Travel on reserves of Central Asia.

Kishi-Kаindy gorge in Aksu-Zhabagly reserve.

Travel on reserves of Central Asia.

“The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn”

Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Kishi-Kaindy gorge walk in Aksu-Zhabagly reserve.

Kishi-Kaindy gorge is located at an altitude: upper border of gorge (sources of Kishi-Kaindy river) at an altitude of 3252, 3250.1, mouth of river is 1511 meters above sea level, located on northern slope of Alatau mountains located in western part of Talas ridge, in western part Aksu-Zhabagly natural reserve, in Tyulkubas district of Turkestan region.
The length of the picturesque Kishi-Kaindy gorge is 6.9 kilometers. At an altitude of 2043 meters above sea level, the Kishi-Kaindy River forms the main channel; here two tributaries merge, which originate from numerous springs on the northern slope of the gorge. 5.3 kilometers from the beginning of the river’s sources, in a narrow canyon, there is a multi-stage cascade of waterfalls of the same name.
5.9 kilometers from the beginning of the river’s sources, on the left, eastern slope of the gorge, there is the Trizny house, where the reserve’s workers stop for scientific research. A country road has been built in the Kishi-Kaindy gorge. The distance from the village of Zhabagly to the waterfall is 12 kilometers, 5 kilometers of which are asphalt pavement and 7 kilometers of road through the gorge.
The road passes along the left, eastern slope of the Kishi-Kaindy gorge. You can take a one-day trip to the waterfall, by car, on foot or on horseback. At first, the road winds along the slope along the Zhabagly River. It offers a beautiful panorama of the vast valley of this river.
On one side you can see the shiny ribbon of the Zhabagly River, from below the wind periodically carries its noise. On the other side are high snowy peaks. Along the road itself and on the slopes on both sides of it, individual trees and entire groves of juniper are scattered. Sometimes they represent areas of real forest.
The air is infused with the aroma of plants and saturated with juniper phytoncides, which cure all ailments. This is felt most strongly on hot summer days. A special feature of the juniper belt is the beautiful clearings of meadow vegetation that occupy the entire space between the trees.
A special feature of the juniper belt is the beautiful clearings of meadow vegetation that occupy the entire space between the trees. The meadow herbs are also pleasing to the eye. In spring there is a wealth of ephemerals: goose onions, crocuses, corydalis, leontitsa, anemones, Greig and Kaufmann tulips, junos, kingworts, young tender leaves of umbrella plants and shoots of other plants, later - successive simultaneously flowering plants of yellow, pink, white and all shades purple, and a sea of flowering bushes.
The Kishi-Kaindy gorge is one of the most interesting, easily accessible and picturesque areas of the reserve. The upper part of the gorge ends with the Kishi-Kaindy pass, 2951 meters above sea level, through which you can go to the Zhosaly gorge. In the upper reaches, where the Zhosaly River originates, is the third highest peak of the Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve - Aksuat, 4027.4 meters above sea level.
The peak of Aksuat is a connecting mountain range between the western part of the Talas ridge and the eastern spurs of the Alatau Mountains. Heading to the upper reaches of the gorge you can see dwarf juniper, alpine lawns and alpine flowers and the magnificent Bugulutur peak 3918 meters above sea level.
Geographic coordinates of Kishi-Kaindy gorge: N42°24'30 E70°35'03