Trekking Tour Almaty mountains.

“Not all those who wander are lost”

J.R.R. Tolkien.

Tours in Central Tien-Shan Mountains.

Semirechye the extensive region in the southeast of Kazakhstan. This amazingly picturesque edge begins from Lake Balkhash in the north and stretches to eternal snow of Tien-Shan in the south. The nature of Semirechye is extraordinary rich and various.
The numerous rivers, begin highly in mountains, the waters through sands, floodplains unique thickets of riparian forests flow. Here kingdom of birds: on coast of lakes noisy colonies pelicans and cormorants lodge, spoonbills, swans and geese, ducks and sandpipers, seagulls nest; in reeds it is possible to notice careful boars and timid roes.
Deserts Pribalkhashya are peculiar. A spring cool, violent to and colourful blossoming of ephemeral plants quickly are replaced by wearisome summer heat and a dry grass. Life fades here in the afternoon therefore many animals prefer to lead at this time.
The rare plants which remained up to now since Ice Age grow in the desert mountains Chulaktau. Among rocks rare birds of prey - Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), Bearded vulture (Pypaetus barbatus), Himalayan vulture (Gyps himalayensis) like to live, Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) - goitred gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa) and Argali (Ovis ammon) are frequent.
On the plain at coast Kapchagay herds of goitred gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa) and Asiatic wild ass (Equus hemionus), were on the verge of total disappearance them quite recently the person kept. Here majestic barrows - historical monuments of the past eras tower.
Extraordinary impression from river Charyn canyons - steep stone rocks and breaks remind lunar landscapes. On inundated sandy plains the unique ashen grove which is of huge scientific value, pleasant and giving a cool and a shelter to the got tired traveler grows.
The massif of the Zailiysky and Dzungarskiy Ala-Tau is unique. Steppe vegetation is characteristic of foothill areas, with rise to mountains the deciduous woods are replaced coniferous which pass into the Alpine meadows. Eternal rest among glaciers and snow tops.
In coniferous forests there live boars, bears and roes, on slopes of mountains Red deer (Cervus elaphus), Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) and Argali (Ovis ammon) are grazed. Highly in mountains there lives a Snow leopards (Uncia), the bird, most rare in the world, Ibis-bill (ibidorhyncha) nests, and in the rivers of Dzungaria there lives an unusual being - Siberian salamander (Ranodon sibiricus), on the earth.
Meets anywhere any more an infinite variety of plants and animal Semirechye, surprising landscapes attracted the person.

Authorship:
"Zhetysu is the Land of  tourism”. A Tourist Guide-book. Almaty.  2003. 68 p. and the material for this page is taken from the printed edition."

Photos by
Alexander Petrov.