Trans-Ili Alatau is part of the northern group of ridges of the Heavenly Mountains. Its peaks, covered with snow and ice, rise like a high, jagged wall south of the sun-scorched Ili Valley.
The western border of the ridge is the river. Chu, eastern - r. Charyn, in the south, behind the deep longitudinal valleys of the Chon-Kemin and Chilik rivers, lies the Kungey Alatau ridge parallel to the Trans-Ili Alatau, in the middle both ridges are connected by a bridge, forming the Chiliko-Kemin mountain junction
Within the indicated boundaries, the length of the Trans-Ili Alatau ridge is over 400 km, width from 40 to 60 km. The ridge has the shape of an arc, curved to the south and elongated in the latitudinal direction.
Diversity natural conditions and the colors of these mountains are amazing. No wonder the locals gave them the name "Ala-Tau", which means "Motley Mountains"
The name “Zailiysky” appeared much later, in the second half of the 19th century, when the first Russian military detachments, moving from the northeast, saw mountains beyond the Ili River, a beautiful oasis rising among the steppes.
The western part of the ridge, known as the Kendyk-Tass Mountains, stretches from northwest to southeast and consists of leveled surfaces occupied by a number of low plateaus (Kurday, Argaityn, etc.) with absolute heights of up to 1,500 m. This part The ridge is separated by the Chokpar and Kopin depressions from the low Chu-Ili mountains lying to the north. The Turkestan-Siberian Railway runs through them, like a wide corridor.
The central, highest section of the ridge, which is the Trans-Ili Alatau itself, is located between the Kastekskiy (2,825 m) in the west and Amanzhol (3,510 m) in the east passes and is about 170 km in length. Here, on the meridian of the city of Almaty, the Trans-Ili Alatau is connected by a mountain bridge with the Kungei Alatau ridge lying parallel to it to the south. Between them, in deep tectonic valleys, glacial rivers flow - the Chon-Kemin to the west and the Chilik to the east of the dam.
In the central part of the Trans-Ili Alatau there are 370 glaciers with a total area of 540 sq.m. In this central part, the height of the ridge everywhere exceeds 3,200 m, and its highest height, 5,017 m, reaches in the Talgar massif in the upper reaches of the river. Middle Talgar.
High peaks are located not only in the Trans-Ili Alatau ridge itself, but also in the side spurs separating the river valleys. On the northern slope the most significant spurs are: Maloalmatinsky, Novy, Northern, Talgarsky, Issyksky. The southern, steeper slope has short spurs - Dzhusaly-Kungey, Issykten-chokha, etc.
East of the Aman-zhol pass, the Trans-Ili Alatau decreases greatly and further, to the Chilik river, it is known under the name Sary-tau. The second branch of the ridge is called Karash and is located north of Sary-tau, its height is 3,500 m.
The eastern tip of the Trans-Ili Alatau occupies the interfluve of Chilik and Charyn and consists of two parallel ranges: the Syugatinsky Mountains in the north and the Tur-Aigyr Mountains in the south. These low mountains (up to 2,500 m in height) are separated by the arid Syugatinskaya Valley.
In close proximity to the city, the powerful Maloalmatinsky spur branches off to the north from the main ridge of the Trans-Ili Alatau. After a few kilometers it splits into two branches - eastern and western. The Malaya Almatinka River flows between them in a wooded area. The high eastern branch of the spur, over 30 km long, is crowned with a number of beautiful peaks - Ordzhonikidze (4440m), Mayakovsky (4200m), Manshuk Mametova (4100m), Abai (4080m) and others. North of the Talgar Pass (3200m) the Malo Almaty spur greatly decreases and loses glaciation and branches into several ridges covered with the bristles of Tien Shan spruces. This branch of the spur serves as a watershed for the basins of the Malaya Almatinka and Left Talgar rivers.
The second part of the Maloalmatinsky spur is the western one, known as the Kumbel ridge, which means “sandy pass,” which separates the Malaya Almatinka River from the Bolshaya Almatinka River. From the peak of Kumbel (3200m) several side ridges fan out, bearing the common name Term-butak.
Tien Shan is a very ancient mountainous country that has experienced many different changes over its long history. geological history. These mountains were first formed during the Calydonian folding. In the long continental period that followed, the mountains were greatly destroyed, turning almost into a plain. During the period of Alpine folding, a modern folded-block mountainous country - the Tien Shan - arose on the site of destroyed mountains.
Many signs indicate that the rise of the northern ranges of the Tien Shan continues to this day. This, for example, explains the presence of a strip of “counters” (large terraces) along the northern slopes of the Trans-Ili Alatau and the very frequent earthquakes in this area.
The combination of the remains of ancient nappes with forms resulting from glacial erosion and sedimentation has created the modern mountainous terrain, which has a number of characteristic features. The central part of the ridge is quite strongly dissected and represents a narrow mountain range, the individual peaks of which do not rise sharply above the ridge line. Transverse valleys in their lower parts usually have the appearance of wild gorges, widening in the upper reaches. Characteristic In this part of the ridge there are dry beds of mud-stone streams with powerful outflows of debris reaching the bottom of the head valleys. The north-facing slopes are predominantly covered with snow and ice, while the southern slopes are covered with huge screes of heavily destroyed bedrock.
Snowfields and the glaciers fed by them are found only in the central, highest part of the Trans-Ili Alatau, stretching for approximately 120 km from west to east. There are over 190 glaciers in the Trans-Ili Alatau, with a total glaciated area of about 400 square meters. km.
On the northern slopes, glaciers lie in the upper reaches of the rivers Uzun-Kargala, Chimalgan, Kaskelen, Aksai, Bolshaya and Malaya Almatinka, Talgar, Issyk and Turgen.
The greatest glaciation is observed at the maximum elevations of the ridge in the upper reaches of the Talgar River, where ice and snow cover at least 150 sq. km. Here are the valley and basin glaciers - Dmitrieva, Constitution, Toguzak, Kalesnik and Shokalsky, with a length of 4 to 6 km. The glaciation of the southern slope of the ridge is much smaller and is concentrated mainly in the upper reaches of the B. Kemin and Chilik rivers, especially to the east of the Chiliko-Kemin bridge. From the southern slopes of the Talgar massif, the largest Korzhnevsky glacier in the Trans-Ili Alatau, about 12 km long, slides down to the west It contains large glaciers - Bogatyr and Dzhangyryk.
The snow line on the northern slopes runs approximately at an altitude of 3,700-3,900 m, rising from west to east, and also depending on the exposure of the slopes. On the southern side of the ridge, even at an altitude of 4000-4200 m, there is often no snow cover.
Observations made on a number of glaciers in the Trans-Ili Alatau provided a lot of interesting information about their structure and activity. It turned out that even fairly large glaciers move at low speeds. Thus, in its most active part, the Tuyuk-su glacier moves by 23 m per year, and the Shokalsky glacier by 44 m. Calculating the thickness of the Shokalsky glacier showed that half a kilometer from the end at an altitude of 3,360 m, the thickness of the glacier is 56 m, and at the firn line it is 134 m. The Shokalsky glacier is one of the largest; the rest are many times smaller and belong mainly to the hanging or cirque type.
The glaciers of the Trans-Ili Alatau are experiencing a period of active decline. Some formerly long glaciers have shrunk so much that they now have almost no tongue and do not extend beyond their basins. Therefore, they even received a special name - basin glaciers (Dzhangyryk, Dmitrieva, etc.).
Many valleys in their upper parts are blocked by powerful ancient and modern terminal moraines, making access to the upper reaches of the valleys difficult. Thus, the terminal moraine of the Tuyuk-su glacier reaches almost 300 m in height. The upper reaches of the valleys of Bolshaya and Malaya Almatinka, Talgar, Issyk and a number of other rivers have the same character.
The climate of Kazakhstan, located far from the oceans and open to cold northern and northeastern winds, is dry and sharply continental. But the climate of the Trans-Ili Ala-Tau differs very much and favorably from the climate of the plains lying at its foot. This difference is striking when you first look at the mountains. To the south of the dry wormwood steppe stretches a wide ribbon of stalls covered with curly gardens and groves, above them a ridge rises in a steep ledge, blue with protected spruce forests. Even higher, where the forests end, stretches a soft green strip of alpine meadows, and above them, on the very ridges, glaciers and snowfields sparkle dazzlingly. Such a striking contrast between the mountains and the steppes depends mainly on the amount of moisture that the western and northwestern winds bring to the mountains high strata atmosphere. Humid air masses come from the Caspian Sea, the Black and Mediterranean Seas, and even from the Atlantic Ocean.
Moisture falls at the base of the ridge in heavy rains, and high in the mountains - in the form of snow. This solid precipitation feeds numerous glaciers, from which most of the streams and rivers that irrigate the flowering foothills originate. At an altitude of 3,050 m, the lowest air temperature is observed in January, when it drops to -30°. In summer, the temperature sometimes rises to + 17°.
From east to west, the temperature decreases and the amount of precipitation increases significantly. Throughout the year, there are a number of sharp cold snaps associated with the passage of cyclones in the summer and anticyclones in the winter. They significantly change the usual weather pattern.
Particularly characteristic is the cooling in the first ten days of July, which is associated with the famous phenomenon of the mud-stone flow in 1921, which caused significant destruction in Almaty. Influxes of cold air are also observed at the end of February and at the end of April or beginning of May. The onset of autumn is usually preceded by a sudden fall of snow at the end of September after a long period of warm and sunny weather. After several cold days, warming soon sets in again, and snow remains only on the northern and, partially, on the western slopes. In the highlands (above 3,000 m) winter sets in in the second half of October. In November, January and February, dry snow falls at low temperatures and is easily blown into the valleys by the winds. That is why at this time there is little snow cover on glaciers and peaks.
In March, April and May the picture changes dramatically. At this time, snowfalls occur at higher temperatures and wetter snow accumulates in the highlands, covering the glaciers with a thick layer of snow (1.5-2 m), which persists until mid-June.
In general, in climatic terms, the Trans-Ili Alatau can be divided into several belts, located in “floors” one above the other. The first - from 1000m to 1700m - garden-steppe, covers a vast area from the mouth of the Malaya Almatinka river valley to Gorelnik.
The second - meadow-forest - is located in the range from 1700m to 2700m. It is characterized by a wide distribution of coniferous forests and pronounced features of a mountain climate.
Alpine meadows of the subalpine belt stretch from an altitude of 2700m to 3100m.
The last, alpine belt (lies above 3100m), is a kind of mountainous Arctic - a heap of screes, bare rocks, blue glaciers and eternal snow.
Transition from one climate zone to the other it does not happen immediately, but gradually. Therefore, in neighboring zones over a fairly large space, common climatic conditions. The garden-steppe belt is the closest to Almaty, but already has large differences in climate. Summer here, due to significant cloudiness, is cooler. The average temperature of the warmest month of July is 18.9°, while the maximum is 35°. Snow cover is established in the second half of November and disappears in mid-April, reaching its greatest thickness in March. In winter, the weather is mostly sunny, warm, and there are no strong winds. The coldest month is
December, but the minimum temperature is -29.3°
The average annual precipitation is 860 mm, with a well-defined maximum in April, May and June, reaching 50% of all annual precipitation.
Within the second belt - meadow-forest - there is a former tour. Gorelnik base and Chimbulak ski resort (1930-2500m). Stable snow cover here begins in the second ten days of November and persists until April. The average depth of snow cover is 45 cm. Snow, accumulating over several months, often reaches a thickness of 60 cm or more in March. Then comes rapid spring melting, and by the end of April - beginning of May the snow completely disappears. In the region under consideration, winter is mild, with slight frosts, and without sharp temperature fluctuations. The coldest month is usually December (average temperature -6.3°). Negative temperatures persist from November to March. April is a spring month with positive temperatures (3.7°). Winter is famous for its abundance of sunny days; light frosts are unnoticeable and infrequent.
The region described is also remarkable for the absence of strong winds in winter, so the snow in the deep forest valley lies evenly.
Compaction of loose snow occurs due to its own weight, exposure to the sun and fernization processes.
The weather in March is unstable, there are sudden thaws, causing rapid snow melting and massive avalanches. In some years, by the end of April, snow cover remains only on the northern slopes. Often there are still snowfalls, but they can no longer stop the rapid onset of spring and ensure a stable snow cover.
After spring snowfalls, wet snow quickly compacts, freezing at night and becoming covered with a hard crust. During the day, the air temperature often rises to 10° and the snow becomes limp.
May and June are usually rainy and often cold. It should be noted that above the city the amount of precipitation gradually decreases and, starting from the Chimbulak tract, its maximum moves from May to June.
The climate of the highlands (subalpine and alpine zones) is very severe. Atmospheric pressure at the highest point of the Malaya Almatinka basin - Ordzhonikidze peak - reaches 434 mm, which is 57% of normal. In the Mynzhilki tract, which is located in the upper reaches of the valley at an altitude of 3000 m, there is snow cover for 8 months, the air temperature sometimes drops below -30°. The average temperature of the coldest month of February is -11.8°. Summer is short, only two months - July and August. Often in July, the warmest month of the year (average temperature 7.7°), the daytime temperature reaches 20°, and there are frosts at night. The higher you go, the colder it gets. Already from a height of 3500m. Even in summer, precipitation falls only in solid form - snow and cereals. After another 250m there is a “snow border”.
The snow cover melts in the Mynzhilkov area in late May - early June, and on the Tuyuk-Su glacier much later. Winter in the Tuyuk-Su region sets in after several snowfalls in early October. The heaviest snowfalls occur in May and June.
Snow deposition in the highlands has its own characteristics. From November to February, snow falls at low temperatures, it is dry, a significant part of it is blown by the wind into the valleys, so during this period the snow cover on the peaks and glaciers is insignificant. During March - June, snowfalls occur at higher temperatures, wet snow stays firmly on the slope and is no longer blown into the valley by the wind. At this time, snow mainly accumulates in the highlands.
The prevailing winds in the area of the Tuyuk-Su glacier are southern (56.6%), observed during the cold period of the year, from January to March and from October to December. They play a major role in the formation of snow cornices, usually hanging from ridges on the north and east sides. Northern winds (21%) are most frequent during the warm period - from May to September.
In summer, the onset of bad weather in the highlands is usually associated with southwesterly winds from the high layers of the atmosphere, and the first harbingers of bad weather are the appearance of cirrus clouds.
Mountain breezes are pronounced in summer in good weather - during the day they blow up the valley, and at night vice versa.
Sometimes in this area there is a phenomenon of warm wind “foehn”, noted from the side of the Talgar Pass.
The number of clear days with thunderstorms and precipitation is important for characterizing the climate of the upper reaches of the Malaya Almatinka valley. Most clear days occur in September (often up to 20), and with precipitation - in May (up to 24). Absolute humidity is higher in the summer months and less in winter. In the summer afternoon, clouds often cover the peaks and this is accompanied by precipitation at high altitudes.
Thunderstorms occur from April to September. Largest quantity days with thunderstorms in June (average 7, but in 1953 there were 15), then in July (average 5).
Every year, a number of sharp cold snaps are observed in the area of the Malaya Almatinka basin. Such a sharp drop in temperature occurs at the end of April - beginning of May, and snow can fall even in Almaty.
Cooling in the first ten days of July is often accompanied by heavy rainfalls, causing the formation of powerful mudflows (mudflows).
Usually the onset of autumn is preceded by a sudden cold snap and snowfall at the end of September, after prolonged warm weather.
The onset of cold weather cannot be predicted with certainty, but when choosing a time for hiking, you need to take into account the possibility of invasion of cold air waves.
Numerous rivers originate from the glaciers of the Trans-Ili Ala-Tau. Stormy, deep streams, often 7-30 m wide, rush through narrow winding gorges. Their level changes sharply during the day. In summer, during the period of strong melting of glaciers, the level of mountain rivers begins to rise from 9-10 o'clock in the morning, reaching its maximum value at approximately 15-17 o'clock. River levels almost double, rising in some cases to one meter. If early in the morning in the upper reaches a person can quite easily ford the river, then in the middle of the day it becomes inaccessible even for a horse.
Having reached the plains, the rivers quickly become shallow, giving life-giving moisture to the fields and gardens. Until r. Or only Talgar, Turgen, Chilik and Kaskelen reach, which received the waters of Chimalgan, Aksay, Bolshaya and Malaya Almatinka.
Climbing up the Malaya Almatinka valley for 30 km, you can observe the following vegetation belts, replacing each other:
Garden-steppe (700 - 1300m) is the most developed and altered territory of the valley by man. The original steppe vegetation has been preserved, on the ridges
Shrubs and deciduous forests (1300-1700m) - not pronounced, has a wide variety of vegetation
Coniferous forests (1700 - 2700m) - covers a large strip from Medeo to the Tuyuk-Su gate.
Alpine meadows (2800 - 3500m) - lush, blooming alpine jailaus.
The foothills in the lower part, especially in the areas of villages, are occupied by gardens, dominated by the famous Almaty aport. The higher slopes are covered with deciduous forests and groves of wild apple and apricot trees. At approximately an altitude of 1,300 - 1,500 m, among the light greenery of aspen, rowan, birch and hawthorn, slender spruce trees in a dark green dress appear. As the fir trees rise, the number of spruce trees increases, and deciduous forests are gradually replaced by dense spruce forests, which stretch to an altitude of 2,700 - 2,900 m. But spruce trees grow mainly on the northern slopes. There are no forests on the southern slopes - here, as in the area located above the forests, sun-loving herbs and juniper grow. Among edible herbs, wild onions and rhubarb are of interest.
Edelweiss trees grow high, close to glaciers, often covering high-mountain meadows with a continuous silvery carpet.
The diverse vegetation numbers about 1000 species, more than half of which are found in the shrub-forest belt. Down and up from this zone the number of plant species is noticeably reduced.
Trans-Ili Ala-Tau is famous for its picturesque lakes. Some of them, such as Lake Issyk, were formed as a result of a giant collapse, others are of moraine origin. The latter includes the beautiful lake Dzhasyl-kol in the upper reaches of the river. B. Almatinki.
The fauna of the Trans-Ili Alatau is quite diverse and closely related to natural conditions.
Pheasants live in the thorny, impenetrable thickets of rosehip, hawthorn and barberry, which cover the stalls in many places. In the area of the stalls you can also find nightjars and long-eared owls, near clay cliffs - swift-moving bee-eaters, and lower down, near mountain streams - kingfishers with beautiful green plumage. The grassy slopes are rich in yellow bunting and little dormice. Foxes also live here. Many other animals, usually living higher in the mountains, come down to the shelves to spend the winter.
Many animals live in the forest zone. In the deciduous forests there is an elegant goat - the roe deer (elik), and when the berries and fruits ripen, a bear descends from the highlands. There are many birds here - mountain partridges, tits, orioles, nightingales, blackbirds, as well as their enemies - the hobby falcon and sparrowhawk.
The dense coniferous forests are home to cedar trees, small crossbills, and woodpeckers, and black grouse can be found in the branches of spruce trees. At the bottom of the gorges, where rushing streams roar, you can meet an interesting bird, the dipper - it boldly dives into the water and runs against the current, getting worms from under the stones.
Badgers, stoats, and wild cats in the deepest parts of the forest are also residents of these heights.
Wild boars are found in the spruce forests of Sary-Saya, Komissarovka and Butakovka. It is difficult to see them, but at the edge of the forest there are always fresh tracks - dug up earth.
Even higher, in the zone of alpine meadows, marmots live in colonies. Seeing a person from a distance, they raise an alarm whistle and hide in holes.
Among other rodents, we can mention the rock vole and the red-headed pika, or haymaker.
Cliffs rise above the alpine meadows. The area of the Tuyuk-Su gate and the Talgar pass is the favorite place of mountain goats - teke. Other notable residents of the highlands include the mountain turkey, the red-billed chough, the large bird of prey the bearded vulture, and the famously rare snow leopard.
Kaskelen Gorge
The Kaskelenskoe gorge lies 27 km west of Almaty.
The Kaskelen River, flowing through a wide valley, is formed from two sources. The left one - the smaller one - originates from a group of glaciers lying in the area of the Kaskelen pass (3,715 m). This section of the Trans-Ili Alatau ridge stretches in an eastern direction, and above its crest rise peaks from 3,900 to 4,000 meters high. In the upper reaches of the right main source, which initially flows parallel to the ridge, the Trans-Ili Ala-Tau sharply turns to the north. Here, at the bend of the ridge, there are a number of significant peaks: Kulakbashi (3920 m), Akkum (4098 m) and Tur (4350 m), which were first climbed in 1938 by members of the expedition of the Moscow House of Scientists.
In a side spur extending from the main ridge, the Okzhetpes rock peak (4100m) rises.
You can get from Almaty to the upper reaches of the Kaskelen valley within one to two days. The trails along the gorge are good, there are bridges across the rivers. From the upper reaches of the gorge through the Kaskelen and Jaya passes you can go to the river valley. Chon-kemin, lying at the foot of the Kungei Ala-tau ridge against the majestic Chotkal group, or through the Duré pass (3733m) to Lake Issyk-Kul.
The next large valley, located east of the river. Kaskelen, is a gorge of the river. Aksai. In its upper reaches there are over 15 small glaciers (the largest is the Shnitnikov glacier, no more than 3 km).
The southern border of the Aksai River basin runs along the main ridge from which the Shnitnikov and Aksai glaciers flow. Between the peaks of Tur and Bezymyannaya (4250m) for 10 km, the Zailiysky Alatau takes a north-eastern direction. On this segment there are the peaks of Shnitnikov (4300m), 20 years of KazGMI (4240m), etc.
Between the eastern source of the Left and Middle Aksai, the Bogdan Khmelnitsky spur stretches for 8 km. It departs from the main ridge east of the Friendship Pass (3900m). There are six rocky peaks in the spur, including the peak of Bogdan Khmelnitsky (4150m). The Middle and Right Aksai rivers are separated by a small spur, which starts from the peak of Uzlovaya Aksayskaya.
On the eastern side, the Aksai River basin is limited by the Aksai spur, which stretches 18 km to the north. Here, south of the Aksai Pass (3650m), three peaks are not clearly visible. The Aksai section of the main ridge has two small south-eastern spurs. One begins in the area of the Druzhby Pass and has such peaks as Lokomotivets (4250m) and others. The second spur goes from the top of Lunin and separates the valleys of the Aksai and Almaty rivers.
Between the valleys of the Aksai and Bolshaya Almatinka rivers, the Trans-Ili Alatau forms a protrusion to the north, into the top of which the deep wooded valley of the Kargalinka River seems to be wedged. The snow-capped ridge of the watershed ridge in the upper reaches of the river is crowned with three snowy peaks from which the Kargaly glacier descends.
There are good trails leading to the upper reaches of the valley. The highest peaks are located mainly in the upper reaches of the Left Aksai, reaching a height of 4,500 meters. Behind the Aksai valley lies the small Kargalinka gorge; it is of no interest to climbers.
The B. Almatinka River, flowing along the western outskirts of Almaty, originates from two sources, separated by a spur with the majestic pyramid of the Big Almaty Peak at the end. In the west from this spur the river flows. Prohodnaya, in the east - the river. Ozernaya. In the foothills they merge, forming Bolshaya Almatinka.
The passage gorge is approximately 19 km long. In its upper reaches lies the easy Prokhodnoy Pass (3609 m), covered only in the upper part with snow. This is the closest and most convenient route from Almaty to the upper reaches of the Chon-Kemin River. The first 25 km from the city to the Alma-Arasan holiday home, the highway runs along the Bolshaya Almatinka valley, after it branches - along the valley of the river. Passage. Further along the river there is a rather difficult path along which you can climb to the Prokhodnoy Pass. From the pass begins the descent to the south along the river valley. Almaty until its confluence with the river. Chon-kemin (13 km).
More or less significant peaks in the area of the river. There is no passage, but the glaciers, of which there are over ten, do not exceed 1-1.5 km in length. This area is primarily interesting for mountain hiking trips.
The Ozernaya River has two sources. The sources are fed by glaciers flowing from the northern slopes of the Trans-Ili Alatau ridge and its side spurs.
In the west, the wide river valley is limited by the Big Almaty spur, in the east by the Maloalmaty spur and its branches.
The Big Almaty spur departs from the Trans-Ili Alatau ridge northeast of the Prohodny pass and stretches approximately 12-13 km to the northwest. And in its southern part lies the Almatynin-Alagir massif, which has several rocky peaks up to 4,047 m in height. In the north, the spur ends with the rock pyramid of B. Almaty Peak (3,684 m), which is usually climbed from the Dzhusaly-Kezen pass (3,200 m).
The section of the main ridge, located in the upper reaches of the described area, has a length of about 20 km, its average height is 4100 m. Above its crest, in places where the side spurs extend, a number of peaks rise up to 4,500 m, among them is Legostaev Peak (4,468 m), lying in the upper reaches of the Cherny glacier.
The Maloalmatinsky spur, which branches off from the ridge in the upper reaches of the Gorodetsky glacier, for the first 6 km serves as a watershed between the upper reaches of the Ozernaya and Left Talgar rivers. Several nameless peaks and the sharp pyramid of the Molodaya Gvardiya peak (4,600 m) rise above the crest of the spur. This ice peak was first climbed by E. Schneider, V. Nearonsky and Yu. Gudkov in October 1945.
Peak Sovetov (4,100 m), a beautiful, technically easy peak in one of the side ridges of the Malo-Almaty spur, is widely known.
In the river basin Ozernaya has over 20 glaciers; the largest of them is the Gorodetsky glacier (about 5 km).
On the meridian of Alma-Ata, the Trans-Ili Ala-Tau ridge makes a sharp turn to the southeast, connecting with a bridge to the Kungey Ala-tau ridge. At the turning point from the Zailiysky Alatau ridge, the powerful Maloalmatinsky spur extends far to the north. Beyond the Tourists Pass, the spur branches, forming a vast circus, in which lies the Tuyuksu group of glaciers, giving rise to the river. M, Almaty. In this circus there are about 17 peaks from I to V categories of difficulty.
After the first branching, the Maloalmatinsky spur becomes the watershed of the M, Almatinka and Left Talgar river basins.
Behind the Tuyuk-su pass and the peak of the same name (4,150 m) there is a wall crowned with seven “Needles”. Their first traverse was made by E. Alekseev’s group in 1940.
From the Needles, a jagged rock ridge stretches to Partizan Peak (4,264 m), an ice dome topped by tall cliffs. Even further north, behind the Partizan peak, stands the majestic Ordzhonikidze Peak (4440 m), the highest point of the Tuyuk-su region, taken in 1936 by B. Mamontov’s group.
Further, the spur decreases greatly; it contains mainly rocky peaks of the following peaks: Mayakovsky (4250 m), Patriotic War(4050 m), Antikainen (4000 m), Manshuk Mametova (4100 m), 28 Panfilov heroes (4020 m) and others.
From Gorelnik the road goes up the left side of the gorge, the spruce forest gradually ends, the gorge narrows, forming the so-called “gate” of Tuyuk-su. The path zigzags between rocks and screes above the raging river and leads to the expansion of the Mynzhilka valley. At the beginning of the clearing (3,050 m) there is a house of the Hydrometeorological Service station; in the south, behind the huge terminal moraines, there are glaciers. The trail crosses the Mynzhilki clearing and rises in steep zigzags 400 m along the moraine, to the place where there used to be a weather station (3,450 m).
In the upper reaches of the river. There are 12 glaciers in M. Almatinka. The central glacier of the valley type, 4 km long, is called Tuyuk-su ("Enclosed Water"). Around the main glacier there are fan-shaped smaller ones, which are now preserved only on the northern slopes of the ridges. In the past, they connected with the main one, forming a complex valley glacier.
A large and beautiful river valley. Issyk lies in the eastern part of the Trans-Ili Ala-Tau ridge. The western border runs along the Talgar spur. In the south of the upper reaches of the river. Issyk approaches the main ridge; in the east, the border of the region lies along the Issyk spur, stretching in the meridional direction between the valleys of the Issyk and Turgen rivers.
The Talgar spur, extending from the Zharsai peak in a northerly direction, is crowned with several significant peaks immediately after the branch.
In the upper reaches of the river valley. The Issyk ridge of the Trans-Ili Ala-Tau bends to the south, forming a vast circus, divided into three large chambers occupied by glacial groups (from west to east): Bos-Kul, Ak-Kul, Kassin. There are many different peaks both in the main ridge and in the Talgar and Issyk spurs.
The largest glaciers in the river basin. Issyk, reaching a length of 3-4 km, are: Zharsay, Grigoryeva, Palgova and Kassina; there are over twenty small glaciers here. The Issyk Valley deservedly enjoys the fame of one of the most beautiful corners of Kazakhstan.
The path from Almaty to the village of Issyk (45 km) and another 5-7 km up the valley can be driven by car. Next comes the pack trail, which climbs a huge dam and leads to Lake Issyk (altitude 1,700 m). The lake is surrounded on all sides by high rocky mountains. In the south you can see peaks covered with white caps of eternal snow. The shores of the lake are indented with coves and bays; dark blue spruce trees grow on the steep slopes of the mountains. The length of the lake is 2.5 km, width 1.5 km, depth up to 50 meters.
Near the lake, on a dam that appeared as a result of a huge collapse, there are two large buildings of a former tourist base; below them lies another small lake, flowing like a waterfall into the valley. The water of the upper lake seeps into the lower lake and fills it.
To get to the upper reaches of the valley, you need to cross the lake in boats, or go around it along a steep path on the eastern side. Next, the path winds from one bank to the other, and then along the left side of the valley through dense coniferous forests leads to an ancient moraine.
From the top of the moraine a wonderful picture of the dried-up lake Bos-kul opens up. The wide, empty basin of the lake, overgrown with grass and shrubs, is cut through by numerous dry riverbeds. From the west and east, the lake is compressed by spurs; from their rocky, destroyed ridges, wide strips of scree descend into the basin of the lake; in the south, a rock mass rises, dividing the valley into two parts. The path crosses the Bos-Kul basin and the forest lying behind it rises along a pile of moraines and screes to the next blockage, behind which is Lake Ak-Kol (3400 m).
Climbing up this dam along a steep scree is difficult. The lake itself must be bypassed along the western side in the direction of the passage washed out by the river in the rocks. Behind the rocks, the valley expands again, forming a vast clearing, blocked in the south by piles of moraines, from behind which the white tops of the peaks stick out. Moving along the left side of the valley, in 3-4 hours you can climb the Kok-Bulak pass (4070 m), through which E. Dmitriev climbed to the Korzhenevsky glacier for the first time in 1903.
In conclusion of the review of the mountainous regions of the northern slope of the Trans-Ili Ala-Tau ridge, we will briefly dwell on the river basin. Turgen.
The Turgen River flows through a wide valley and, 19 km from the village of the same name, branches into three sources: Chin-Turgen, Turgen and Kishi-Turgen. In the west, the Turgen basin is limited by the Issyk spur, in the south - by the Trans-Ili Ala-Tau ridge, which is beyond the Aman pass. Zhol (3515 m) decreases greatly and is then called Sary-tau. Eastern border passes along the hills lying between the headwaters of the Kishi-Turgen and Asy rivers. These hills stretch from Sary-tau to the Karash ridge, located north of the river basin. Turgen.
The largest glacier of the Trans-Ili Alat-Tau, the Korzhenevsky glacier, descends from the southern slopes of the Talgar massif. In the southwest, the glacier is limited by the Issykten-chokhu spur, with the peak of the same name (4800 m). In the area of the Surovoy Pass (about 4,350 m), a side spur with peaks Vsevobuch (4,650 m) and Blizny (4,450 m) departs from the ridge. Three short spurs descend from the Talgar massif to the southeast, dividing the Korzhenevsky glacier into several branches. In one of them, the farthest to the south, there is the peak South-Western Talgar (4860 m), taken in 1935 by a group led by V. Zimin.
The northeastern border runs along the main ridge. From the east there is a spur of Chubur-archa. The river flows from the Korzhenevsky glacier. Southern Issyk, which after 5-6 km merges with the South-Eastern Talgar River, and then they flow into the river. Chilik.
Previously, the Korzhenevsky Glacier was reached through the Issyk Gorge through the Kok-Bulak Pass. Now sports groups climb the Korzhenevsky glacier from the valley of the Middle Talgar river through the difficult Ak-Tyuz pass or the easier, but located a little further, the Harsh pass. The journey from the former Metallurg camp through Ak-Tyuz lasts 8-10 hours.
South-west of the Korzhenevsky glacier there are large glaciers Bogatyr and Dzhangyryk.
43°03′ N. w. 77°15′ E. d. / 43.050° N. w. 77.250° E. d. / 43.050; 77.250 (G) (I)Coordinates: 43°03′ N. w. 77°15′ E. d. / 43.050° N. w. 77.250° E. d. / 43.050; 77.250 (G) (I)
Relief and hydrography
The Trans-Ili Alatau ridge is one of the extreme northern arcs of the Tien Shan mountain system. It is located at 43°N, within 75-78°E, partly in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China. The ridge begins in the west within the river. Chu and extends 280 km east to the river. Chilik. To the north of the axial ridge of the ridge, the slopes gently descend to the river basin. Or the plains of Kazakhstan, in the south the ridge is separated from Kungei Alatau by longitudinal intermountain valleys of two rivers - Chilik and Chonkemin. In the area of their sources, the ridges are connected through the Chiliko-Keminsky mountain junction. The prevailing heights are 4000-4600 m, the highest point is Talgar Peak (4973-4979 m). On the northern slope is the Gorodetsky Glacier.
The ridge was formed during the Caledonian folding and was heavily reworked in the Quaternary. It is composed mainly of granites, conglomerates, limestones and shales.
There are a large number of lakes, mostly periglacial, and tension in mudflow situations is associated with them. The largest and most famous lakes in the Trans-Ili Alatau are Big Almaty Lake and Lake Issyk. The study of the elements of the water balance of mountain catchment areas of the Trans-Ili Alatau is associated with the name of A.F. Litovchenko.
Climate and precipitation
Animal and plant life
Dry steppes are replaced with height by shrub-steppe vegetation and forests (apple tree, aspen, and higher up - Tien Shan spruce). There are about 460 glaciers in the ridge zone with a total area of more than 490 km². On the northern slope is the famous Almaty Nature Reserve, transformed in 1996 into the Ile-Alatau National Park. Found: Tien Shan brown bear, snow leopard, mountain goat, snowcock, chukars.
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Notes
Literature
- Vukolov V. N.. Mountain tourist routes along the Trans-Ili Alatau and Kungei-Alatau. - Moscow, Profizdat, 1991
Links
An excerpt characterizing the Trans-Ili Alatau
He scattered fire, broke the pipe and threw it away. Denisov paused and suddenly looked cheerfully at Rostov with his sparkling black eyes.- If only there were women. Otherwise, there’s nothing to do here, just like drinking. If only I could drink and drink.
- Hey, who's there? - he turned to the door, hearing the stopped steps of thick boots with the clanking of spurs and a respectful cough.
- Sergeant! - said Lavrushka.
Denisov wrinkled his face even more.
“Skveg,” he said, throwing away a wallet with several gold pieces. “G’ostov, count, my dear, how much is left there, and put the wallet under the pillow,” he said and went out to the sergeant.
Rostov took the money and, mechanically, putting aside and arranging old and new gold pieces in piles, began to count them.
- A! Telyanin! Zdog "ovo! They blew me away!" – Denisov’s voice was heard from another room.
- Who? At Bykov’s, at the rat’s?... I knew,” said another thin voice, and after that Lieutenant Telyanin, a small officer of the same squadron, entered the room.
Rostov threw his wallet under the pillow and shook the small, damp hand extended to him. Telyanin was transferred from the guard for something before the campaign. He behaved very well in the regiment; but they did not like him, and in particular Rostov could neither overcome nor hide his causeless disgust for this officer.
- Well, young cavalryman, how is my Grachik serving you? - he asked. (Grachik was a riding horse, a carriage, sold by Telyanin to Rostov.)
The lieutenant never looked into the eyes of the person he was talking to; his eyes constantly darted from one object to another.
- I saw you passed by today...
“It’s okay, he’s a good horse,” Rostov answered, despite the fact that this horse, which he bought for 700 rubles, was not worth even half of that price. “She started falling on the left front...,” he added. - The hoof is cracked! It's nothing. I will teach you and show you which rivet to use.
“Yes, please show me,” said Rostov.
“I’ll show you, I’ll show you, it’s not a secret.” And you will be grateful for the horse.
“So I’ll order the horse to be brought,” said Rostov, wanting to get rid of Telyanin, and went out to order the horse to be brought.
In the entryway, Denisov, holding a pipe, huddled on the threshold, sat in front of the sergeant, who was reporting something. Seeing Rostov, Denisov winced and, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb into the room in which Telyanin was sitting, winced and shook with disgust.
“Oh, I don’t like the fellow,” he said, not embarrassed by the sergeant’s presence.
Rostov shrugged his shoulders, as if saying: “Me too, but what can I do!” and, having given orders, returned to Telyanin.
Telyanin was still sitting in the same lazy position in which Rostov had left him, rubbing his small white hands.
“There are such nasty faces,” Rostov thought as he entered the room.
- Well, did they tell you to bring the horse? - Telyanin said, getting up and looking around casually.
- I ordered it.
- Let's go on our own. I just came in to ask Denisov about yesterday’s order. Got it, Denisov?
- Not yet. Where are you going?
“I want to teach a young man how to shoe a horse,” said Telyanin.
They went out onto the porch and into the stables. The lieutenant showed how to make a rivet and went home.
When Rostov returned, there was a bottle of vodka and sausage on the table. Denisov sat in front of the table and cracked his pen on paper. He looked gloomily into Rostov's face.
“I’m writing to her,” he said.
He leaned his elbows on the table with a pen in his hand, and, obviously delighted at the opportunity to quickly say in words everything he wanted to write, expressed his letter to Rostov.
“You see, dg,” he said. “We sleep until we love. We are children of pg’axa... and I fell in love - and you are God, you are pure, as on the pieties day of creation... Who else is this? Drive him to Chog’tu. There’s no time!” he shouted at Lavrushka, who, without any timidity, approached him.
- Who should be? They ordered it themselves. The sergeant came for the money.
Denisov frowned, wanted to shout something and fell silent.
“Skveg,” but that’s the point,” he said to himself. “How much money is left in the wallet?” he asked Rostov.
– Seven new and three old.
“Oh, skveg” but! Well, why are you standing there, stuffed animals, let’s go to the sergeant,” Denisov shouted at Lavrushka.
“Please, Denisov, take the money from me, because I have it,” Rostov said, blushing.
“I don’t like to borrow from my own people, I don’t like it,” Denisov grumbled.
“And if you don’t take the money from me in a friendly manner, you’ll offend me.” “Really, I have it,” Rostov repeated.
- No.
And Denisov went to the bed to take out his wallet from under the pillow.
- Where did you put it, Rostov?
- Under the bottom pillow.
- No, no.
Denisov threw both pillows onto the floor. There was no wallet.
- What a miracle!
- Wait, didn’t you drop it? - said Rostov, lifting the pillows one by one and shaking them out.
He threw off and shook off the blanket. There was no wallet.
- Have I forgotten? No, I also thought that you were definitely putting a treasure under your head,” said Rostov. - I put my wallet here. Where is he? – he turned to Lavrushka.
- I didn’t go in. Where they put it is where it should be.
- Not really…
– You’re just like that, throw it somewhere, and you’ll forget. Look in your pockets.
“No, if only I hadn’t thought about the treasure,” said Rostov, “otherwise I remember what I put in.”
Lavrushka rummaged through the entire bed, looked under it, under the table, rummaged through the entire room and stopped in the middle of the room. Denisov silently followed Lavrushka’s movements and, when Lavrushka threw up his hands in surprise, saying that he was nowhere, he looked back at Rostov.
- G "ostov, you are not a schoolboy...
Rostov felt Denisov’s gaze on him, raised his eyes and at the same moment lowered them. All his blood, which was trapped somewhere below his throat, poured into his face and eyes. He couldn't catch his breath.
“And there was no one in the room except the lieutenant and yourself.” Here somewhere,” said Lavrushka.
“Well, you little doll, get around, look,” Denisov suddenly shouted, turning purple and throwing himself at the footman with a threatening gesture. “You better have your wallet, otherwise you’ll burn.” Got everyone!
Kuznetsk Alatau is the largest mountain system Kemerovo region. It consists of the Kuznetsk Alatau itself and the Abakan ridge, starting somewhat north of Lake Teletskoye. The total length of the main ridge in the meridian direction exceeds 500 kilometers.
The height of Alatau is significantly less compared to Altai and the Sayan Mountains.
The most high peak— Amzas-taskyl (Upper Tooth) — 2178 meters above sea level.
Along the main ridge and some spurs there are several dozen granite char mountains with a height of 1500 to 2000 m with eternal (perennial) snowfields on the northern slopes, with areas of mountain tundra and alpine vegetation. In the mountains, especially along the main ridge and on the spurs closest to it, extensive forests have been preserved, mostly dark coniferous, but now there are also large tracts of deciduous forests. In some places, char peaks with alpine landscapes and snowfields rise like islands above the blue mountain taiga.
You can trace a whole chain of these peaks: Heavenly Teeth (2178), Bolshoy Kanym (1870), Bolshoy Taskyl (1448), Tserkovnaya (1450), Suitcase (1858), Krestovaya (1648), Bobrovaya (1673), Pukh-Taskyl (1818 ), Chelbak-taskyl, Bear loach, Chest, Kugu-tu, White, etc.
Most of the high mountain peaks are concentrated in the central part of the mountain system, in the area between 88°-89° east longitude and 55°-53° north latitude. This highest part of the Kuznetsk Alatau is known locally as Belogorya.
North of Bolshoy Taskyl the mountains become lower. Along the main ridge, their height is already below 1000 meters. In the northern part, the mountain system takes on a fan-shaped appearance and turns into ridges of hills stretching to the Trans-Siberian Railway.
Alguysky waterfall Kuznetsky Alatau 
Mountain peaks in Alatau have different shapes. The most common, one might say classic, is a dome with small terraces and a smooth top. This is usually granite, polished by the winds, and covered with scale lichens on the leeward side. These are the domes on Bolshoi Taskyl.
For others, the peak has already leveled over time and turned into a platform covered with relatively medium-sized rock fragments. A similar picture is observed in Bolshoi Kalym and Mustag. The tops of some chars turned into a pile of large boulders, as on Alatag and the mountain adjacent to Big Taskyl. Here, huge blocks of granite look like the ruins of a fortress or Cyclopean buildings. And on Tserkovnaya, over the millennia, the wind has shaped one peak in such a way that it has acquired the shape of a granite pillar resembling a bell tower (hence the name of the mountain).
In Alatau there are many mountain tar lakes of snow-glacial origin, firn snowfields, and mountain swamps. That's why there are so many rivers, streams, springs, streams. The left-bank tributaries Chulym, Tom and all its right-bank tributaries, and in the upper reaches some left-bank tributaries, originate in the Kuznetsk Alatau.
Kuznetsk Alatau is not only the watershed of the river systems of Tom and Chulym, Ob and Yenisei, it is also a reservoir that feeds these rivers. Individual massifs, such as Amzastaskyl, Bolshoi Kanym, Chemodan and others, are the cradle of several rivers flowing from these peaks in different directions.
Mount Taizhasu Kuznetsk Alatau 
GEOGRAPHY OF KUZNETSK ALATAU
Kuznetsk Alatau (from the Turkic ala - “motley” and tau - “mountains”) is a low-medium highland in the Sayan-Altai mountain region in the south Western Siberia, with a length of about 300 km from south to north and a width of up to 150 km. The highest altitude is 2211 m (Old Fortress plateau). Kuznetsk Alatau is not a single ridge, but consists of several ridges of medium height, between which there are river valleys. It is the watershed of the Tom and Chulym rivers (tributaries of the Ob).
In the west it is limited by the Kuznetsk basin, and in the east by the Minusinsk basin. In the south it borders with the Abakan ridge of the Western Sayan, in the north it has no clear border. The highlands include the Celestial Teeth mountain range.
It extends submeridally, rising steeply above the Kuznetsk Basin lying to the west and gently sloping east towards the Minusinsk Basin. The length is about 300 km, the width is up to 150 km. Peaks in the south parts reach an altitude of 2000 m above sea level. In the northern direction, the height gradually decreases and at the northern end is about 300 m. The general appearance is determined by the predominance of low, leveled watersheds, above which individual mid-mountain peaks rise as a result of selective denudation and neotectonic uplifts of magmatic rock masses (Puh-Taskyl Mountains - 1820 m , B. Taskyl - 1447 m, B. Kanym - 1872 m, Krestovaya - 1549 m), etc. There is a significant contrast of flattened watersheds and deep valleys of the rivers White and Black Iyus, Kiya, Tes, etc. Several leveling surfaces are observed, which is emphasized tiered relief.
In the south of the mountain range, the Kuznetsky Alatau nature reserve was created in 1989 with an area of 412.9 thousand hectares.
The Novokuznetsk-Abakan railway line runs through Kuznetsky Alatau, closer to its southern end.
The mountains are composed of limestone, quartzite, siliceous and clayey shales of the Proterozoic and Lower Paleozoic, intruded by numerous intrusions of gabbro, diorites, granites, syenites, etc. The modern relief was created in Neogene-Anthropogenic times as a result of the uplift and dismemberment of planation surfaces of different ages. The slopes of the ridge are asymmetrical: on the eastern gentle slope the river valleys are well developed, on the western steep slope the rivers flow in narrow valleys with large slopes; they have a lot of rapids and shivers.
Kuznetsk Alatau is characterized by taskhyls - the top surfaces of rocks and massifs, covered with stone placers descending into river valleys. Mineral resources: iron and manganese ores, gold, chromites, etc. Quaternary glaciations covered only the highest areas of the Kuznetsk Alatau, where they left traces in the form of moraines, cirques, and glacial lakes. There is modern glaciation represented by glaciers. Kuznetsk Alatau has 4 areas of development of modern glaciers:
1) northern - B. Taskyl, Bobrovaya;
2) central - the city of B. Kanym in the upper reaches of the Black Iyus;
3) southeastern and southern - ridge. Tegir-Tash, Kara-Tash.
There are 91 glaciers with a total area of 6.79 km². The ice thickness is from 12 m to a few tens of meters. Type of glaciers: cirque, hanging, slope. The position of the glaciers is very low - 1250-1450 m. For inland parts of the continents (50-55º N) this is the only case in the world. The amount of precipitation is over 1000 mm per year, in some places almost 3000 mm. Mountain taiga vegetation predominates (spruce, fir, Siberian cedar, less often larch taiga). Above 1800-2000 m there are subalpine meadows, shrubby, moss-lichen and rocky mountain tundras.
LAKE AGASKYR
Agaskyr is a lake in the Black Iyus valley in the Ordzhonikidze district, Khakassia.
Sewage lake, feeds the river. Pechische, 2.5 km from the village of Agaskyr, is located in the foothills of the Kuznetsk Atatau at an altitude of 500-600 m above sea level. Surrounded by forest (light coniferous larch taiga). Length 2 km, width 1 km, area about 2 km². Fresh, with volcanic rocks at the base.
In Khakassia and Tuva, including Lake Agaskyr, there is a species of butterfly whose Latin species name includes the word Agaskyr - eastern swamp aeneid (oeneis agaskyra Korshunov et Nikolaev, 2002).
(also Koshkulakskaya, from the distorted Khak. Khoshulakh - a karst cave in Russia (Republic of Khakassia, Shirinsky district) in the massif of Mount Koshkulak (Kashkulak, Khoshulakh), located in the northern spurs of the Kuznetsk Alatau.
It has three tiers connected by vertical wells about 20 meters deep. The depth of the cave is 49 meters, the total length of the passages is 820 meters. In the upper tier (the complex of grottoes “Temple”, “Obscurantists”, “Dead Pagoda”) there are calcite sinter formations.
The lower tier (the Obvalny grotto) and even partly the middle tier (the Skeleton and Enthusiastov grottoes) are periodically flooded during heavy floods. The difficulty category of the cave is 2B.
Over the past two thousand years it has been used as a cult place by shamans. The floor of the cave is littered with bones of sacrificial animals, trampled into clay, and coal from sacrificial fires. The walls are covered with petrified soot. The main place for sacrifices was the Temple Grotto and the stalagmite located there.
During Civil War The cave was used as one of the bases by a detachment of white partisans under the command of Solovyov.
Kashkulakskaya was first mentioned in literature, probably in the works of A. M. Zaitsev in 1904, under the name of the Turimskaya cave (after the name of the Tyurim stream).
In the 1950s - 1970s. was the subject scientific research speleologists, archaeologists and paleontologists.
Over the past half century, the cave has gained controversial fame. In popular literature there are opinions that people with high sensitivity can allegedly see hallucinations here; this cave is spoken of as a “place of power” and a “scientific phenomenon”.
Since the beginning of the 2000s. . There are several travel companies operating here, regularly making flights from the Lake Shira resort.
There are many scandals associated with the cave. So, in 2000-2002, this place was the subject of cult veneration by a fickle group of Hindu Shaivite clergy led by Swami Sathya Sai Daas, who founded an unofficial monastery here - “Sai Lingeshvara Ashram” (Sanskrit: Abode of Truth and Universal Wealth and Peace).
For them this place was of interest as a natural temple. According to the “brahmins”, this place was indicated from above as holy and requiring care and protection from the destructive influence of man.
After three years of struggling with the negative attitude of the local administration and population, the neophytes were forced to leave the place. Until now, Khakass shamans and Russian sorcerers perform rituals here, and trainings among “esotericists” take place.
At the moment, there are several travel companies that organize excursions to the Kashkulak cave (as a rule, only along the upper tier). Most often they are organized at the Lake Shira resort or in the village of Zhemchuzhny.
The cave is also visited by a large number of independent groups of speleotourists. Approximate description of the route: Shira village - highway to Kommunar - aal Topanov (paved road); further into the mountains there is a gravel road built in the 1980s - 1990s. After 10 km, a well-trodden field road departs from it, but movement along it is extremely difficult during the rainy season (July - early August). Along this road there is another 5 km to the cave itself.
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SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND PHOTO:
Team Nomads
http://www.kuz-alatau.ru/
Encyclopedia of the Republic of Khakassia: [in 2 volumes] / Government of the Republic. Khakassia; [scientific ed. advice: V. A. Kuzmin (pres.), etc.]. - Abakan: Polikor, 2007. T. 1: [A - N]. - 2007. - 430, p. : ill., portrait — Bibliography at the end of words. Art. — P. 27.
photo by Oksana Rakhmatullina.
Wikipedia website
Kobyakov, Evgeniy. A chapel was consecrated on a tourist mountain trail by the Kemerovo and Novokuznetsk Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church (08/03/2007).
TOMSKNEWS.COM.
http://www.tur-sib.ru/
http://kemoblast.ru/region/territory/kuznetskij-alatau.html
http://www.photosight.ru/
photo by Vitaly Yaroslavsky, Peter Zakharov, user Walter.
Basic moments
Trans-Ili Alatau lies within four altitudinal zones. Up to 1600 m, forest-steppe and deciduous forests dominate here, where wild apple trees, apricots, aspen and rowan grow. Higher up – up to 2800 m – there are coniferous forests, consisting mainly of pyramidal Tien Shan spruce. Above them lies a zone of alpine meadows and creeping juniper, and from an altitude of 3500 meters bare rocks and glaciers begin. Passes, plateaus and peaks reach 4000-4600 m above sea level, therefore they are covered with snow and ice all year round. Here is the largest glaciation center of the Northern Tien Shan - the powerful Korzhenevsky glacier, stretching for 11 km, as well as the Bogatyr glacier, whose length is 9.1 km. Other glaciers - Shokalsky, Grigoriev and Tuyuksu - are slightly inferior to them. Scientists have counted 441 glaciers on the high mountain slopes, and the total area of glaciation reaches 171 km².
The highest point of the Trans-Ili Alatau - the picturesque peak Talgar - has a height of 4979 m. The three-domed peak is clearly visible from the city of Talgar and some areas of Almaty. No less impressive are the giant peaks of Aktau (4686 m), Metallurg (4600 m), Korp (4631 m) and Bogatyr (4626 m). The center of the mountain range with an area of 71.7 thousand hectares is part of the Almaty Nature Reserve, which since 1996 has been considered part of the Ile-Alaut National Park.
In the spurs of the Trans-Ili Alatau there are the high-mountain skating rink Medeu, the popular ski resort Chimbulak and the Assy-Turgen astronomical observatory. The routes of sports tourist and mountaineering groups pass here. The season for fans of mountain tourism begins in mid-July and ends at the end of September, and the most favorable period for skiing and snowboarding lasts from December to the end of March.
Climate
Trans-Ili Alatau is located in a zone of dry, sharply continental climate. In summer, Almaty can be very hot, but in the evening the breezes blowing from the mountains bring long-awaited coolness. From mid-summer to mid-autumn, a dry, comfortable climate reigns in the mountains. Rainfall is rare, and at altitudes above 3500 m precipitation falls exclusively in the form of snow or hail.
Throughout the year, several cold snaps are recorded in the Trans-Ili Alatau. In summer they occur due to the passage of powerful cyclones, and in the winter months - anticyclones. Snow cover on glaciers reaches a height of 1.5-2 m and lasts until mid-July.
Fauna and flora of the Trans-Ili Alatau
In that part of the Trans-Ili Alatau, which is part of the environmental protection zone of the Almaty Nature Reserve, there are Tien Shan brown bear, lynx, deer, mountain goat, roe deer, snow leopard, badger, hare and stone marten. The mountains are inhabited by black grouse, golden eagles, bearded vultures, mountain and bearded partridges, Himalayan snowcocks, juniper grosbeaks, bluebirds, woodpeckers and nutcrackers.
The flora of the mountain range has been well studied, because next to it is the city of Alma-Ata, which has many universities and scientific organizations. About 1,600 plant species are found on the slopes and valleys of the Trans-Ili Alatau. Over 50 species are rare and 26 of them are listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan. In the undergrowth of coniferous forests you can see hawthorn, thickets of cotoneaster and rose hips, bushes of honeysuckle, buckthorn and barberry.
Many travelers come to the mountains to admire the beautiful blooms. After winter, crocuses and chives are the first to bloom their delicate petals. Then the time comes when the mountain slopes are colored with tulips, irises and peonies. At the beginning of summer, bright buttercups and buttercups, forget-me-nots, violets and anemones bloom, and the active flowering ends with asters, small petals, hawkweeds and gentians.
Medeu
Near Almaty, on the northern spurs of the Trans-Ili Alatau, there is a unique ice skating rink. It was built at an altitude of 1691 m in the Medeu tract and bears his name. The high-mountain complex is used for winter sports and has the world's largest artificial ice field, with an area of up to 10,500 m². The purest mountain water is used to fill it. Medeu is covered with very high-quality ice, and thanks to this, more than two hundred speed skating records were set at the high-mountain skating rink.
Shymbulak
At altitudes of 2200-2500 m, above Medeu lies the popular ski resort of Chimbulak. Here, in the northern spurs of the Trans-Ili Alatau, 8 routes have been laid, the total elevation difference of which is 900-1000 m.
The history of the resort began in the middle of the last century from the Shymbulak sports base. Nowadays, after a large-scale reconstruction, the ski resort meets the most modern requirements, and its slopes have been certified by the International Alpine Ski Federation.
The ski area is located at altitudes of 2260-3163 m. The maximum slope on the ski slopes is 45°. The resort has chairlifts, several hotels, restaurants, cafes and ski schools. In addition, professional and amateur snowboarding and alpine skiing competitions are held in Shymbulak.
How to get there
The most convenient way to get to the Trans-Ili Alatau is from the north - from the city of Alma-Ata. Russians do not need a visa to visit Kazakhstan. Upon arrival at the airport, tourists must fill out a migration card. If they plan to stay in the city for more than three days, they are required to register with the local OVIR. It is recommended to always have a passport with registration with you. Registration must be checked at the airport upon departure from the country.
From Almaty you can get to the mountains by regular buses, taxis and freight transport.
Tien Shan - heavenly mountains, even this name itself evokes respect and some kind of awe. But my hiking life turned out so well that I consider one of the Tien Shan ridges, the Trans-Ili Alatau, almost my home. Or, at least, my favorite area. So, when friends asked to show them high mountains, there were somehow no questions about where exactly to go.
We dreamed and planned for a long time - at first there were other things to do, then there was no time, and Zailiyka was still waiting somewhere in the south. But the time has come, two years of dreams and many months of preparation are behind us, and now we are finally boarding the train to Almaty. It takes one and a half days to travel from Novosibirsk to Almaty - just enough to enjoy the romance of the train, but not so long as to get tired of it all. Moreover, there are four of us traveling, and we have something to talk about.
Mountains are already visible from Almaty - their white peaks stand above the city, and distant ridges go somewhere into the haze. You can get to the mountains by a regular city bus, but we save time so we take a taxi. Previously, cars went to Chimbulak, where there is a ski resort. But now the taxi driver refused to go further than the Medeu mudflow protection dam. And we went higher by cable car.
During the six years that I did not see Zailiyka, the cable car was rebuilt from Medeu to Chimbulak and further to the pass, right up to an altitude of 3400 above sea level. We don’t need to go that high, so we drive to Chimbulak, where our route begins. The altitude is 2600, the weather is excellent - the sun is blazing, everyone is in a fighting mood.
Zailiyka- This is generally an amazing mountainous region. Here you can wake up in Almaty in the morning, or on the train, as we did, and in the afternoon you can see glaciers and high mountains.
Along the Malaya Almatinka valley there is a road to high-mountain weather stations. Theoretically, cars even walk along this road, but we walked along it. Along the way we admire the steep cliffs and glaciers in the distance. Here nothing changes - the mountains are standing, the sun is shining, the climb is steep. This is the fourth time I’m walking along this road, and the fourth time it seems like it’s going to kill me - it’s really a steep climb, and everyone on the road is walking fast, and it’s the very beginning, so my body hasn’t yet realized that climbing up with a heavy backpack is Fine.
At lunch we admire the river valley and the steep slopes on the sides. I say that this is the slope we need to climb today. For some reason, everyone decided that this was a joke, but what kind of jokes are there if our pass is exactly there, and it’s along this slope that the trail goes.
When we leave the road for the trail, life becomes harder - the altitude of more than 3000 meters above sea level, the steep climb, and the same heavy backpacks already begin to take their toll. It is immediately obvious that it has become difficult for everyone to walk - conversations have died down, everyone is saving their breath and immersed in their thoughts. Actually, not the worst condition. You walk, you hear the sound of your steps and your own breathing, and, sometimes, the wind. You can’t say that you directly see the mountains around you, but you feel their presence with all your skin. On the one hand, you dive deep into yourself, on the other, you dissolve in it endless world. It is at this moment that what is written about in all the travel publics on the Internet happens - problems at home cease to seem important, you seem to be separated from them.
Evening is the most awaited time on a hike; there is no need to rush anywhere, you can sit quietly, eat, and then lie in your sleeping bag. But on the first evening, dinner did not seem so desirable - the symptoms of altitude sickness, also known as acclimatization, made themselves felt. In general, mountain sickness is understood as a very wide range of problems, and the reasons are also different. It is clear that this is an adaptation, and at altitude there is more and more adaptation to hypoxia (the higher you go in the mountains, the lower the atmospheric pressure, which means less oxygen enters the lungs with each breath), but there is also simply adaptation to stress, to climate, to change of regime and lifestyle. After all, most of us spend most of our lives sitting in a warm, cozy room. And we pay for this by adapting at the beginning of the hike, even when the altitude is not yet so high. But this time our altitude was 3600, and this is already quite noticeable. So we don’t have much fun slurping the soup, but we still find the strength to admire first the sunset, and then starry sky over the mountains. Still, mountain stars are something special, it seems to me that I can directly see that we have become closer to them!
The night was not the calmest. You lie there, you seem to be sleeping, but you seem to hear everything around you, and then you don’t sleep, and then you sleep again. These are all also symptoms of acclimatization, and this is normal, but it doesn’t make it any more fun in the morning. I’m trying to convince everyone that everything is according to plan, that now we’ll pass the pass, go down lower, and it will be good, but it seems they don’t really believe me, but in vain.
The trail to our first pass starts right from our overnight stay - here it is still clearly visible. The trail first goes along the moraine - this is a pile of stones that the glacier left in front of itself specifically in order to hide better and become even more inaccessible. It seems like we don’t need to go to the glacier, we need to pass by, but he didn’t know about it and poured stones under our feet. So we walk along the stones, then the trail begins to climb steeply to the pass itself. Here the stones become smaller and tend to fall out from under your feet with every step, so you have to walk carefully so as not to pile these stones on top of each other. But if you wear helmets and don’t go far from your comrades, then everything is quite safe.
It seems that the saddle of the pass is already visible, but more and more often there is a desire to sit. I’m rather against sitting on a rocky slope, but climbing for two hours without a break (that’s how long it took us to climb the pass) is somehow difficult. So we sit, as it turns out, on all these sharp stones.
Here, apparently, it is necessary to say about passes in general. It was written in the geography textbook that a pass is a place in a ridge convenient for overcoming it. And I remember this simple and understandable definition every time I climb some particularly unpleasant slope. Because, in fact, tourism is a sport, and people, in order to make their lives even less boring, came up with the idea of going where it is not at all convenient, but, as a rule, beautiful. And these very sports passes have categories, and the category of the hike depends on these categories of passes. Our hike was of the second category (out of six possible). So our passes had to be categories 1B (also, as it were, the second of the possible), or 1A (this is easier, this is the first of the possible). In a book, a little smarter than a school textbook on geography, called “Classifier of High Mountain Passes,” it is written that pass 1A does not require special equipment to pass, and pass 1B may already require something, but not necessarily a little. So as soon as we hung the rope on the slope, the pass was already more difficult than we needed.
But this is all so wonderful only in theory, but in practice it turns out that the passes were classified a long time ago, the state of the ice cover has changed greatly during this time: here and global warming, and the natural movement of glaciers, and much more. So sometimes passes do not at all correspond to what is written about them in this very classifier. And it’s still autumn here, and all the snow has melted. And where you can safely walk through the snow in the summer, we may have bare ice, on which it is no longer possible to stand on it without “crampons” (for some reason I didn’t take a photo of this climbing device). So we were quite prepared for the fact that our passes would require a lot of special equipment and techniques for working with it. But, I must say, the reality exceeded all my gloomy expectations.
So, we got out to the Pioneer saddle - that was the name of our first pass. At the top there are very beautiful rocky outcrops, more like fancy buildings. We take pictures near these rocks and laugh a lot - hypoxia makes itself felt.
From above, the descent seems quite logical, especially since, according to the stories of those who have already walked this pass, everything is simple - you carefully descend along the glacier, and that’s all. But in these stories everything is somehow too smooth, considering that the cracks on the slope are visible even from space, so we descend very carefully so as not to fall into these cracks.
Before going out onto the glacier, we put on crampons to stand on the ice and make a tie (we all cling to one rope) so that if someone falls, others will belay him. These are all completely normal things for mountain hiking, as long as everything goes according to plan - put on your shoes, “get in touch”, and go slowly. And literally after ten steps the plan no longer seems so simple and understandable. I walk ahead and very quickly enter the area very hard ice- this kind of ice usually happens in winter, when it cools down greatly and recrystallizes; we could not expect this in September. In summer and early autumn, the ice is gray, spongy, loose, and crampons and ice axes stick into it very well. In winter, the ice is smooth, shiny and very hard, and nothing sticks into it, but it is beautiful. It's like the difference between a sundae and an icicle.
And here I am standing on such an icicle and I understand that walking on it is simply so dangerous. Actually, we need to go down, but I can’t go straight down - there is a crack below me on the slope, the same one that I knew could be seen from space. You need to walk along it, and only then go down when it ends. If you could go straight down, then everything would be clear - you just need to hang a rope and go down it, but you can’t go straight down - there is a crack. But you can’t just hang a rope along it, because the slope is uneven, and there are still many small cracks in it - ones that cannot be seen from space, but you cannot walk along them. So we decide to go further together, but, for greater reliability, we screw drills into the ice - additional insurance points. (I won’t go into details of the technical work, if anyone in the know wants to argue with me about why we didn’t hang horizontal railings or why we didn’t jump over the bergschrund - all this can be done in the comments).
So I screwed in the drill, threaded a rope through it, and we walked along the crack. Then another drill, turn down, another drill, again along the crack, then again and again. In some places there are areas soft ice, but more often the ice is hard and very slippery, it is difficult to turn drills there - the glacier does not allow foreign objects into itself. At some point, I had a chance to check the reliability of the drill - I couldn’t stay on a particularly steep section, slid down the slope and hung on this very drill. Well, it’s okay, the drills hold, the friction force works. Slowly, very slowly, we move along the slope, more even to the side than down, drawing some kind of complex broken line and leaving behind a chain of drill holes. But now the zone of cracks is behind us, we have reached a flatter part of the slope, from here we can simply go down. By this time, my legs were already shaking quite a bit - not so much from fear, but from tension. But now it’s just a matter of walking down and that’s it.
In fact, this pass turned out to be, of course, much more difficult than the 1B category we needed, but we coped with it quite well, went through everything clearly and carefully, even though it took 3.5 hours to descend. Well, what can I say, it can be worse. There was a moment when I really wanted to turn back, and the only thing that kept me from doing so was the understanding that on such a slope our group would not turn around, so there was no choice.
After descending from the pass, we walk a little more along the glacier, and then along the moraine (yes, each glacier piled up a mountain of stones). There are steep peaks covered with ice or sharp rocky peaks all around, the sound of rockfall is heard from somewhere far away, there is only ice and stones under your feet, and you can’t even believe that somewhere in this world there could be something alive.
In the morning we all woke up in the same cold stone world - due to the difficult descent, we did not have time to reach the grass yesterday. The water in the boilers, wisely prepared in the evening, froze overnight, the sun has not yet set in the valley, I am sitting conjuring the burners - life is wonderful. And then, like a bolt from the blue: “When we go down today, I’ll go down,” one of my comrades says to me. Or rather, it’s actually not like that, he told me this the previous morning, that it was too hard for him, that the miner was overwhelming him and he had no strength, but then my brain simply refused to believe it. Well, yes, well, miner, well, sometimes it’s bad on a hike, but to decide to go down after the first day of walking... Then I decided that the person was just feeling bad, and this is not a decision, but just talk. But then a day passed, and he again - “I’m leaving.” Well, what can I say - I can’t hold anyone, you’re an adult, it’s your decision, this afternoon we’ll pass by the station cable car, from there you can drive down safely. And the three of us remain.
It was this “three of us” that determined our future route. In general, according to the plan, we had a lot of interesting things, and, most importantly, two glaciers, which few people walked on at all. There is minimal information on those passes, only a classifier and images from space, so they are especially interesting. But in order to go there, you need to be confident in the reliable passage of these places, especially after we saw what a pass that is not difficult under normal conditions can turn into. If there were four of us, I wouldn’t even think about changing the route - we would go according to schedule, and that’s it. But the three of us are already too unreliable, it can become too dangerous in unforeseen circumstances. So we sat, got sad and decided to change the route - to take the simpler and shorter option. In this case, we are left without distant glaciers, but we can exit from any point of the route quite quickly and safely.
After all these complex thoughts, we reach the upper station of the cable car (the same one from the lower station of which we started our route) and then we part ways. We sit there for some time, repacking our backpacks in a new way, recounting the products, trying to optimize the weight. But still, backpacks become even heavier, because equipment designed for four people is still there. And we, for example, still have the same tent, which is now clearly too much for the three of us, but she doesn’t know this and doesn’t get any easier. But no matter how much you fuss, you still need to move, although it seems that everything is already over.
Now we're off to the valley of the Left Talgar River - in my opinion, one of the most pleasant places on Zailiyka, and one of the friendliest at the same time. The descent into the river valley follows a good but rather steep path. You can already see the river, but you still have to walk and walk to get there.
In some places the trail is swept up by old mudflows, and then it gets lost between the stones. It’s scary to imagine what’s happening here at the beginning of summer, when stagnant water somewhere above is tearing down the mountains with all its fury. But now there is a certain aesthetics in all this: gray stones, yellow trees, brown slopes: after all, autumn is the most beautiful time of the year.
We slowly descend along the path, it leads us first to the expanses of alpine meadows, then into the forest, and in the late afternoon - to the river. Here we spend the night - a great place, there is wood for the fire, there is water for tea, and it’s also warm enough to just sit and enjoy it all.
We need to go to the other side of the river. They wander around Left Talgar in a place with the romantic name “Sunny Glade”. We arrive there, and it’s true - there is a clearing, and so is the sun. Not like the last time I was here in the pouring rain. There are also numerous river floods through which it can be fermented quite calmly.
We go to the other side and stay there until the morning. Of course, there is still time, but I really want to lie on the grass in the sun before heading off to the glaciers.
We lie there warming ourselves for a while, then I even find the strength to go to the neighboring slope and take pictures of all this beauty from above. And there is something to photograph - the bright turquoise floods of the river scatter over the gray stones, and the stones seem to have spread in the autumn gold of the valley.
But in the morning we still go up. At first there is even some kind of path. She takes us above the forest zone, and this is not at all a little - at least we didn’t have to climb the bushes. But then the bushes give way to stones, and the trail leaves us. And, what’s even more unpleasant, the water also leaves us. In the summer, streams flow everywhere here - somewhere above, the snow melts on the glaciers. But now there is no snow anymore, there is nothing to melt, and what flowed has either dried up or gone under the stones. So on this day we simply must reach the glacier - there is definitely water there, at least solid.
We walk along the moraine, here it is somehow especially huge - real moraine chaos. Huge piles of stones form waves, holes and ravines, and nothing is visible around except the same stones - red, gray, brown. There is no path here anymore, we just follow the direction, and only occasionally do we come across tours. Usually, trails are marked with such piles of stones, but here tours can only remind us that we are not alone in this world, and that someone has already walked here once.
And only sometimes snowy peaks appear on the horizon. But what kind! True, it is much more pleasant to look at them from below than to climb up - they look very unapproachable.
Only in the evening we saw our glacier, and above it our next pass. In this photo our saddle is on the right.
We settle down for the night at the beginning of the glacier. The next day we wanted to go up, but the weather made its own adjustments. At night the wind blew, it snowed and, most unpleasantly, visibility disappeared.
This is not to say that the weather was completely unbearable, but quite moderate. If we just had to move on, we would calmly go. But it was on this day that we wanted to look and take pictures. According to the new plan, this pass is the farthest point of our route, so I wanted to see it all in good weather. The glacier does not allow us to go further; we sit in a tent all day and listen to the howling of the wind.
The next morning the weather did improve - there is still wind, and sometimes it blows up wisps of clouds, but there is already visibility, and this is the main thing for us now. So we take out crampons, bundles, helmets and go to the glacier. The glacier was covered with yesterday's snow - not enough to fill up the cracks or interfere with movement, but enough to make it not slippery.
At first, the ascent to the glacier tongue is quite steep, but then it becomes smoother. And sastrugi appear on its surface - such funny sharp ice waves.
And then there is the crack zone. Some of them have water flowing in them, sometimes right under the snow. It happens that you can’t see the water, you step on the snow, and fall knee-deep into the water. Therefore, you need to be careful and check where you place your feet.
The sun will come out on the glacier, then everything will be covered in dense fog.
The sun is still more often, but fog, with its gloomy charm, is also not uncommon.
We approach the pass along the glacier. The climb to the saddle itself is along scree. But we were lucky that it snowed recently. You can take steps in it and climb up quite easily. If there was no snow, then the stones would again move away from under our feet, but otherwise they were frozen together, and on top there was a layer of sticky snow.
We came out to the saddle, there was wind and lots and lots of sun! This is understandable, the height of the pass is 4300 m, and this already means something.
All the wisps of fog scattered to show us all possible beauty. But we no longer need to descend onto the huge glacier ahead - our route now lies in the other direction.
We admire the beauty for only a short time - the altitude and cold make themselves felt, so we quickly take pictures and go back down.
I really hoped that we would be able to follow our tracks back along the glacier, but while we were walking up, the wind left nothing from these tracks. AND Return trip I had to look again.
We didn’t go anywhere that day - there was no particular hurry. So we again spend the night in the same place, and again the wind throws ice crumbs on the tent all night. And in the morning the weather is, of course, beautiful, but not very comfortable - such clouds are much more pleasant to look at in photographs than to walk among them.
But I don’t want to sit another day or even half a day under the glacier, so we quickly pack up and go down. First along the dry bed of the stream, all along the same endless moraine. Well, at least not straight back in your tracks. Judging by the map, somewhere in the ramparts of this giant moraine there should be a lake, so we decided to go look for it. So we didn’t need it, but it’s interesting to see, especially since we’ve already seen it from above. The lake turned out to be quite beautiful - a dark green bath among snow-covered stones.
Just a little more light so you can appreciate its beauty. But there is no sun, but there is either snow or fog.
Our road goes through a small pass with the romantic name Eagle's Nest. There is even something in this. From the moraine we do not rise very high, but immediately a view of distant ridges opens up, and even the clouds scatter somewhere, leaving only wisps of fog on the distant slopes, but these are just for decoration.
And so - visibility of 10 kilometers, or even more - is what is needed to examine both where we came from and where we are now going.
Now we have nowhere to rush, so we admire the movement of the clouds over the mountains for a while longer, and then, slowly, we go down to the river.
We need to ferment this river - all the life to which we will need to return remains on the other bank. But today it won’t be possible to do this - the midday sun melted the snow that had fallen over the previous two days, and the river rose noticeably.
Early in the morning, before the glaciers began to melt, we nevertheless overcome the obstacle with the proud name of the Constitution River. And now we have only one pass left before civilization.
Our backpacks have already become lighter, and we have adapted, so despite the noticeable climb, we are walking quite quickly. I don’t really want to stretch out walking along the windy path among bare stones, so we decide to cross the pass that day. Well, unless in the late afternoon we come across a lake with swans and a palace on the shore, and it beckons us towards it.
And guess what, of course we met him. Well, maybe not with swans, but with liquid water and a beautiful flat area for a folding palace - what else can you dream of!
For some reason I’m writing all this, and somehow it turns out quite dark and stern. No, of course, it’s harsh, whatever you say, but in fact, on a hike, we not only walk a lot, but also talk a lot, and laugh a lot. It’s just that most hiking jokes are completely unsuitable for lengthy retelling, but there, in the mountains, it’s very funny. For example, that evening, passing by the lake, I decided to check how strong the ice on it was, and threw a pebble - the ice held up. Then I threw a larger pebble, and the ice held up again. Very soon the three of us were throwing pebbles onto the ice, trying to break it. Either curling or billiards. As a result, we managed to drown several stones, we considered this our victory over the ice and, quite proud of ourselves, went to prepare dinner.
But, apparently, the ice decided that it would not give up so easily, and it did not intend to let us go. At night the wind rose, such that the walls of the tent sometimes simply fell on us. We spent the whole morning trying to stuff the flying things into our backpacks. And under such a wind we finally began to climb the pass.
The takeoff at this pass is not at all steep, so even in such a strong wind it is quite possible to walk. Only at the very end, when there were ten meters left to the top, it appeared again - solid winter ice. Well, what to do, and this time there were no cats. We quickly put on our shoes and reach those last meters. But at the top, as expected, it blows even more. While I was trying to write a note with a freezing pen, I was literally I was blown away by the wind - only a friendly shoulder kept me from falling. No one wanted to take pictures at the pass, including my camera, whose battery froze for the first time during the hike.
Well, since it’s still not possible to calmly enjoy the views, we find a path down, and along it, literally running, we leave the ridge before the wind adds snow.
Thanks for the story. I remembered how I lived in Issyk as a child, and then as a student I went on an expedition with climbers, they were then building a mountain for the Russian Championship. Our base was in the destroyed mountain camp "Talgar" (it was hit by a mudflow in the 70s, in my opinion, in 1977 or 1978), this was in 1982.
There is still a book of climbing routes “Along the Trans-Ili Alatau”.
Thanks again for the story and photos.
