One-day excursion to Vorota Tuyuk-Su valley.

"Ice springs
Fly from the mountains to the steppes, light.
Here the fir trees have broken into the sky, soaring,
Proud of their fate.
Here any girl is like the dawn,
Fire - any horseman."

Zhuban Moldagaliev. "Almatinka". Translated by V. Savelyev.

Sights of Zailiyskiy Alatau Mountains.

Vorota Tuyuk-Su valley is located at an altitude of 2314 to 2943 meters above sea level, is located in valley of Malaya Almatinka River on northern slope of Zailiyskiy Alatau ridge in Medeu district of Almaty. 
The length of the Vorota Tuyuk-Su valley is about 3.5 kilometers, the area of ​​the valley is about 3188 square meters. The valley begins immediately behind the Shymbulak ski resort and extends slightly above the Bastions, located on the right side of the gorge.
The valley is the narrowest passage in the gorge, where two rocky spurs almost meet in the valley of the Malaya Almatinka River, located approximately in the middle part of the gorge of the same name. The mountain slopes of the Kumbel ridge in the west in the area of ​​the Titov spur, south of the Titov Pass, come very close to the Malaya Almatinka River.
From the east, the spurs of the Abay and Amangeldy peaks descend to the river in steep cliffs. At this point, the mountain gorge narrows sharply, forming a small passage - this is the Tuyuksu Gate, forming a gorge up to 1000 meters at the very top. In this place, the riverbed, roughly disfigured by the mudflow of 1973, is especially clearly visible, especially its left bank.
In the vicinity of the Tuyuk-Su valley there are: the Tuyuk-Su mountaineering camp consisting of 4 buildings on the left bank of the river, on the right bank of the river - the hotel complex "Gates of Tuyuk-Su" built in 2000, a hydrological station, a memorial for climbers "To those killed in the mountains", "Khan-Tengri base" consisting of 4 cottages, a checkpoint "Emergency Situations Ministry with a helipad. Natural attractions in the tract include: "Black" waterfall, "Vorota Tubk-Su" spring, three Bastions, and nearby peaks:
Vorota Tuyuk-Su peak, 3438 meters above sea level, located to the southeast of the tract; in the western part of the tract are located - Medik peak, 3485 meters above sea level, Mount Pribornaya, 3340 meters above sea level, Mount Chasovaya, 3230 meters above sea level. In the eastern part of the valley are located Oktyabrenok peak, 3450 meters above sea level, Abay glacier, and Mount Asker, 3250 meters above sea level.
Geographical coordinates of Vorota Tuyuk-Su valley: N43°06'39 E77°04'32

Authority:
"Dictionary of mountaineering, tourist and local history terms". Zhizdybaev T.K. Almaty, 2004.

Photos by:
Alexander Petrov.