Exclusive tours to Kaindy lake in Kazakhstan.

"I shattered happiness with the triumph of sacrilege,
And there is neither melancholy nor reproach,
But every night I dream so clearly
Of large, nocturnal lakes."

Nikolay Gumilyov. "Lakes."

Tours order in Kazakhstan.

Lake Kaindy (Kazakh for "birch"), a flowing freshwater body located at an altitude of 1,867 meters above sea level, is located on northern slopes of Kungey Alatau mountain range, in bed of river of same name. It is part of “Kölsay Kölderi” State Nature Park in Kegen district of Almaty region. 

Lake, stretching from southwest to northeast, is 485 meters long, with a maximum width of 114 meters in the central part and a depth of 30 meters. Its water surface area is approximately 0.04 square kilometers. The shoreline extends 1,152 meters.
The Kaindy River flows into the lake from the south. The eastern shores are steep, while the western slope is gentler; in the southern part, at the river's mouth, a small bay forms. The name "Kaindy" translates from Kazakh as "birch." It refers not to the flora of the lake itself, but to a large birch grove planted by people approximately five kilometers to the north.

Origin of Lake Kaindy.

Kaindy is a relatively young lake, formed in the XXth century, after the Zhalanash earthquake of 1973. As a result of a powerful landslide, a huge mass of rock fell from the crest of the right (western) slope of the gorge at an altitude of 2,867 meters above sea level, blocking the riverbed.
The landslide, from its summit to the gorge, extended 2,572 meters, and its width at the dammed point reached 528 meters. The force of the landslide was so great that debris reached the opposite, eastern slope of the gorge. The obstacle that blocked the river's path created a natural dam, and the valley quickly flooded, forming a lake basin.
Traces of the landslide are still clearly visible today: disordered masses of colluvium, boulders, and steep ledges. Trees that grew along the river before the landslide were submerged. Their trunks, rising above the lake's surface, have become Kaindy's calling card.
The cold water prevents wood decomposition, and many spruce trees even retain their needles on their submerged branches - visible through the transparent depths.

Legends of Lake Kaindy - mystery of turquoise abyss.

Lake Kaindy is shrouded in a unique atmosphere - so unusual are its cold waters, the vertical trunks of the flooded forest, and the sudden contrast with the surrounding valleys that folklore has long turned this place into a source of legend.

Legend of Kaindy's Bride

Long ago, a girl named Kaindy lived in these valleys - kind, bright, and of rare beauty. A young man from a neighboring village wanted to marry her. But one day, during a wedding trek through a mountain gorge, a terrible roar shook the earth: the rocks parted, and a huge landslide blocked the river.
A torrent of water rushed into the resulting basin, burying both the birch grove and the site of the wedding. It is said that the spirit of the bride remained in the depths of the future lake. Since then, Kaindy has become a lake - bright, quiet, and sadly beautiful, like the girl's fate.
And the vertical trunks of the flooded trees are "birch candles" burning in her memory.

Legend of Guardians of Kaindy Gorge.

Old people say that long ago, the Kaindy Gorge was guarded by a forest of spruce trees - silent sentinels who protected the valley from evil spirits and mountain storms. When a great earthquake struck, the mountain collapsed the stone rampart that blocked the river.
The water rose so quickly that the trees didn't have time to fall - they stood, meeting the waves, like guards remaining at their post. And so the vertical trunks in the depths of the lake are not dead trees, but warriors frozen in eternal guard.

Legend of Mirror of Spirits of Lake Kaindy.

According to another version, there was once a spring in this place, through which mountain spirits communicated with people. An earthquake hid the spring beneath the water, but the spirits remained, settling in the depths of the lake. It is said that if you look at the surface of Lake Kaindy at dawn, you can see the sky, forest, and rocks as the spirits themselves see them - slightly distorted, as if from a parallel world.
Therefore, the lake is called "a mirror reflecting two realities."

Natural environment of Lake Kaindy.

From the ridge's crest, panoramic views of the Kaindy and Saty gorges, the Chilik River valley, and the sharp peaks of the Kungey Alatau open up. The landscape is stunning with its combination of rugged rocky slopes, coniferous forests, and the turquoise surface of this unique lake.

How to get to Lake Kaindy

Route to Lake Kaindy is quite simple:

From Almaty, drive approximately 250 km to the village of Zhalanash.
Before the bridge over the Charyn River, turn right at the sign for "Saty" - "Kolsay."
Approximately 555 meters before the village of Saty, near the mazar site, turn left south onto a dirt road that goes up the slope.
This road, past the gamekeeper's cordon, leads to a parking lot located approximately 2.2 kilometers from the lake.

There are two trails leading from the parking lot to the reservoir:

- along the road on the left side of the gorge,
- and along the trail running along the right slope.

Geographic coordinates of Lake Kaindy: N42 ° 59'04 E78 ° 27'56

Authority and photos by:
Alexander Petrov.