Photo tour to the Asy Plateau and the Turgen Gorge -
Excursions to natural attractions of the Almaty region -
The best place to get acquainted with the life of a nomad is the Asy Plateau. The plateau is located in the highland region of the Zailiysky Alatau at an altitude of 2100-2800 m above sea level. The length of the plateau is 40 km, the width varies from 3 to 7 kilometers. The easiest way to go up by car from the Turgen mountain gorge, which is also a local natural attraction. Moving up the mountain road, you will get to the Asy Pass and then you can proceed to the plateau itself. On the plateau, you can visit the Turgen Space Observatory. If you continue along the road through the plateau you can visit the Zhaman-Uy (bad house) tract where there are rock paintings and camping sites, then the mountain road will take you to the Bartogay reservoir.
How to get there -
The high mountain plateau Asy is located 100 kilometers from the city of Almaty, in the upper reaches of the Turgen gorge. To the plateau we go along the Kuldzhin highway to the east of Almaty, then turn right to the city of Issyk. Follow the main road through the center of Issyk, the road will take you to the village of Turgen, turn right into the gorge just before the village. Follow the signs on the road. Follow the road through the entrance gate of the National Park and further up the gorge until you arrive at the Asy pass and the Asy plateau.
GPS coordinates: 43°15′N 77°59′E
What's interesting -
Everything is interesting on the Asy plateau: mountains, nature, wildlife. Here you will see the life of nomads: white yurts, herds of horses, goats and sheep. You can visit ancient burial mounds, ancient human settlements, dolmens and see rock paintings. The plateau's wildlife is very diverse: huge marmots live here, huge eagles and vultures fly here, all this is surrounded by huge majestic mountains, and rainbow trout are found in the local river. An abandoned observatory is located on the plateau, which was built during the Soviet era, but after the collapse of the Soviet Union, funding ceased and this institution was closed. Now, after a long repair and restoration, the observatory has resumed operation and at night you can observe space and the night sky from it.
Information for tourists -
On the Asy plateau you can ride a bicycle, motorcycles, set up a campsite, go hiking, explore the area. You can also visit the nomad festival, which takes place in July. The road to the Asy plateau is open only in the summer season: from May to September. The normal daytime temperature in July is + 12 ... + 16, at night + 3 ... + 7. It can be windy on the plateau, the weather changes quickly. In winter, the road to the plateau is closed and covered with snow, traveling along the plateau at this time is not possible.
Tour itinerary:
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