Hiking to Big Almaty Lake -
Natural Attractions in the Almaty Mountains -
Ozernaya River in the Almaty Mountains is one of the hidden natural treasures that captivates with its beauty and uniqueness. Despite the fact that there is little information about it on the Internet, the river deserves attention due to its connection with Big Almaty Lake and the picturesque mountain surroundings. When flowing into the lake, the river forms a delta, branching into many branches and channels. The river originates on the slopes of the Zailiysky Alatau, one of the Tien Shan ridges. The river's sources are in the glacier area, where the melting of perennial ice gives life to its cold and transparent waters. Thanks to this origin, the water in the river is crystal clear and saturated with minerals characteristic of mountain rivers. The river flows through the Big Almaty Gorge surrounded by snow-capped mountain peaks such as Sovetov Peak and Ozerny Peak. Also, at the beginning of the route, on the left side of the lake, you will see Skalisty Peak (Yumba Mountain).
How to get there and visit -
The Ozernaya River is located in the upper reaches of the Bolshoe Almatinskoe Gorge behind the Bolshoe Almatinskoe Lake, Ile-Alatau National Nature Park, Almaty Region, Republic of Kazakhstan.
GPS coordinates: 43°00'20"N 77°00'49"E
Information -
To see the Ozernaya River and take a walk in its upper reaches, you will need to get to the Bolshoe Almatinskoe Lake which is located in the Bolshoe Almatinskoe Gorge. At the moment, vehicle access to the lake is prohibited as it is located in a nature reserve, so this area is only accessible on foot. If you climb the lake dam, you will see a road that goes from the left side of the lake and goes up into the mountains. You can go higher along this road into the gorge and reach the Ozernaya River, then go up into the river valley. The route is not difficult, but requires good physical fitness and mountain hiking skills. Further up the river, you can go up to the Ozerny Pass, which forms the border between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. From the lake, there is another paved road that goes up to the Dzhusaly-Kezen Pass, passing the Tien Shan Astronomical Observatory. The pass is home to the "Cosmostation", a scientific base for studying cosmic particles. In the area of the pass, there is the Big Almaty Peak and the Tourist Peak, there are routes from the pass to both peaks. There is also a mountain route from the pass to the small picturesque Dikoye Lake (Scotland). It is also necessary to remember that when traveling in this area, you must have identification documents with you, since the area is in the border zone and there is a border outpost here. No other special permits are required to visit this area.
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