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Almaty Skiing: 12 days ski touring in Kazakhstan

Join a KMGA-aspirant guide for this scenic, eclectic and exciting 12-day Almaty skiing experience. Head to the southeast of Kazakhstan for this unforgettable adventure, skiing and hiking in various spots throughout the Tian Shan mountains.


TRIP TYPE

Private

MOUNTAIN RANGES

Tian Shan

DURATION

12 Days

OFFER PERIOD

Apr - Jun

FITNESS LEVEL

Fit

SKILL LEVEL

Intermediate

PAYMENT METHODS

Credit Card, Wire Transfer and more!

  • Enjoy the stunning scenery of southeastern Kazakhstan.
  • Make plenty of great ski touring ascents and descents in 5 different spots.
  • Enjoy phenomenal hot springs and a cool city tour during the trip too.

Description

Get off the beaten path and escape from civilization for a while by heading on an Almaty skiing adventure!

Over the course of 12 days, we will visit various remote mountain resorts in the southeastern portion of Kazakhstan.

The fun begins after we meet in Almaty. From here, we'll head to the popular Shymbulak Mountain Resort, where we will combine some incredible skiing with some hiking too. This combination allows us to get the best views, regardless of snow conditions, while still making plenty of epic runs.

From Shymbulak, we will head to the cirque of Tuyuk-Su glacier for more ski touring and hiking. Our base camp will be located nearby one of the oldest scientific glaciological stations in the world,  Tuyuk-Su- T1, which holds long-term observations of the glacier and records how it changes. At the moment, according to the results of glaciological research, Tuyuk-Su glacier is considered to be the most researched glacier in the world. 

Along with skiing around Youth Peak, Tuyuk-Su glacier shoulder and the couloir of Green Kar's cirque, we will have the opportunity to meet the researchers who study cosmic particles and tour their laboratories.

From here, we will visit a spa and enjoy some natural hot springs as well as incredible views out over the mountains. (Don't worry, this isn't the only spot where we get great views, you'll enjoy plenty of them throughout the whole trip!)

Finally, we will drive 250 km to the north-east from Almaty to Basshi village where the Altyn Emel National Park is located. Here, we will visit Singing Dune, one of the "7 Wonders of Kazakhstan" where the strong winds and sand movements on the slopes cause a sound inside the dunes, similar to a jet plane engine. In this wonderful place, we will hike to the top of Sand Dune and get to see a fantastic panorama of the Ili River and Trans-Ili Alatau mountains. Then, we can descend from the dun by feet or by skis, and enjoy an unforgettable time full of emotions and epic photos.

So what are you waiting for? Book now for this unforgettable 12-day Almaty skiing experience!

If you like the look of this trip, but were looking for something a bit shorter, then we think you may also enjoy our 5-day skiing trip to Ketmen Ridge in the Almaty region!

Price includes

- Accommodation included

- Guiding fee

- Breakfast

- Lunch

- Dinner

- Lift tickets

- Transportation start and back

- Transport during the trip

- Permit and entrance fees

- Mountain guide expenses

Price details

Tour Price INCLUSIONS:

1. Accommodation in a yurt on the Talgar Pass with half board (breakfast, dinner).

2. Accommodation in a mountain hut in T-1 glacier station area with full board.

3. Accommodation in a mountain hut in Cosmostation area with full board.

4. Transportation according to the program by comfortable tourist vehicle.

5. Cable car tickets Medeu - Shymbulak - Talgar Pass.

6. Transfer by 4WD vehicle from Shymbulak to Mynzhylky.

7. Skiing guide services.

8. Day tour to Altyn Emel National park with visiting Singing Dune.

9. Almaty city tour (5 hours) with lunch.

9. Bottled water during sightseeing tour to Singing Dune and Almaty city tour.

10. Ecological and environmental fees.

11. Accommodation in Almaty in 4* hotel for 2 nights.

Tour Price EXCLUSIONS:

1. Accommodation in Almaty before or after the tour.

2. Rental of ski and avalanche equipment.

3. Meals not indicated in the program and/or not included into the tour price.

4. Visa support and registration on the territory of Kazakhstan, if required.

5. Personal expenses and other expenses not indicated in the program.

6. Insurance policy.

Secure your spot with just 25% payment

48-hour free cancellation with 30-day advance booking


Itinerary

Day 1: Almaty - Talgar Pass

After meeting the guide in Almaty, we will transfer to the Medeu Gorge and take a cable car up to the highest point of the Shymbulak Mountain Resort (3,153m) on Talgar Pass.

We will then hike up to the summit of Shymbulak mountain (3,450m) to acclimatize and head back to our yurt.

Meals included: Dinner

Day 2 to 3: Talgar Pass - Bogdanovich Glacier

We will spend these two days skiing to Bogdanovich Glacier, where we will hike up a few of the surrounding peaks. We will then return to the yurt on Talgar Pass.

Elevation gain: 900-1,000 meters, descend length ~ 6 km, duration: 5-6 hours. Slope gradient: 20 – 45 degrees.

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 4: Talgar Pass – Shymbulak mountain resort - T-1 Glaciological Station

Depending on the snow conditions, we will either ski down to the low point of Shymbulak or take a cable car. From here, we will transfer to Mynzhylky and ski to the Tuyuk-Su Glaciological station.

We will then have the option to rest in the afternoon or ski to an observation point to watch the sunset.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5 to 6: T-1 Glaciological Station - Cirque of Tuyuk-Su Glacier

We will spend these two days making several hiking ascents up to some of the peaks surrounding the Tuyuk-Su glacier – Youth peak (4,150m), West Ordzhonikidze Glacier (4,024m), shoulder of Tuyuk-Su Glacier (4,200m), Pogrebetskiy Peak (4,231m), Locomotiv peak (4,209m) and North Youth Pass (3,880m) – before returning to the hut.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7: T-1 Glaciological Station - Cosmostation

We will start the day by skiing down to Mynzhylky and transfer to the Cosmostation, stopping to visit an observation point on the way.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8 to 9: Cosmostation – Summits of Almaty Alagir Mountain Ridge

We will spend the next two days hiking up some of thee summits that surround Cosmostation, including Tourist peak (3,954m).

We will then return to the station and meet some of the researchers who study cosmic particles.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 10: Cosmostation – Summits of Almaty Alagir Mountain Ridge – Big Almaty Lake – Tau Spa complex – Almaty

We start the day by transferring to Turan peak and skiing up to the summit then back down.

Elevation gain: 715 meters, descend length ~ 5 km, duration: 4-5 hours. Slope gradient: 15 – 40 degrees.

Afterwards, we will return to the Cosmostation and transfer to a local spa with excellent mountain views.

After enjoying the spa for a while, we will return to Almaty.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 11: T-1 Almaty - Altyn Emel National Park - Singing Dune - Almaty

We will start the day by transferring to Basshi village (261 km) for lunch and then on to Altyn Emel National Park (48 km).

Here, we will hike to the top of Singing Dune and some other sand dunes in the area. The descent from the dunes can be made on skis, if there is enough snow.

After the descent, we will return to Almaty.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 12: Almaty city tour

We will start the day with a city tour of Almaty, visiting various spots such as the Park of 28 Panfilov Guardsman, the Green Bazaar and Kok-Tobe Park, among various others.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

About the guide: ACT

Guide profile image

ACT

Aspirant Guide

ACT ADVENTURE is the adventure department of ACT KAZAKHSTAN - one of the largest and fastest-growing inbound tour operator companies in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Established in 2008, and having two offices in the largest cities of Kazakhstan - Almaty and Nur-Sultan, we specialize in providing tourist and related services in more than 20 cities and 5 resorts in Kazakhstan.

We offer a wide range of outdoor activities in Kazakhstan:

- Resort skiing/freeride/backcountry/heli-skiing
- Trekking/hiking
- Horseback riding tours
- City cycling and MTB tours
- Water rafting
- Off-road expeditions
- Photo tours
- Other kinds of activities upon request

Why choose us?

• Our region is wild and less explored, you will not meet here many tourists, but find untouched nature and harmony.
• Different kinds of landscape: from canyons and deserts, to river valleys, forests, rocky mountains and glaciers.
• Opportunity to learn about the historical and cultural heritage of our ancient nomadic land.
• All our tour programs have been developed and tested by us.
• Our guides are our proud; they all are professionals in their field.
• We have all the necessary stuff for organizing our outdoor programs.
• Archive of amazing memorable pictures after each tour.
• We care about your safety and guarantee a high level of service.

Members of ACT Adventure Team
Darya Ponomaryova & Alexandr Zadneprovskiy

Languages

Russian | English

Certificates

KMGA

What people are saying about Explore-Share

Kumari

5.00

I’m extremely happy with the ease with which I could book via your site reliable and experienced guide. Thank you so very much, and I’ve started to recommend your site to my friends. Dimitris is not only an awesome guide, but a wonderful person who was always looking out to give me the best experience I can have when he found out how much I love climbing! He is the Best!

Niklas

5.00

I am very pleased with Explore-Share! This was my first international climb, and the communication and response time were great. Herbie is a very skilled guide and very efficient. The entire booking process & payment was smooth. I will definitely use Explore-Share again. Thank you.

Greg

5.00

I was looking for a local guide for a hike I was planning and came across Explore-Share. They seemed to have good reviews and so decided to give them a try. The experience was very positive and completely happy with their service. I will be using them again for next trip.

Colin

5.00

Easy to set up and find the perfect trip. Informative site that is easy to use. Guides are all great to work with and communicate all arrangements needed. As simple as can be!

Lesley

4.00

Thank you explore-share for a wonderful via feratta experience. We have been wanting to learn for a long time but don't have the facilities in Scotland. The guide Mitja was extremely helpful and knowledgeable, answering all my many questions and providing advice. On the day head to take another group but he quickly arranged another guide Borut, who was brilliant. We had a fantastic morning learning via ferrata at Hvadnik in the gorge. It gave us the confidence to later hire our own equipment and go out in Mojstrana. Altogether a five star + experience. Thank you.

 

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