The summit height is 4973 m above the sea level.

Among mountain climbers the region of the Maly Almaty gorge and the Bogdanovich glacier adjacent to it are the most popular in the Zaili Alatau. The glacier is in the Levy Talgar river basin, but most possible routes to climb to its peaks are from the Maly Almaty gorge. Such gorges as Bolshoi Almaty, Aksai, Kargaly, Kaskelen, Chemolgan that have summits where a man has not made a step are very popular among mountain climbers.

The western branch of the Maly Almaty spur - Kumbel - begins from the snow - ice Pogrebetskii summit (4231 m), followed by the Lokomotiv peak (4182m) from which the spur turns north keeping its direction till the summit named after Kosmodemiyanskaya (4108m), then it turns north-west till the Molodezhny summit (4147m).

Behind the Molodezhny pass (3735m) the Kumbel spur goes down, loses its glaciations and branches into several forested ridges. In the Bolshoi Almaty river basin the Sovety spur should be mentioned. It stretches from the Lokomotiv summit towards Bolshoi Almaty Lake. There are two summits - Gorelnik (4000m) and the Sovety peak (4317m) with a glacier of the same name on the northern slope. The nearest valley to the city of Almaty is that of the Maly Almaty river. The upper valley is located in the first branch of the Maly Almaty spur.

To the north of the Tuyuk Su pass (4100m) there is the heavily destroyed Tuyuk Su summit (4218m), then behind a flat snow crest a wall with seven rocky towers - Igly Tuyuk Su (4213m) rises.

Behind the two-headed Partizan peak (4390m) the spur is 4410 meters high in the Ordzhonikidze summit massif. Then there is a sharp saddle - like low in the ridge resulting in the Ordzhonikidze pass (3980m), which stretches, from the Igly Tuyuk Su glacier towards the Eastern Ordzhonikidze glacier.
Summits located to the north of the pass are rocky. It is the Mayakovskii peak (4208m) with its vertical 400-metre walls. Its upper part consists of marmorized limestones and the lower one - of red granites.

There is a heavily destroyed crest of summits - the Great Patriotic war (Velikaya Otechestvennaya voina) (4050m) and Antikainen (4000m) behind the peak. Then there is a snow saddle of the Antikainen pass and a beautiful rock peak named after Manshuk Mametova (4194m).

Behind the Manshuk Mametova pass (3750m) to the north of the summit of the same name the Almaty spur branches for the second time. There are the Heroes - Panfilov Guardsmen (4120m), Teacher (4045m), Pioneer (4031 m) and Amangeldy summits along its western branch.

The last are the Abai (4010m) and Shkolnik (3590m) peaks. Then the height of the spur goes down sharply. Behind the Talgar pass (3200m) the ridge branches and ends to the south of the city of Almaty.

It is necessary to mention the Amangeldy peak, 4000 meters high. Every year on December 22 the most courageous mountain climbers of Kazakhstan gather at the Memorial to Perished Mountaineers nearby Tuyuk Su Gates to take part in speedy ascent to the Amangeldy peak (4000m). The ascent is dedicated to the memory of Anatolii Bukreyev, a well - known Kazakhstani mountain climber. Anatolii Bukreyev was one of the greatest mountaineers in the world. He set a lot of records in speedy ascent in the Pamir, Tien Shan, Karakorum, Himalayas and Alaska mountains.

The first mass Alpiniad (ascent) in the history of sovereign Kazakhstan was made to the Abai peak (4010m) in 1995. The event was dedicated to the 100-th anniversary of the great Kazakh poet-enlightener, Abai Kunanbayev. President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, took part in the ascent. Escorted by veterans and young Kazakhstani mountaineers he climbed to the top of the peak.

The eastern branch of the Maly Almaty spur stretches for about 7 kilometers. At the very beginning where it branches a snow dome of the Karlytau summit (4100m) rises. Separated from the Karlytau by the Komsomol pass (4000m) the popular Nursultan peak (4376m), well seen from the city of Almaty, towers majestically.

The first name of the summit was the Maly Aimaty peak, which was renamed the Komsomol peak on July 11, 1935 after the 1st Komsomol alpiniad, and in 1998 it got a new name - the Nursultan peak. The name was given to the summit in honour of the birthday of the first President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Nursuitan Nazarbayev. The decision was made by the participants of the mass ascent. Mass ascent became a good tradition. Now every year hundreds of people strive to conquer this peak, and those who are well - trained take part in speedy ascent to it. To the north of the Nursultan peak there is a heavily destroyed ridge with the Fizkulturnik (4068m) and Chkalov (3892m) peaks.

The orographly of the Maly Almaty spur would be incomplete without its lateral ridges the summits of which are of interest to summit mountain climbers. Thus, in the north - eastern ridge of the Ordzhonikidze summit there are two unconquered peaks. In the short eastern ridge of the Karlytau summit beautiful pointed towers of the Aristov peak (4102m) rise, in the north - eastern ridge of the Komsomol peak summits: Snow plateau (3800m), Lastochkino gnezdo (3880m), Uzhbinka (3910m), Trezubets (4089m) tower.

There is a training camp of the Centre for mountain rescuer and guide training - Tuyuk Su alpine base camp, in the Maly Almaty gorge at a height of 2300 meters above the sea level. Any desiring person can do a 2-week course in mountain climbing. Then those who complete the Zaili Alatau region is of great popularity among mountain climbers course are given sports categories in mountain climbing.

The Zaili Alatau range attracts not oniy professional mountain climbers but fans of mountain skiing, mountain biking, paragliding, and also snowboarders, mountain hikers and ordinary town - dwellers who are fond of active type of tourism. The nature of Almaty oblast is unique. You can cross all climatic Zones from deserts to eternal snow during a day travel without any effort.

The Zhetysu land harbours a lot of unique things that attract those who like travelling and strive for knowing the world, and it cannot leave even the most exacting traveller dispassionate.

The Central Tien Shan is located in Central Asia, mainly in Kyrgyzstan (the western part) and China (the eastern part), partially in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. It stretches for about 2500 kilometers from west to east and for 300 kilometers from north to south. The highest points are the Pobeda peak (7439m) and the Khan-Tengri peak (7010m). Landscapes of alpine type are characteristic of the Central Tien Shan: pointed crests are covered by grey - turquoise coloured glaciers and dazzling snow patches; multiflorous alpine meadows are close to dark coniferous Tien Shan spruce forests.

Mountaineering tourism is mainly developed there. Ascent routes are diverse: rocky, snow-glacial and combined. Ascents are undertaken all the year round, but the optimal period is June - August.

Each tourist can stay overnight at Kegen and Narynkol settlements, taste a national drink "Kumys", get acquainted with the traditional way of life of the Kazakh people.

The Khan-Tengri peak is the most northern 7-thousander in the world, and in this connection it attracts a great number of tourists from all over the world in spite of the fact that conquering its summit already refers to extreme alpine climbing. The most beautiful marble summit crowns the peak. 1200 years passed since the Khan-Tengri peak was first mentioned in Chinese chronicles. In 1931 a Ukrainian mountain climber M.P. Pogrebetskii was the first who managed to conquer it. He made his route along the southern side of the pyramid. The route is considered classical even nowadays.

The Khan-Tengri peak is located in the remote region on the boarder of Kazakhstan with Kyrgyzstan and China. The majority of tourists get to base camps at the foot of the Khan-Tengri peak using a helicopter. To climb to the peak is the goal of many mountain climbers from all over the world. It takes about 14 days as minimum to get to the top.

Because of the Khan-Tengri closeness to the Chinese boarder a special entry permission is required

Joint project of OrexCA.com and KTA & KAGIR. Information is taken from CD "All about tourism in Kazakhstan"