How to get here?

You can get here by Yandex Go, or by using public transport. If you choose for Yandex Go, make sure to use the following location for you drop off location.

The name for this location is Edelweis. This is the furthest point that a car can take you. After this no cars are allowed, except official cars. This last checkpoint will be guarded, so this is where you have to get off. If you order a Yandex to the lake, you will pay more, for an area where you will not be able to go, so make sure to use the Edelweis location!

To get to this location you will have to pass another checkpoint, and you will have to pay around 1300 Tenge (around 2,30 euros) for the car to bring you to this location. You can also get off at this first checkpoint, but then it’s a long walk to the start of the hike. If you decide to walk, there are cars that will ask you to bring you to the start of the hike for 2000 Tenge (around 3,5 euros), so just paying for the car of your taxi is cheaper. From this last checkpoint you can start your hike. If you start here the hike will be around 12 kilometers.

The second option is by going with public transport. There is a public bus which will drop you at the first checkpoint, at this location. From this checkpoint you can walk to the start of the hike, which will be around 10 kilometers, or you can pay 2000 tenge for a car to bring you to the start of the hike.

What to do?

After the last checkpoint, you have two options. You can either go up by keeping to the main road, and following this until you get near the lake. This is a longer hike, but less steep.

The second option is to walk up next to the big pipeline. This is a lot shorter, but it is more steep. Almost everybody who comes here will go up by walking next to the pipeline.

Both options eventually get you close to the lake. From there you can hike to multiple viewpoints. You can not swim in the lake, since it’s also used as a water supply for Almaty.

The length of your hike will be decided by where you start, either the first checkpoint, or the last checkpoint. There will be a lot of elevation gain at this hike.

Weather and clothing

On May 19th it was around 5 degrees celsius with a lot of wind. The weather here is different than in Almaty. Make sure to wear good hiking shoes!