Three-day hike to the upper reaches of the Kurmenty gorge -
High-mountain moraine lakes in the Kolsay Lakes Park -
Lake Kurmenty is a high-mountain moraine lake located at an altitude of 3,316 meters above sea level in the Kolsay Lakes National Park. This is a place where the true pristine nature reigns, where the wind whispers in the language of ancient glaciers, and each stone keeps a thousand-year history of the mountains. The lake has an elongated shape with a length of 573 meters from south to north and a width of 247 meters. A little above the lake is the Kurmenty mountain pass along which the state border between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan passes. The Kurmenty River originates from the lake and carries its waters down the gorge of the same name, which is also called the Kurmenty gorge. At the beginning of the gorge, where the river flows into the Shilik (Chilik) River, there is a small cozy village of Kurmenty, which serves as the starting point for your journey. Up the gorge along the river there is a mountain road that will take you to the middle part of the gorge, where you can set up a campsite or set up a base camp. From this camp, further up the gorge you can make a mountain hike to Lake Kurmenty, which may take 2-3 days.
How to get there and visit -
Lake Kurmenty is located in the upper reaches of the Kurmenty gorge, Kungey Alatau Mountains, Kolsay Lakes National Park and Nature Reserve, Kegen District, Almaty Region, Republic of Kazakhstan.
GPS coordinates: 42°52'45"N 78°13'02"E
Information -
Lake Kurmenty is famous for its location and the mountain route that will take you to the lake. Its crystal-clear waters are fed by glaciers hidden under rubble screes and clay slopes. In clear weather the lake shines bright blue, and on a cloudy day it becomes deep and almost black - like a bottomless silent abyss. Getting here is not an easy task. This is a route for real adventurers, mountain hikers and climbers ready to test themselves. But every step, every breath of thin air here is worth the effort. Kurmenty is not just a lake, it is an encounter with living, wild, eternal nature. When traveling to this region and making a mountain hike to the lake, be sure to use the services of a mountain guide who knows the area well, will prepare you for the hike and safely lead you along the route. The best time to make a mountain hike to the lake is in the summer, July, August, at this time it is warm and the weather is stable. In addition to the lake, there are other natural attractions in the park that can be visited along the way, these are the Kolsay Lakes, along which there is also a mountain route that covers all three lakes. Lake Kaindy, which is located in another gorge, is also popular and easily accessible, it is famous for its sunken coniferous forest, the trees of which stick out of the water and create a mystical landscape.
