Tours to the mountains of Altyn-Emel.

"Nature has taken care of everything so much that everywhere you find something to learn"

Leonardo da Vinci.

 Botanical excursions in the mountains of Altyn-Emel.

The Altyn-Emel mountain range is located in the eastern part of the Almaty region in the Panfilov district and is the western spurs of the Zhungarsky Alatau. From the central meridional part of the Altyn-Emel ridge and further south, the border of the Altyn-Emel National Natural Park passes.
The Altyn-Emel Mountains are an intermediate link in the mountain range, which stretches from the south-west to the north-east, consisting of several mountain ranges - Sholak, Degeres, Matai. The length of this mountain range, encircling the Altyn-Emel Natural Park from the north, is 182 kilometers, the greatest width, in the eastern part is 23 kilometers.
In the west, the Altyn-Emel ridge borders on the Matai Mountains, the natural border with them is the Saryozek-Zharkent highway with the Altyn-Emel pass 1711 meters high above sea level. In the northeast, the Altyn-Emel ridge borders on branches from the main Zhungar ridge - the mountains of Kyzylkiya and Koyanda.
The southeastern part of the Altyn-Emel ridge consists of the Kontag mountains, which are marked with a height of 1709 meters above sea level and the Yrgayly mountains with an unnamed peak 2847 meters above sea level.
The southwestern part of the Altyn-Emel ridge consists of the Orikata mountains, which smoothly passes from west to east, to the Dolanaly and Ulkili mountains. An unmarked elevation of 2115 meters above sea level dominates in the Orikaty mountains.
Dolanaty mountains are represented by the dominant peak of Koyynda with a height of 2210 meters above sea level. In the Ulkili Mountains, an unnamed peak 2,914 meters above sea level dominates. In the central part of the Altyn-Emel ridge, there are two groups of mountains: the western exposition is the Bugul Mountains with the dominant mark Karagayly Peak, 3297 meters above sea level. In the vicinity of the peak of Karagayly there are two passes - Karagayly and Terekty, with a height of 3197 meters above sea level.
Dominates in the Altyn-Emel ridge, in its eastern part, Karakol peak 3459 meters above sea level. The length of the Altyn-Emel ridge from the south-west to the east is 100 kilometers, the width, from south to north, in the eastern part is 18.2 kilometers.
The Altyn-Emel ridge has a complex hydrography, which is represented by a large number of large and small rivers, which are characterized by a high moisture content of the ridge, its geographical position and its proximity to a higher one with higher glaciers in the mountains of Zhungarsky Alatau.
The northern part of the ridge is represented by a network of rivers belonging to the Barohuzdir - Belbulak, Suateay river basin. The north-eastern part of the ridge has an extensive network of rivers belonging to the basin of the Bizhe River - Kugaly, Baitarak, Razvilenka, Mamyrkan, Dolanaly, Tasbastau, Zhama. The northwestern and western parts of the ridge have a network of rivers belonging to the Kaskanterek basin - Karagayly, Esengul, Zholbastay, Ulken-Koyandy, Krutoy Log, Shoshkaly, Zhangyzagash, Kyzylkersai, Kasymbay, Taldybulak, Borshabulak and Kara.
The southwestern part of the ridge has a very small network of rivers belonging to the basin of the Barohuzdir - Ulken-Karagayly river. The southern exposition of the ridge has rivers belonging to the basin of the Kapshagai reservoir, most of which do not reach the reservoir, due to the use of water for irrigation.
These are the rivers - Kayshi, Sulubokeys, Karakol, Tamsy, Kartasty, Koktasty, Karagayly, Bugul, Kisyksay, Terekty, Koktasty, Ulken-Alaman, Taldy, Nazaytapkaya, Kyzylauz, Uzunbulak, Kayyndy, Dolanaly, Altyn-Ememel.
The orography of the Altyn-Emel ridge consists of two main parts - the plain, which adjoins the right bank of the Ili River and the mountain - to the spurs of the Zhungarsky Alatau and the macro slope of the Altynemel ridge. On the plains are small island mountain ranges.
The geology of the ridge is represented by Carboniferous deposits (300 million years), which are composed mainly of volcanic rocks, Permian and Carboniferous deposits, and the oldest deposits are Silurian. Basically, the mountains of the ridge are composed of Paleozoic rocks, which number from 200 to 400 million years.
Geographic coordinates of the Altyn-Emel mountain range: N44 ° 25'39.00 "E79 ° 00'03.68"

Authority and photos:
Alexander Petrov.