Alma-Ata – discouraging charm in the Centre of Asia. The subjective guidebook

Taiga, Arctic, and apple orchards in one window

Southern lands of Kazakhstan are a unique geographic margin, a distinct border, separating two orthographic extremes. To the north of the country, up to the very Arctic Ocean, there stretch the greatest plains and lowlands, and to the south, up to the Indian Ocean, there tower the highest mountains of the planet.

And this border is so obvious that in the clear day one can see from the mountains hundreds of kilometers of surrounding steppes and deserts, and from the hot plain one can view from the same distance the sparkle of glaciers at the mountain peaks. There are not so many places of this kind on Earth. Very few, to be exact. And to be entirely exact, there are no places like this at all! And the first among equals is Alma-Ata, snuggling up at the foothills of Zailiiskiy Alatau. Many of its residents see glaciers and deserts from the windows of their apartments.

…Mountains aggrandize a human. The higher climbers ge up t, the proud they become. The one who climbed up the stairs in Medeo looks scornfully at those who are just at their start. Mushroom hunters crawling among the fir trees feel sorry for eaters, who are thronging near shashlyk grills down by the riversides. And from above, from ice-covered peaks, arrogant mountain-climbers observe all of them with a smile. (Imagine, if only mountain goats possessed human traits and thought like we do, they would just burst up with hoity-toity!)

But mountains are interesting not only because of their ability to boost someone’s pride. They are a unique manual for studying the nature, too. All those who learnt geography some time ago (and this science, the most people’s one of all sciences, all of us did learn) certainly remember about the altitudinal zones of mountains, which vertically repeat Earth’s natural zones, encircling our planets along its latitudes.

So, to reach the arctic ice, we, Almaty residents, do not need to go thousands kilometers up to the coast of the Arctic Ocean. We only need to take a cable car at our Medeo, and, provided we have enough money, within two hours we’ll wander about the real eternal ice of the glacier Bogdanovich, which differs little from those of Greenland or Spitsbergen.

But mountains are the Earth shrunk not only in space, but also compressed within time. The thing is that mountain slopes environments do not just repeat climate zones, moreover, they maintain conditions for the existence of relic plants and animals, which once swarmed these places. And thus, they are a unique shelter for many natural kings of the past and the source of species diversity for us. Examples are not far to seek: woods of wild apricot trees and famous apple thickets that gave our Apple city its name are relics of the past epochs as well. Just like alpine spruce forests.

For the convenience of outdoorsmen the nature thoughtfully cut mountain ranges with deep gorges. Each of our gorges is peculiar, each keeps its own zest down in its depths, and each possesses its own beauties and tourist attractions.

Thus, in Aksayskoye gorge, at the spot where two monks were shot by Bolsheviks, an Orthodox chapel was built, a popular place of pilgrimage today.

Bolshaya Almatinka gorge is noted by its alpine lake and a series of unique scientific institutions. Among them there is a sun observatory with its Carl Zeiss telescopes, which fell to the Soviet Union’s lot as a war booty after the World War II.

At the banks of Malaya Almatinka River there are famous sports bases of Kazakhstan: the alpine ice-skating stadium Medeo and Chimbulak ski centre with its piste of international class, going down 3,200 meters long.

The Talgar gorge leads to nature reserve of Alma-Ata, the oldest one in Kazakhstan, where under the protection of humans (from humans) a lot of unique species of mountain fauna live. And among them there is the animal that is the symbol of Kazakhstan, but not everyone can run into it. It is a snow leopard.

The Issyk gorge is known for its tragic event in 1963, when the severe mud flow devastated the alpine lake that was there, a popular place of public out-of-door recreation. Today this lake is being reconstructed and Issyk is returning to life again.

But in recent years the most popular place for tourists is the nearby g Turgen gorge with its beautiful waterfalls, forests full of mushrooms, lakes, alpine meadows, and the trout farm, where everyone at his/her pleasure can pay for the bite beforehand, cast the fishing rod to water and take out a strong wriggling fish.

Eternal glaciers within the precincts of Almaty city

Residents of the south capital of Kazakhstan Almaty, who wish to visit eternal ice, have two alternative ways. Either to go as far as a few thousand kilometers to Novaya Zemlya in the Arctic Zone (its glaciers are the closest), or to climb a few kilometers up to the mountains of Zailiyskyi Alatau, to the glaciers at the upper reaches of Malaya Almatinka river.

We know that the first European explorers of Tian Shan in the middle of the 19th century expected to find there a lot of volcanoes, but it was a great surprise for them to find glaciers. Such confusion was the result of theories of the great Germans, Humboldt and Ritter, who in their turn relied on half-magic Chinese sources. Somehow or other, the famous Semyonov-Tien-Shanskiy in his travels initially refused pointblank to see local mountain glaciers and took the eternal ice for “snow clusters”.

But now we know that all more or less great rivers of Semirech’ye are thoroughly replenished from the melting mountain ice. As a rule, glaciers get their names from a peak which slopes they slide down. Thus, among Malaya Almatinka glaciers that can be seen from streets of Almaty there are glaciers of Ordzhonikidze, Tuyuksu, Pogrebetskiy, Molodezhnyi, etc.

One of the Zailiyskyi Alatau glaciers has the name of the specialist in local history Dmitriyev. It was he who first explored glaciers of Zailiyskyi Alatau. In the “Proceedings of the Emperor’s Russian Geographical Society’ as of 1907, the specialist in local history S.E. Dmitriev described the experience he had had during his expedition to Malaya Almatinka glaciers in the late summer of 1902.

At that, no one had ever provided Dmitriyev with any “grants” for his research, and no one even had asked him to do it. All his explorations are just his personal initiative for the study of the surrounding world. The following facts expressively speak about many unknown and unexplored things of those years. Glaciers that were described by the amateur glaciologist hundred years ago were one and all untitled. They were not even registered on the three-verst scale army topographic map of that period.

Dmitriyev’s studies continued for several years, being very occasional, though. He measured the glaciers by eye and by footsteps, and, what is more, he built the first weather shelter here and also tried to answer such questions as what was happening to glaciers. What speed they move at? Does the ice array decrease or increase? Those who are eager to know that can read this information in his works and reports.

Residents and visitors of Almaty may escape studying all the facts of the secret activity of glaciers. They have a unique opportunity of waking up in the morning in their warm cozy beds, climb up to the real ice tongue (arctic!), have a lunch out in the fresh frosty air, and come back home for dinner. Personally, most of all nearby glaciers, I like a walk towards Molodyozhnyi (“of youth’) glacier (somewhere around there stood Dmitriyev’s weather shelter). This glacier looks like a huge wall of ice that covers up half of the sky.

If you find yourselves here at the end of August you may see everything sparkle in thousands of streamlets in the last summer sun, sing in dozens of clear voices, savoury crisp in azure granular snow, or firn, under your feet, and excites with its unmatched cool fragrance. And in case you reject any transport and come here by foot, you will add to all this the feeling of self-esteem, which will grow right before your eyes!

Alpine crown of Alma-Ata

The route to many alpine peaks, crowning the Alma-Ata scenery, goes through the “Small Almaty” gorge, nearest to the city, known far beyond the borders of Kazakhstan for its high-altitude skating rink “Medeo”.

To start ascent you need to wake up early in the morning, take the regular bus from the hotel “Kazakhstan” to “Medeo”; from the skating rink you can use the cable way to get not only to ski resort “Shymbulak”, but also to Talgar Pass (3200 meters).

Low peak “Shkolnik” is a “category” peak closest to the city; it towers just above the ski-run. It is the unchanging arena of dozens of mass mountaineering competitions since the 30s. And even today, the peak “Shkolnik” (schoolboy) is lives up to its name, and continues to be an initial step for many people who try their first steps in mountaineering.

The Bogdanovich glacier cirque lies right on the other side of Talgar pass with peaks: Komsomol (4376 m), Phiskulturnik (4068 m), Chkalov (3892 m), Karlytau (4100 m), Pioneer (4031 m), Teacher (4045 m) and others. Easy accesses to these peaks made them the most visited sites of “climbing weekend”.

In 1934, Bogdanovich glacier area has been developed before others in Zailiyskiy Alatau. Almaty climbers led by B. Lobanov summited peak Karlytau, a snow-white the year a round top with perfect clean lines. In 1937 A. Bekmetov’s group summited Peak Phiskulturnik (Athlete). Chkalov peak was conquered by S. Pasterevov, B. Pomeranzova and H. Rakhimov in 1936.

But if you do not climb the Talgar pass, but ascent from Shymbulak along a Small Almaty gorge, you will get to other placer of even more interesting peaks at the riverhead. When you get to the upper border of the spruce forest (it runs in Ile Alatau on altitude 2,500 – 2,800 meters), you will see gloomy, bleak cliffs of another popular peak for ascents – peak Abai. It was summited by local climbers led by G. Beloglazov in 1933.

After Mynzhilki – a small alpine decline,, the road begins to rise onto the chaotic pile of stones of the huge moraine Tuyuksu. And from there, you can see a beautiful alpine panorama that worth looking at. This is the peak of Great Patriotic War (4050 m), Antikainen (4000 m), Panfilov Heroes (4120 m), Pioneer and Teacher (we have seen them from Bogdanovich glacier) and Amangeldy peak (3999 m).

As you learn the names of the peaks, you can clearly see the connection with the events of the Great Patriotic War. Indeed, the first ascents happened at beginning of the cruel 40’s, when Ile Alatau mountain were used for training instructors the for the Soviet Army. Names of peaks carry responses to the front-line events. The 28 Panfilov heroes performed their feat near the Moscow, and in that winter, group led by A. Maleinov, named one of the peaks in their honor. Other names of peaks appeared on the map later (1944): Manshuk Mametova, Great Patriotic War, Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya (in the area of Tuyuksu glacier).

Ascent to the moraine ends, and we can see even more spectacular and majestic landscape that attracts with its beauty and purity. The peak Youth (4147 m) stands right in front of us, entirely covered in ice shell wall. Peaks Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya (4108m), Lokomotiv (4182 m), Pogrebetsky (4231 m) and Tuyksu (4218 m) are located further along the ridge; there you can also find seven small sharp peaks – Tuyuksu Needles (4213 m).

A traverse (route over all the peaks) lies under the Needles; it has the fourth category of difficulty, for the first time, climbers passed it in 1940. Another popular traverse terminates here; it calls Horseshoe Tuyuksu, for the first time, G. Kolenov and B. Nearonskiy conquered it in 1945. This route also includes peaks Partizan (4390 m), Ordzhonikidze (4410 m) and Mayakovskiy (4208 m).

Peak Mayakovskiy well known for its north-western side, here one of the most difficult climbing route in the area lies there; authors of this route are G. Petrashko, V. Savinykh, B. Shklyar and B. Reznik (Spring 1962).

Now, the reader knows that Ile Alatau is a unique training complex for climbers. According to its geographical position, this ridge is one of the most northern highlands on the planet. So peak Talgar (4975m), for example, is not inferior in climatic conditions to the southern mountains over 7000m high. If we take into consideration the fact that the ascents take place in Ile Alatau almost the whole year round (except for short breaks because of avalanche danger), then it becomes clear that Kazakhstan sportsmen and mountains lovers have unlimited possibilities. Indeed, they have a wonderful alpine stadium.

Alpiniads in Zailiskiy Alatau

At the dawn of its development the Soviet mountaineering was not only a sport, but also a peculiar activity, an area of energy use for young builders of communism. Such unlike spheres as the pastime, study of Motherland, the Red Army tough soldiers training, and the collective labour were interwoven within it.

Per se the whole sport in 1930s was a mass sportive event, and “we” was a favourite pronoun of the first soviet hikers. That is why, not accidentally in that period there emerged such a type of climbing when a peak was being conquered by a few hundred people at the same time. By analogy with Olympiads they were called “Alpiniads”.

…The register of Kazakhstani mountaineering is usually done from 1930, when G. Beloglazov, V. Gorbunov, and I. Myssovsky conquered Maloalmatinsky peak and planted a red banner on its summit. And the beginning of the especially fast development of this sport in Kazakhstan was marked by the first mass mount of seventeen people headed by Victor Zimin to the same peak in 1934.

This success lent them wings, and next year they decided to accomplish the Mass Komsomol Alpiniad to Maloalmatinsky peak on the model of Caucasian hikers. Why are the first mounts in Zailiskiy Alatau related just to this peak? The reason of it is its closeness to Alma-Ata and the relative availability of approach. Surrounded by many alpine peaks, this one attracts imagination to itself solely by its sight and calls to test men’s valor. At that period the idea of the mass climbing seemed rather audacious though. But how all this was in tune with the character of the epoch!

…So, the long-awaited July of 1935 rolled around. Komsomol members decided to dedicate their Alpiniad to the 15th anniversary of Kazakhstan. Despite the hard times, common boys and girls of the Soviet Union were all enthusiastic in those years. Therefore many things may seem strange to their today’s equals in age.

For instance, following the spirit of those times, throughout the whole route, right along the path, young climbers were to issue wall newspapers under such titles as “We shall reach it!” “We shall win!”, and others. The last issue was made at the very summit under the title “We win!”.

Those years any event, if only it was possible to use aviation, could not do away without airplanes. The alpiniad members were ecstatic when an airplane suddenly appeared above their heads and dropped a pile of leaflet.

The Mass Komsomol Alpiniad was considered significant not only as a sporting event. Not without reason organizers and participants of this mount became K. Komarov, the secretary of the city Komsomol Committee and K. Tashtitov, the secretary of the Central Committee of Leninist Young Communist League of Kazakhstan.

Out of 267 participants 250 people climbed the summit. It was a victory! A bit later, in memory of this Alpiniad, Maloalmatinsky peak was renamed Komsomol peak.

And below, downtown, in the Federation park the hikers were awaited by the most sincere and solemn receipt: with flowers, orchestra, speeches and placards, in the manner all winners were honoured at that time. The head of these first mass mounts was Victor Zimin, a participant of the civil war, “a 25-thousand worker”, who had come to Kazakhstan to develop the mass physical training movement.

But this mass record was soon beaten. Within a month Komsomol peak was conquered by 365 (!) people: NKVD soldiers and commanding officers under the guidance of the last alpiniad participant I. E. Glatolenkov. Among the conquerors there were six women, commanders’ wives. Atop, following the rules, mountaineers set up a small bust of F. E. Dzerzhinsky, the patron of the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission NKVD.

The year of 1935 survived in everyone’s memory due to other reasons, too. In Alma-Ata for the first time in the country there was founded a new public organization, the Hikers’ Club. It was a methodological (and political!) center, an assembly place, an organizer of mass mounts and difficult expeditions, and it played the important role in mountain and sports development in the republic. It is majorly thanks to this club’s activity Zailiskiy Alatau very quickly became the second after Caucasus region in the country for the mass mountain climbing.

…Interesting that the tradition of mass climbs survived up to nowadays. And the author of these lines happened to be the participant of them in his hiker’s youth in 1970s. And it stuck to my memory. As a matter of fact, such mass mounts when a few hundred people all in one walk to the summit is an unforgettable spectacle.