Travel on horses in Almaty province.

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime” 

Mark Twain.

A Mountain Safari in Kazakhstan by horse. The horse tour passing across the Zailiy Alatau foothills near Almaty, is directed to those, experienced in riding a horse. The saddles are of the "Telderia" and "Cavalry" types. 2-3 special training lessons are required to provide skills in riding for beginners. Training lessons are arranged separately. The trip will pass across the National Park, including visits to the Alatau's pleasant and beautiful places. A group is accompanied by an experienced guide who is also a riding instructor. A picnic lunch is prepared. The total tour duration takes about 10 hours.

The brief description of a route of tour on horses in Almaty province:

Almaty - settlement Issyk - gorge Turgen - plateau Assy - pass Assy - Assy-Turgen an observatory - Pass Amanzhol - pass Akkiya - river Chilik - mouth of river Karakie - mouth of river Karakie - river Chilik - riverheads Karasai -  river Karasai - plateau Mynzhilki - river Karakshi - plateau Urykty- river Greater Urykty - river Karasai - river Greater Urykty - river Small Urykty - valley Sarykerege - mouth of river Kutyrgan - river Greater Urykty - river Small Urykty - valley Sarykerege - mouth of river Kutyrgan - river Kutyrgan - pass of Bota Moinok - river Taldy - settlement Kurmenty - settlement Saty - settlement Zhalanash - settlement Chilik - town Almaty.

Distance of route: 502 km.
Season: from 10 of July, till September, 15th.
 The Best time for horse riding: July - August.
Quantity of tourists: no more than 6 person.
The advanced order: for 15 days.
Duration of the tour: 11 days, 10 nights.

The detailed description of a route of tour horse riding on Northern Tien-Shan:

Voyage of discovery in Kazakhstan.

Day 1. Almaty.
 Arrival in Almaty. A meeting at the airport, transfer to hotel, accommodation. Rest. Breakfast. Excursion on town: visiting of park 28 Panfilovzev, a museum of musical instruments, a national museum, natural boundary Medeo, the area of Republic. Returning in hotel, overnight.
Day 2. Almaty - settlement Issyk - settlement Turgen - gorge Turgen - forest Batan - plateau Assy - pass Assy - observatory Assy - valley Amanzhol (106 km).
Breakfast. Transfer: Almaty - valley Amanzhol. After we driving Almaty, our way will lay on ancient Kuldzha to a path. After settlement Avat the road turns on the south in a direction of mountains Zailiiskiy Ala-Tau and settlement Issyk. On a way visiting Issyk Saka barrows in which vicinities in 1962, archeologists, the Gold person of Kazakhstan has been found.
Transfer: museum «Issyk» - settlement Issyk - gorge Turgen - natural boundary Batan - departure plateau Assy (45 km). After visiting a museum our way lays through regional center Issyk through which the river Issyk proceeds. Soon the road goes to gorge Turgen, a stop on ecological to a post of national park "Ile-Ala-Tau". Before us picturesque kinds on gorge Turgen open.
The road is laid along the river of the fast and transparent river Turgen, winds and soon the road leaves gorge and passes in the beginning of plateau Assy. A stop on a height at the river Turgen. Walk on breakage with which opens a kind on neighboring mountains and the river Turgen.
The further transfer: plateau Assy - pass Assy of 2510 meters above sea level (8 km). A stop on pass Assy. From pass opens fine kinds on neighboring mountains and a valley of the river Assy, dzhailyau which were stretched from the West on the east. In the south and the West tower snow mountains Zailiiskiy of Ala-Tau.
Transfer: pass Assy – Assy-Turgen an observatory (3 km). From pass on road we move on a southwest and soon before us a wide plateau in the center which there is observatory Assy-Turgen. On the north and northwest magnificent wide panoramas of plateau Assy open, snow southern crest Zailiiskiy Ala-Tau in the south towers.
Arrival in valley Amanzhol, here we meet the groom and horses on whom we shall travel. Acquaintance to the groom, walks on horses. Accommodation in tents, overnight.
Day 33. Natural boundary Amanzhol - pass Amanzhol (10 km).
Breakfast. The beginning of travel on horses in mountains Northern Tien-Shan. After a breakfast our way lays from natural boundary Amanzhol on an old highway, in parallel the river Kyzyl-Bulak. Our day time horse riding will end under pass Amanzhol, on lawns of a green grass. Overnight in tents.
Day 4. Pass Amanzhol of 3515 meters above sea level - pass Akkiya of 2948 meters above sea level - river Chilik - mouth of river Karakie of 2043 meters above sea level (14 km).
Breakfast. Rise on pass on a track which goes aside the rivers Chilik, on a track is not present difficulties. From pass Amanzhol the panorama on the river Chilik which is twisted far in gorge, on huge plateau Assy which Alatau is in northern direction and northern slopes of ridge Kunfei opens. From pass the flat track goes along the river Amanzhol to a mouth of the river Karakie. Overnight in tents.
Day 5. A mouth of the river Karakie - the river Chilik - riverheads Karasai of 2202 meters above sea level (13 km). 
Breakfast. Horse riding to riverheads Karasai. From a mouth of the river Karakie it is risen on the left coast of the river Chilik, we cross the river on the old bridge and we pass to the right coast of the river, near to a place of a ferry there is ancient a cemetery of shepherds-kazakhs. Then we meet a fir forest, we leave to the river Karasai and on the right coast through the Alpine meadows we leave to riverheads Karasai. Overnight in tents.
Day 6. The river Karasai - plateau Mynzhilki of 2780 meters above sea level - river Karakshi of 2300 meters above sea level - plateau Urykty of 2720 meters above sea level - the river Greater Urykty 2279 meters above sea level (16 km).
Breakfast. Horse riding to river Big Urykty. After a breakfast we continue a way from riverheads Karasai to plateau Mynzhilki along the right coast of the river Karasai. Plateau Mynzhilki is big dzhailyau where herds of sheeps are grazed, cows, herds of horses and yaks. Here we shall see yurts and tents of shepherds to which like these places here a lot of a green grass and fresh a climate. After horesr riding through a plateau, we go down in a valley of the river Karakshi. After a lunch we rise on the following of plateau Urykty, the fine panorama Northern Tien-Shan with the highest peak Talgar of 5017 meters above sea level from here opens. From plateau Urykty our way passes in beautiful valley the rivers Chon-Uryukty with the Alpine meadows of a high grass. Overnight in tents.
Day 7. Radial walk on horses to lake Chon-Uryukty of 3640 meters above sea level (18 km).
Breakfast. Today at us walk on horses to lake Chon-Uryukty, the track passes from one coast of the river to another, we gradually gain height. Our way passes along the river and soon the wood remains below, the vegetation varies, far below there are meadows with plentiful motley grass, the track leaves to a moraine of lake. Soon we at lake Chon-Uryukty which, is in a stone hollow, in lake small streams run many. Returning in camp on the river Greater Urykty. Overnight in tents.
Day 8. The river Greater Urykty - river Small Urykty 2007 meters above sea level - natural boundary Sarykerege of 1788 meters above sea level - mouth of the river Kutyrgan of 1761 meters above sea level (15 km).
Breakfast. After a breakfast we are sent in a way along the right coast of the picturesque river Chilik, in a way we wade on horses the river Small Urykty and we pitch up the tents in a mouth of the river Kutyrgan. The hiking in vicinities. Overnight in tents.
Day 9. A mouth of the river Kutyrgan - pass of Bota Moinok - the river Taldy of 1635 meters above sea level - settlement Kurmenty (20 km).
Breakfast. The end of travel on horses. Horse riding in settlement Kurmenty. Today our way lays through a wood on the right coast of the river Chilik. Soon we in small Kazakh settlement Kurmenty. Overnight in tents.
Day 10. Settlement Kurmenty - settlement Saty of 1429 meters above sea level - settlement Zhalanash - settlement Chilik - town Almaty (300 km).
Breakfast. Transfer to Almaty. Arrival in Almaty, accommodation in hotel. A free time, overnight in hotel.
Day 11. Almaty - the airport.
Accompanying service at departure to airport, departure from Almaty.

The note:

1. During travel on horses, tourists can give of 15 kg which are transported on horses of service for transportation of the personal things.

The note:
Author program is Alexander Petrov. Copying and use - from the sanction of the author  petrovsra@mail.ru

Alexander Petrov
photos.