Price:
- 500$ (1 person)
- 700$ (2 persons)
- 900$ (3 persons)
Season: June-September
Duration: 3 days, 2 nights
Accommodation: in tents
Area: Terskei Alatau, Ketmen Ridge
Route: Almaty – Lake Tuzkol – Ketmen Valley – Karatau Mountains – Hot Springs in Chundzha – Almaty
Total distance: 700 km
This tour will be interesting to those who love the pristine nature and the spirit of adventure. We will see the extraordinary Lake Tuzkol and the wide green valleys and plateaus of the majestic mountains. On the first day we will visit Lake Tuzkol. Translated from the Kazakh Ace-salt, Kol-lake, i.e. salt Lake. This is true, Tuzkol is very salty and there is healing mud on its shore. This lake is constantly compared to the Dead Sea, which is located in Israel, due to the similar chemical characteristics of the water. From the lake (in good weather) you can see a magnificent panorama of the highest peaks of the Central Tien Shan, namely Khan-Tengri peak – 7 010 m (Lord of the Sky), Victory – 7439 m, Marble wall and other peaks above 5000 m. This is one of the favorite places of photographers, because There are great prospects for photographs, open spaces and chic panoramas. The best shots can be made at sunrise and sunset. Reflected and illuminated by the dawn-sunset colors of the snow mountains in the lake create a magical picture. The night sky with a myriad of stars and the clearly visible milky way is plunged into contemplative silence and delight. Flocks of sheep, horses, and other large cattle are usually grazed along the lake. Yurts stand along the horizon, which remind tourists that they are in a country of once nomadic nomad peoples. If desired, you can buy real national goodies from local shepherds, ranging from kumys, kurt and baursaks, to lamb. All of the above will immerse you in an atmosphere of wild nature, beauty and pristine. At the time of the tour you will forget about the bustle of city life inherent in modern man and fully relax your body and soul.
We will stay for the night either near the lake (at the request of clients), or we will drive off into the depths of a wide gorge and camp at the river. We will dedicate the second day to walks, fishing, or an easy ascent to the nearby summit of the Karatau Mountains.
On the second day, we will take a break from the long move of the first day and devote time to active rest. We walk on foot to the nameless summit of the spur of the Karatau Mountains, from where an amazing view opens, to all the same high snow-capped peaks and a wide green valley stretching below. Here, usually for dinner gathering clouds of fancy shapes, infinitely beautiful. Current natural conditions create a truly unparalleled look. I want to admire and enjoy it all forever. Returning to the camp, we have a solid lunch, and in the remaining free time will be what to do. Fans of fishing, can plunge into this action. In the river lives a lot of mountain fish – the Ottoman.
On the third day, after waking up and having a full breakfast, we will head back. Ahead of us is a long ascent to the Ketmen Pass with a height of 3,045 meters. Having risen to the very top, we will observe from a bird’s eye view the sprawling green jailau and winding mountain road. Having stopped on the pass, taking pictures and breathing in the rarefied fresh air, we will start the descent from the pass. Having left on the asphalt road, we will soon stop at the famous hot springs in Chundzha. We will swim in the pool for an hour or two, in the same place we will have lunch in a cafe and go to the megalopolis of Almaty.
Video (English subtitles!): Lake Tuzkol, Ketmen pass, Tekes gorge, Khan-Tengri peak 7010 meters.
* Weather. The area is 100% mountainous, so rainfall, hail and thunderstorms in summer are common, especially in the afternoons.
Programme
1 day
2.5 hours (8:00-10:30) Moving Almaty city – Baiseit village
30 min (10:30-11:00) Stop at the Baiseit bazaar, snack, purchase of fruit products
2 hours (11:00-13:00) Transfer to Kegen
1 h. (13:00-14:00) Lunch at a cafe in Kegen
1.5 h (14:00-15:30) Transfer to Lake Tuzkol
2 hours (15.30-17:30) Walk by the lake, photo
* We can stay at Lake Tuzkol overnight, at the request of customers
1 h. (17:30-18:30) Transfer to the gorge to the river
4 h. (18:30-22:30) Camp setting, hot dinner, free time, sleep
2 day
1 h. (9:00-10:00) Rise, breakfast.
3 h. (10:00-13:00) Climbing the nameless summit of the Karatau spur
30 min. (13:00-13:30) Rest on the top, photo, hot tea, snack
1.5 hours (13:30-15:00) Return to the camp for lunch
4 h. (15:00-19:00) Hot lunch, rest in the camp, free time, fishing, walking
3 hours (19:00-22:00) Hot dinner, sitting by the fire, free time, sleep
3 day
2 h. (8:00-10:00) Breakfast, camp gathering
2 hours (10:00-12:00) Ascent to the Ketmen Pass, on the way to a stop in the most picturesque places for a photo
30 min. (12:00-12:30) Stop at the pass. A photo of a sprawling mountain valley from a bird’s eye view
1.5 h. (12:30-14:00) Transfer to the Hot Springs
2 hours (14:00-16:00) Lunch in a cafe and swimming in the pool in the springs
5 h. (16:00-21:00) Moving to Almaty, on the way dinner at the cafe
- Transport service
- Guide service
- Rent tent 2-3 places
- Cook
- Food
- Permit on National Parks
- Drinking water 1.5 liters / guest per day
- Rent of mats and sleeping bag – $30 / 1 person / all route
Every person need to take:
Accoutrements:
- backpack (15-30 L)
- sleeping bag (comfort +0…+5оС)
- camping mat
- headlamp
- sunglasses
- bottle for water.
Clothes:
- shoes
- cap
- thermal wear
- thermal pants
- warm pants for the evening
- fleece jacket
- windstopper coat
- raincoat
- clothes for change.
Documentation:
- passport.
Personal items:
- sunscreen
- toothpaste
- toothbrush
- soap
- towel
- individual cosmetics
- personal dishes (cup, plate, spoon).
Personal medicine box:
- individual medications.
Phones, Whats’App: + 7705-416-0365 (Sergey)