T-1 trekking and climbing in Small Almaty Gorge

We leave Almaty heading south toward the mountains. We'll travel fifteen kilometers along Dostyk Avenue, passing the border guard school, a cottage community, a sports complex, and the Royal Tulip Hotel, located at the turnoff to Kamenskoye Plateau. After passing the eco-post, we'll drive just a short distance to the gondola station leading to the Chimbulak ski resort, after which we'll reach the Medeo sports complex.

Upon reaching the skating rink, we stroll to the central entrance and take photos. Next, we drive three kilometers to the dam. Upon reaching the top, we explore and stroll along the mudflow dam, the construction of which began in 1966 to protect Almaty from mudflows.

We enjoy the beautiful view of the Medeo skating rink and admire the trees fallen on the mountain slopes by a powerful hurricane in 2011.

Next, we drive to the Shymbulak ski resort, passing the Gorelnik tract and the Sarysay ascent along the way. After driving four kilometers, we reach Shymbulak, located at an altitude of 2,260 meters above sea level. After passing the ski resort, we continue past the Edelweiss tract, the Tuyuk-Su Gate tract, which is located at an altitude of 2,650 meters above sea level. We then pass a mountaineering camp on the banks of the Malaya Almatinka River, a hotel called "Vorona Tuyuk-Su," and a mountaineers' memorial. This is the end of our driving trip; we then hike into the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains.

Our route will take us along a mountain road, where we might encounter off-road vehicles attempting to reach the glaciers. We'll have to walk three kilometers to reach the Mynzhilki gorge. Along the way, we'll see the change in vegetation zones, where the last Tien Shan spruce trees end at an altitude of approximately 2,800 meters above sea level. From this point on, all vegetation consists of juniper thickets. On the left side, the road is flanked by tall vertical cliffs called the Bastions.

This section of the route will involve a long climb that will gradually level out, indicating the approach to the Mynzhilki gorge. It is located at an altitude of approximately 3,200 meters above sea level. A mudflow dam stands in the middle of the gorge, and on the left side of the river, we can see the cottages of the Mynzhilki hydrographic station.

Next, we'll take a short rest in a gazebo near the road.

After resting, we reach the moraine of the Molodezhny T-1 Glacier, a three-kilometer hike. This trail follows a road after which we ford the Malaya Almatinka River, where it splits into two streams. The river can be crossed easily on rocks, as there is little water at this point. After crossing the river, we reach the first switchback road heading west, the second long climb on the route from the Vorota Tuyuk-Su tract.

At the switchback road, a picturesque view of the Malaya Almatinskoye Gorge opens up before us. We can also enjoy the view of the Mynzhylki tract. In the eastern section of the gorge, from north to south, we encounter a succession of peaks of the Maloalmatinskoye Gorge, including Abay Peak, Amangeldy Peak, Komsomol Peak, Pioneer Peak, Uchitel Peak, Manshuk Mametova Peak, Otechestvennoye Voyny Peak, Ordzhonikidze Peak, and finally, the peaks of Tuyuk-Su Needles. The Malaya Almatinka River murmurs below. At the end of the second serpentine road, we reach the research station of the Institute of Geography of Kazakhstan.

This area is home to several cottages, home to a scientific expedition studying the glaciers of the Northern Tien Shan. Our route takes us to the left of the cottages, where we cross over to the moraine of a lake located beneath the Molodezhny Glacier. At an altitude of 3,400 meters above sea level, a view of the Central Tuyuk-Su Glacier opens up before us. We stroll around the tract, taking photos. Then we have lunch and rest. Our hike to the lake on the moraine is over. The return journey to the Tuyuk-Su Gate tract awaits us, from where we return to Almaty.