Mountain ranges in Maloalmatinsky gorge.

“We were standing on the highest peak of the planet. We climbed into this sky, overcoming frost and wind, lack of oxygen and low pressure. We climbed here, risking every minute to break loose, to fall under a rockfall, under an avalanche. We gave our comrades the last sip of water so coveted here, yielded to each other the most convenient place in the tents, warmed our neighbor in the bivouac with our warmth, joked and sang songs when the wind tried to tear the tents into the abyss with us ... For such minutes, for the opportunity to test ourselves , it is better to get to know your friends, to reach the limit of what is possible and to look beyond this limit - for the sake of all this it is worth going to the mountains."

Mikhail Turkevich.

Climbing Mount Kumbel in Kumbel Tau ridge.

Mount Kumbel is located at an altitude of 3618.8 meters above sea level, located in the southernmost part of the Kumbel Tau ridge, on the northern slope of the Zailiyskiy Alatau mountains in the Medeu district of the Almaty region.
Mount Kumbel is one of the most popular tourist sites on the Kumbel Tau watershed ridge between Maly Alamatinsky gorges in the east, Kumbel and Kazachka in the west. The mountain is located at the southernmost tip of the Kumbel Tau ridge, where the eastern ridge of the upper Kumbel River meets the main Kumbel Tau ridge.
From the east, there is a ridge rising from the Tuyuk su gates in the intermountain basin of which Titova Lake is located at an altitude of 3363 meters above sea level. 1.2 kilometers northwest of Mount Kumbel, in the main ridge of the Kumbel Tau ridge, there is Mount Maly or North Kumbel, 3423 meters above sea level. 923 meters to the southeast is Titov Peak 3850 meters above sea level.
In good weather, the peak offers a view of Lake Bolshoye Almaty, 2511.2 meters above sea level, located in the northwest, 5.7 kilometers.
This is how Dina Ibragimova from Almaty describes her ascent to Kumbel peak:
“The classic route to Mount Kumbel starts from the high-mountain skating rink“ Medeo ”from the final stop of the 12th bus. We rise to the mudflow protection dam and follow the path leading to the Gorelnik gorge. In August, willow-tea blooms in the gorge, a lot of raspberries.
The trail to the waterfalls is not difficult, but the ascent to the "Eagle's Nest" is already more difficult, although not very long. We pass the waterfall on the Gorelnik river, "Eagle's Nest" and continue on. Our next landmark is the last spruce.
We approach a small stream, cross it over the stones. After the spruce, a fairly easy section of the path begins, with a slight rise. The trail along which we are walking leads to Lake Titova. Everything around is beige and brown (end of September 2021), at this time of year, nature does not please with colors at this height.
We quickly reach the tour, on which we need to turn onto the trail leading to the Trapezium pass, 3200 meters above sea level. Here we have a little rest and drink tea. We have not gone further, but we know that we must turn left and go further along the Kumbel Tau ridge.
Our goal is close and soon we saw a large rock, from afar it did not seem difficult, but when we approached it, it turned into an impregnable gendarme. The trail is poorly visible among the stones. We approached the gendarme, there was no passage on the left, but on the right there was a small ledge, along which they carefully began to climb.
The view opened before us is extraordinary, this is a prize for our perseverance and perseverance. In the distance, in the west, the Big Almaty Lake gleamed in the sun, it was seen how the wind played with the waves.
That was not all. Looking over the ledge, from where there was very little way to our summit, we saw the further path. In height, it is only ten meters, but we walked very slowly and carefully, the stones are not stable.
And here we are at the top of Mount Kumbel, 3618.8 meters above sea level. When we climbed to the top, a fascinating view awaited us - a magnificent panorama of the Zailiyskiy Alatau mountains, and Lake Titov was in full view."
Geographic coordinates of Mount Kumbel: N43 ° 04'59.54 "E77 ° 02'37.56"

Authority:
Alexander Petrov, Dina Ibragimova.

Photo by
Dina Ibragimova and Sergei Mikhalkov, Almaty city.