Sights of Turgen Gorge.

  “Kazakh apple forests are unique resources for the planet; the special value of wild (natural) apple trees in Kazakhstan lies in their resistance to diseases.”

Herbert Odwinkle, apple tree expert at Cornell University.

Trip to Turgen gorge.

The Kuznetsova Shchel valley or gorge is located at an altitude of 1150 (the beginning of the gorge) to 1540 (the pass between the Kuznetsov Shchel valley and the main Taldy-Bulak gorge) meters above sea level, located in the eastern part of the main Turgen gorge, east of the village of Tau-Turgen, in the northern slope of the Zailiysky Alatau ridge in the Enbekshikazakh district of the Almaty region. The Kuznetsov Gorge begins immediately from the eastern part of the village of Tau-Turgen.
The asphalt road continues from the village for 300 meters and soon turns into a dirt, country road. The road is laid along the right (northern) side of the gorge, the distance from the end of the village to the pass 1540 meters above sea level, which is located between the Taldy-Bulak gorge and the Kuznetsov gorge is 5.5 kilometers.
In the upper part of the gorge, in the places of ancient settlements, a forge was discovered, this can be judged by the remains of metal accessories that were used in agriculture and were tools of labor: hoes, stirrups, horseshoes, plowshares, and arrowheads were also found.
Most likely, the gap was named after these finds - Kuznetsovskaya. The Kuznetsovsky stream, 5 kilometers long, flows through the gorge, which in the summer months is diverted for irrigation in the village of Taldy-Bulak.
In the southern part of the gorge there are vast meadows covered with single old Sieversii apple trees, which, judging by the size of the trunk, are more than 100 years old. Along the right slope at first, for 300 meters, there is no forest, but soon the first Sieversii apple trees appear.
The Sievers apple tree grows almost throughout the entire gorge in isolated trees and small forests. The apple tree's companions here are two types of trees: Songara hawthorn (Crataegus songarica) and common apricot (Armeniaca vulgaris).
Behind the pass there is a cordon of the Ile-Alatau Natural Park, which belongs to the Turgen branch and administratively belongs to the Malovodnenskoye forestry. Apple forests, dominated by the Sievers apple tree (Malus sieversii (Ledeb.) M.Roem, is a relict species and is listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan.
Geographical coordinates of valley Kuznetsova Shel: N43°21'37.80" E77°38'52.74"

Note:
If you are using geographic coordinates for the Google Earth or Google Maps navigation systems, you must remove the last two digits from the geographic coordinates and " (hundredths of seconds) and enter the result in the input line. Example: N51°44'09.67" E72°39'40.81" = N51°44'09 E72°39'40

Authority and photos by:
Alexander Petrov.