Excursion to the valley Torysh.

“Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home” 

Anna Quindlen,

A brief description of the tour route to the North Karatau mountains on Mangyshlak:

Aktau - Akshukyr village - Kashkar-Ata necropolis - Myrzatai mountains - Akespe canyon - Usak valley - Torysh valley - Aktau.

Distance of route: 235 km. 
The length of the active part: 2 - 3 km.
Season: April - October.
Duration: 1 day.
The best time for the tour: April, May, June, September.

Detailed travel program for the Myrzatai mountains on Mangyshlak:

Drive to Akespe Canyon.

Transfer: Aktau - Akshukyr village (20 km). Our way from Aktau lies north in the direction of the town of Fort Shevchenko, in the village of Akshukyr visiting the necropolis of Kashkar ata. On the Kashkar ata necropolis, a characteristic type of monuments are various types of tombs of the Koytas type, tombstones of small sizes without decorative processing. At the ends and sides, carved tamgas and epitaphs in Arabic. Walk to the necropolis.
Transfer: village Akshukyr - Mount Akmaya (86 km).
At 49 kilometers from the town, turn north-east, bypass the Dolgan valley, the Kokpekty ravine, 88 kilometers by the South Karatau ridge, Taushyk - Zhyngyldy highway, the small Karataushyk ridge, Beskemir valley and soon we are 109.9 meters above Akmaya mountain sea ​​level. Walk around the mountains of Akmaya, photographing the famous hole in the mountain.
Walk in the Alas valley to the Western Cretaceous sediments.
Transfer: Akmaya mountain - Myrzatai mountains (8 km).
Our path lies northeast to the Myrzatai mountains, which are to the left of the road in the direction of our movement, the highest altitude is Mount Myrzatai 232.7 meters above sea level. The Myrzatau Mountains are the western most tip of the North Karatau Mountains, which extend in a latitudinal direction from Koshak Bay for 106 kilometers.
West of the Myrzatai mountains is a chalky, picturesque canyon Akespe, with a length of 5 kilometers. Walk along the Akespe canyon.
Transfer: Akespe canyon - Usak valley (2 km).
The Usak valley is located in the northwestern part of the Myrzatau mountains. The main sights of the valley is the paleontological fauna - shark teeth and vertebrae, photographing picturesque surroundings. On Mangyshlak you can find a variety of finds:
The Jurassic period of Mangyshlak is represented by fossilized flora, including ferns.
Deposits of the Cretaceous period of Mangyshlak (Lower Cretaceous) reach the age of 140 - 147 million years, these include finds of ammonites.
The Cretaceous period on Mangyshlak includes finds of the teeth of the Cretaceous shark of a poultry (from 65 to 105 million years), its age is estimated at about 100 million years. This shark was one of the largest fish of the Cretaceous period, its size reached 15 meters, the shark was fed by mollusks. This shark had very strong teeth, it could crush shells with its own teeth and get a treat out of it.
Transfer: Usak valley - Torysh valley (23 km). 
On the way, visit the scenery for the film "Abasta" (if the buildings still remain). After the Akespe canyon, we return to Mount Akmaya, cross the Tauchyk - Zhyngyldy highway and head southeast through the Ulken Karasai valley to the western tip of the Western Karatau mountains to the beginning of the stone spherical nodules of the Torysh valley.
Three strata with spherical nodules are exposed along the northern tip of the mountains of Western Karatau. Outcrops of nodules stretch for several kilometers from two sides of the mountains, giving the local landscape a unique character.
Where the layer is destroyed in an upright position, long ridges of stone balls of various sizes are formed. Where the layer collapsed horizontally - nodules occur in fields, forming bizarre piles of balls, eggs, mushrooms, UFOs and others. Arrival in the valley Torysh. Geological excursions along the way and in the valley Torysh.
Return to Aktau (96 km).

Note:
Author program of Alexander Petrov. Copying and introduction - from the sanction of the author  petrovsra@mail.ru

Photos by
Alexander Petrov