Traveling on the lakes of the Almaty region -
Hike to the upper lake No. 3 Kolsay -
Kolsay lakes consist of three lakes located at different heights and of different sizes and consisting of different volumes of water. Kolsay lakes are the most popular attraction of the Almaty region. The water in the upper lake is dark and very cold; it is not recommended to swim here. Above the lake is the Sary-Bulak mountain pass, 3724 meters above sea level, which can also be approached on foot, then this route will lead us to Kyrgyzstan, which is also called Sary-Bulak, but is located a little lower.
Upper lake Kolsay - how to get there -
Upper Kolsay Lake is located at an altitude of 2850 meters above sea level, in the Almaty region, in the national Kolsai nature reserve. The lake is 1 kilometer long, 400 meters wide, and 8 meters deep. If we go up from the first lake along the trail, in 2 hours we will come to the highest lake, bypassing the second (middle) lake. It takes about 5 hours to get from Almaty to the lake. GPS coordinates of the Upper Kolsai Lake (the third Kolsay Lake): N42 ° 54'38.70 "E78 ° 20'38.08"
Upper lake Kolsay - information for tourists -
To travel to Lake Kolsai from Almaty, we need at least two days. Kolsay has infrastructure for overnight stays, guest houses, and small hotels. It is also possible to set up a separate stationary base camp on the lake. The road to the lake passes through mountainous terrain with the intersection of small rivers along the way, so for this we need a 4x4 car jeep.
What personal things to take with you for a trip to Kolsay Lake -
For hiking in the mountains of the Kolsai National Park and for spending time in tents in nature, you need to have personal belongings with you: mountain boots with ankle fixation, sunglasses, a hat, a windbreaker, hiking pants, walking sticks, a liter of water, chocolate bars, change of clothes, spare T-shirt. You will also need to calculate the time of your hike in order to return to the base camp before dark.
Upper Kolsay Lake - safety in the mountains -
The lake is located in a mountainous area, a trail leads to the lake, there are signs for convenience. When hiking to the lake, you must follow the safety rules of behavior in mountainous areas: do not leave the trail, move in one group and do not separate, have a phone with you with an additional battery for recharging, matches, a lighter, a compass, a camping knife. If you find that you are alone or are lost in the mountains, you need not panic, you need to contact the rescue service by mobile phone and stay in place, you need to make a fire in an open place, lay out bright things if there are any to attract attention from the air, try to navigate terrain and return to the trail, if this did not work, stay in place. Avoid steep slopes (river canyons) and rock debris, stay on a hill so you can be easily spotted from the air. Also, to detect you from the air on the ground, you can lay out the international sign of rescue SOS.
Upper lake Kolsay
Photogallery:
