If you are a fan of extreme recreation, hiking, enjoy the unknown, then go to the Big Almaty Lake. Having reached it, you will already experience such emotions that you will remember them later for a long time. The fact is that part of the path will have to be covered on foot, since not all cars are able to overcome steep climbs. Therefore, you must be physically strong to decide on such a route. But the views from the top are worth it.
What is this lake like?
It was formed as a result of many years of action of the glacier, gradually leaving here. He, retreating, left a heap of various fragmental material - the so-called moraine: earth, stones, rubble. Over time, meltwater gradually filled the basin that formed after the glacier. In the last century, in the sixties, ina whole cascade of hydroelectric power stations was built in this gorge, and, accordingly, water fence structures were installed here.
In 1977, a mudflow hit these places, and in the early eighties, the natural dam was strengthened, and its height was increased by eight to ten meters. The possibility of destruction was thus eliminated. Since that time, Big Almaty Lake has been constantly pleasing to our eyes. And from its shores, a real panorama of mountains with peaks shining from the snow opens up, enchanting any human eye.
Description of the lake
2 511 meters above sea level - this lake is located at such an altitude. Its length is approximately 1,600 meters, the width reaches one kilometer, and the depth in some places reaches 35 meters. In summer, the water temperature sometimes rises to 10-12 degrees, which, given the height, is not surprising. Big Almaty Lake is located closer to the city of Almaty than other mountain reservoirs. It is only 28.5 kilometers south of the capital.
The lake is part of the Ile-Alatau National Park. The coastline is three kilometers, there is a very large volume of water mass: 14,000,000 m3. In February and August each year the recorded value of the water level fluctuates up to 20 meters. The lake is considered to be very popular, ideal for relaxation. There are plenty of places to sleep here, and there is no point in mentioning the beauty of nature once again. There is only one difficulty -road, but it is passable.
Visit Big Almaty Lake: how to get to this paradise?
There is a good, mostly dirt road leading to this beautiful place. If you wish, you can get to the goal by car from the Orbita microdistrict, the former capital of Kazakhstan, in half an hour. But the best memory will remain if you dare and decide to take a walk. In this case, you need to get to the ring road located a little higher along Navoi Street and Al-Farabi Avenue, to bus stops No. 93 and No. 28.
If you are going on a hike on the weekend, it is advisable to get out of the house early, otherwise you will have to “storm” the vehicle, as many more people want to relax in nature than one unit of public transport can take away. Moreover, for some reason there are not enough flights. In the event that you are lucky and managed to get on the bus, you need to get to the final flight number 28 or to the stopping point “Vtoraya HPP” - number 93. Then you will have to walk along the road for about 15 kilometers. Far, of course, but worth it.
What can you see if you go higher
The beauty of the reservoir we are discussing will wait a little more, and we will see what else can please the eye in these places. So, before us is the Big Almaty Lake. We have already learned how to get to it, at least we have considered one of the options in detail. If you walk north from the dam, you will see a magnificent view: at an altitude of 4,317 meters - the Peak of the Soviets, located onsoutheast. In the event that you go along the river valley up to the south, at an altitude of 4,110 meters there will be Ozerny peak. If you move from the reservoir to the southwest, climbing 3,954 meters, you will find the wooded slopes of the famous Tourist Peak.
You can also see the pyramid located to the west of the Tourist from the city. It is 3,681 meters high, it is the crest of the summit of Big Almaty. There is power to go higher - climb 2,700 meters. Once above the bowl of the blue lake, you will find yourself in a very ancient glacial valley, where there is an observatory village with domes that are very spectacular in appearance. And above, next to the Zhasylkezen pass, climbing 3,300 meters, you will see a space station that studies various light rays.
Most of the way by car, then on foot
Although it is believed that you can get to the lake by car, but still, most travelers do not want to lose all the opportunities to get the most out of a walk through these wonderful places. Mostly tourists drive part of the way by car or book a tour by bus. Most often, however, they negotiate with taxi drivers. The trip to the lake takes a whole day. No matter how hard you try to speed up the road, it will take eight to ten hours. In general, by car we reach the Navoi ring already known to us, and from this place we move towards the mountains.
Let's tell you in more detail how to get to the Big Almaty Lake. In front of you shortly after the start of the climbthere will be an ecological post located in front of the fork to Almaarasan and the lake itself. The fare is paid, its cost is 350 tenge per person, which is approximately 106 Russian rubles. Before reaching the city's water pipe for about one kilometer, it is best to get out of the car and continue the journey on foot.
Travel continues
Now you can uncover your camera and take pictures of all the beauty around you. And there are many of them here. When there are two hundred meters left before the beginning of the pipe, you will meet another barrier. If you continue by car, you will have to fork out 3,000 tenge (this corresponds to approximately one thousand rubles). From here begins your walking path to the Big Almaty Lake, which is quite difficult, to be honest. It is possible (and this method is the easiest) to go along the pipe. In this way you will have to overcome only three kilometers to the lake. But the pipe is often freshly painted or slippery. In this case, you need to go along the road - about eight kilometers up.
Let's go. A steep climb is overcome in 30 minutes, then the terrain is more gentle. You can go and enjoy the ascent, the beauty around, the pine fresh air. You stop looking for a while, and sooner or later a miracle happens - you come to the long-awaited lake, the water of which has the color of sapphire. On the way, here you can have a small picnic to relax, refresh yourself, gather strength, relax under the fir trees, explore the nearby hills and be sure to take a photo shoot.
What attracts tourists to the lake?
When you get up to the reservoir, you immediately notice the wild, impregnable beauty of these places. There are, fortunately, no rafts, no cafes, no beaches. Apart from the lake, of course, you can see only trees and stones and feel the wind. Therefore, it is advisable to bring a thermos of tea, a mat, a scarf and a sweater. What must be organized when climbing the Big Almaty Lake? Rest, which you will certainly need after a very long climb. For this, the entire list of items announced a little higher is needed.
And travelers always take food with them. If you climb here twice - in winter and summer, you can see how the lake has changed: from turquoise blue it has become light green. In addition, it sometimes freezes in winter. The view from here at this time of the year is no less fascinating than in summer. No wonder some tourists prefer to visit the reservoir in January rather than July.
Resting places
Going to the Big Almaty Lake, few people think about an overnight stay, about a further journey. Usually everything ends with the contemplation of the surrounding beauties, the reservoir itself. Some, despite the cold and windy climate, stay here overnight. There are people who spend more than one day in these places. Some of them equip lodging for the night on the shore, camp in tents, some move further - about two kilometers away is the Tien Shan astronomical observatory.
In it you can look at the sky, at the stars. There is very closea hotel where you can stay in order to watch the sky through a telescope after dark. You can arrange with the administration and that you have a tour of the entire observatory. Yes, there is also a dining room.
CV
Those who come here only once in their lives try to visit as many interesting places as possible. Arriving at the right address (Karasai District, Kazakhstan), they inspect all the natural beauties. To begin with, travelers explore the Big Almaty Lake as much as possible. The photos taken here, after the trip, remind of the primordial beauties of nature for a long time and surprise people who have not been to the lake yet.
And what a view from here! The most beautiful mountain landscape is the Prohodnoye Gorge, the Big Almaty Peak and the Tourist Peak. Both of the latter are climbed. Having visited these high-mountainous places, you can find yourself in the largest city of Kazakhstan with all its benefits and entertainment in just an hour and a half.
