Tour Sievers Apple Trees in Ile-Alatau National Park
Watching the blossoming of the Sievers apple tree in the mountains of the Trans-Ili Aalatu -
Sievers Apple trees tour in Kazachka Gorge (Kazashka) -
Spring in the Ile-Alatau National Park is a real revelation. It is here, on the southern slopes of the Trans-Ili Alatau, near Almaty, that the ancient world of nature awakens. And the main spring miracle is the flowering of the Sivers apple tree (Malus sieversii), the wild ancestor of all modern apples. These trees greet May in a pink and white cloud of flowers, spreading an intoxicating fragrance and creating the atmosphere of some magical garden from the past.
The flowering of the Sievers apple tree begins in late April – early May and lasts until the middle of the month, depending on the altitude above sea level. The best places to observe are Aksai gorges, Kamenskoe plateau, Almarasan tract, Butakovka gorge, as well as slopes in the area of Shimbulak and Medeo. Here, apple trees grow in whole groves, forming natural gardens among mountains and fir trees. Apples appear on trees in early autumn, so you need to choose the time whether you want to see how the apple tree blooms and becomes covered with flowers or bears fruit.
The Sievers apple tree is not just a tree. It is a living symbol of Kazakhstan, an ancient plant that appeared millions of years ago in the mountains of the Tien Shan. Scientists have proved that all domestic apples in the world originate from the Sievers apple tree, which still grows in the wild in the Almaty region. This territory is the historical birthplace of apples, and there is no better place to experience it than the Ile-Alatau National Park.
Watch video on Instagram: Tour "Sivers Apple Trees in Ile-Alatau Park"
Description of the route of the apple tour in the Almaty region:
Almaty – Kuznetsovo gorge tract – Bolshoe Almaty gorge (Big) – Kazashka gorge – Almaty
Detailed program of the day-by-day tour in the mountains of the Trans-Ili Alatau:
- Distance of the route:
211 km
- Season time:
1 september - 10 october
- Best time:
Early Autumn
- Group size:
1-20
- Days & nights:
2 days - 1 nigth
Tour itinerary:
Transfer: Almaty – Guldala village – Panfilovo village – Baiterek village – Issyk village – Turgen village – Tau-Turgen village – Kuznetsov Gorge (82 km). After we leave Almaty, our path will follow the ancient Kuldzhinsky highway.
After the village of Avat, the road turns south to the village of Issyk and the mountains of the Trans-Ili Alatau. We pass the turn into the Turgen gorge, drive through the village of the same name and immediately after the Turgen River turn right and drive along the right side of the gorge along the river.
Soon we are in the small village of Taldy-Bulak, which is located at the beginning of the Turgen gorge, on the right bank of the river. We pass the village, the asphalt road ends, turns into a regular, country road and gradually rises along the right side of the gorge to a small pass.
In the southern part of the gorge there are extensive meadows overgrown with single old Sivers apple trees, which, judging by the size of the trunk, are more than 100 years old. There is no forest along the right slope at first, for 300 meters, but soon the first trees of the Sievers apple tree appear.
We drive for 5 kilometers to the pass among the apple forest, where hawthorn and apricot trees are sometimes found. The apple forests in the gorge are represented by arrays of various sizes, small groups and individual trees along the entire length of the road.
The Sievers apple tree is widespread almost everywhere at an altitude from 1150 to 1540 meters above sea level. Walking in the vicinity of the pass among the Sievers apple trees. Lunch in nature.
[bTransfer: Kuznetsov Gorge – Turgen village – Issyk village – Museum of Archeology on Issyk mounds (33 km).[/b]
Visit to the Museum of History and Archeology, the Issyk Saka mounds, and a walk in the surroundings. Opposite the Issyk dachas is one of the most famous archaeological sites of the Saka period of the IV century – the Issyk mounds.
In 1970, in the vicinity of the Issyk mounds, during archaeological excavations, a Saka warrior was found buried and belonging to the Saka-Tigrahaud rulers, possibly to the ruling dynasty of the Great Kushans.
The "Golden warrior" was dressed in chain mail, richly decorated with gold plaques, a belt with weapons made of pure gold, and an arrow–shaped headdress. The costume consists of four thousand gold jewelry symbols made in the famous "animal style" characteristic of the Saka artisans.
Transfer: Issyk kurgans – Baiterek village – Guldala village – Almaty (49 km). Arrival in Almaty, transfer to the hotel, dinner, overnight.
Breakfast. Transfer: Almaty – Bolshoe-Almatinskoe gorge – Kazachka gorge (23 km).
Our way lies to the Bolshoe Almaty Gorge, we pass the checkpoint of the Ile-Alatau Park and immediately turn left along the road that leads to the Kazashka gorge. The gorge stretches from west to east for 9 kilometers.
The Kazashka River runs through the gorge with a length of 14.5 kilometers, which originates from numerous springs on the western slope of the Kumbel-Tau ridge. At an altitude of 1,867 meters above sea level, the Kazashka River receives a 4-kilometer-long tributary Terisbutak from the right, originating from the springs of the northern slope of the Kumbel-Tau ridge.
Our tour will start from the Kumbel Hotel, which is located 5 kilometers above the mouth of the Kazashka River. We will visit a picturesque birch grove on the northern slope, above which there will be individual and group trees of Sivers apple, cherry plum, small-leaved elm, apricot.
We will gradually walk down the road and visit the Sievers apple tree monitoring site in the valley of the Kazachka River, located in the lower third of the steep (about 45 degrees) gravelly, rocky slope of the southwestern exposure (1,500 meters above sea level).
The size of the site is 50 x 50 meters. There are 3 types of trees growing here - apricot, Sivers apple, Dzungarian hawthorn (Crataegus songorica C. Koch) and 4 types of shrubs - hairy meadowsweet (Spiraea lasiocarpa Kar. et Kir.), broad-leaved rosehip (Rosa platyacantha Schrenk), Tatar honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica L.), gaster (Rhamnus cathartica L.).
Lunch in nature. After lunch, transfer to the Ayusai Visitor Center (3 km). Visit the visitor center, walk in the surroundings.
Transfer to Sunkar Bird Nursery (3 km). The bird of prey show starts at 5 p.m. Several species of birds of prey participate in the performance, demonstrating various hunting methods under the guidance of a golden eagle falconer.
Viewers will learn about the history of falconry, the biological features and lifestyle of birds of prey. After the end of the show, transfer to Almaty (18 km). The end of the tour.
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