Tops of Big Almaty Gorge.

“And the mountains bowed their heads sadly.
Autumn rain fell instead of stars on the houses.
And the conversations of the friends by the fires died down,
And lakes of mirrors covered with fog."

Yuri Kukin. "In memory of Vizbor". 1984.

Climbing to Big Almaty peak.

Peak Big Almaty (Bolshoy Almatinsky), located at an altitude of 3681.9 m. a. s. l., is located in main branch of Big Almaty spur, in northern part of Almatynyn-Alagyry mountains, on northern slope of  Zailiysky Alatau, on territory of Ile-Alatau natural park in Bostandyk district of Almaty.

Big Almaty Peak is located 1.7 kilometers north-west of the Zhosalykozen Pass, 3336.8 m. a. s. l., 3.3 kilometers north-west of Turist Mountain, 3954.2 m. a. s. l. The classic route to the Big Almaty peak begins from the Zhosalykozen pass.
From Almaty the summit is similar to the shape of a pyramid, the slope of the summit is covered with talus in the lower part, in the upper part the mountain has a rocky relief. From the top there are picturesque views of the Zailiyskiy Alatau mountains, the city of Almaty and the northern plain outside the city.
In 1970 of the last century, on the initiative of the chief artist of the VDNKh of the Kazakh SSR and the head of the thematic demonstration, held on the Old Square, it was decided to install a red flag at the top of the Big Almaty Peak. This task was entrusted to a group of climbers, among whom was the climber Vitaly Stepanovich Isikov.
Alexander Kolokolnikov was appointed as the leader of the ascent. The task was directed by Evgeny Mikhailovich Kolokolnikov. The ascent and installation of the flag was timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic.
The size of the flag reached 5 x 10 meters from a red cloth and was clearly visible from the city.

Geographic coordinates of Big Almaty peak: N43°03'17 E76°56'02

Authority:
Alexander Petrov.

Photos by:
Vitaliy Isikov and Alexander Petrov, Almaty city