Walks on horses in reserve Aksu-Zhabagly.

 “What is that feeling when you're driving away from people and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing? - it's the too-huge world vaulting us, and it's good-bye. But we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies” 

Jack Kerouac, On the Road.

Horses ancient times have always been the main means of move nomadic people in Central Asia. You are offered to make fascinating trip by horses into the heart of mountains of Western Tien-Shan in Aksu Zhabagly nature reserve. During this trip you will get a great pleasure communicating with animate, untouched nature.
You will visit  a grandiose canyon Aksu , make an ascent of mountains passes of more than 3000m, see the gallery of petroglyphs in high mountains valley Silbili. You will feel the cold breath of glacier and mild coolnes of archa wooda. During the whole distance you will be accompanied by experienced guides.
You will get to know myths and legends of this region, see high mountain lakes with drifting ice birds.

Brief description horse riding in Aksu-Zhabagly nature reserve:

Almaty - train station Tyulkubas - settlement Zhabagly - cordon Topchak - valley Ulken-Kaindy - Topshak cordon – Ulken – Kayndy gorge – Ulken – Kayndy pass - Kaskabulak river – Kaskabulak   tract - Kayndy gorge – Kyshy river – Kayndy gorge – Zhabagly village - Stalactitic Cave - Zhabagly village – Taldybulak tract –Aksu canyon - Chuuldak tract – Darbaza tract – Shymkent – Almaty.

Distance of route: 179 km.
Season: from June till September.
Best time for travel: July - September.
Size of group: no more than 8 person.
Duration of tour: 12 days, 11 nights.

Detailed program from Almaty to wonderful interest places in Aksu-Zhabagly nature resevre: 

Adventure Tours in Kazakhstan.

Day 1. Almaty.

Arrival in Almaty. Meeting in the airport, transfer to the hotel, accommodation, rest. Breakfast. City sightseeing: visit to the 28 Panfilov’s guarsmen park, Cathedral. Museum of national musical instruments, National museum, Republic square. Departure from train station “Almaty-II” by train “Otrar” at 17.50 to Tylkubas train station (620 km, 12 hours). Overnight in train.

Day 2. Train station Tyulkubas - settlement Zhabagly - cordon Topchak - natural landmark Ulken-Kaindy (38 km).

Arrival on station Tjulkubas at 6.30, a meeting with a train.
Transfer: train station Tyulkubas - settlement Zhabagly - cordon Topshak (30 km).
Arrival on cordon Topshak, a breakfast. Walk on horses acquaintance to the groom.
Horse riding: cordon Topshak - natural landmark Ulken-Kaindy of 1800 meters above sea level (8 km).
Today our first day of travel in reserve Aksu-Zhabagly, our way lays through mountain meadows by mountains, second growth a juniper woods, we pass the small stream following from gorge. Soon before us the natural landmark of the river Ulken-Kaindy (in translation with Kazakh «Greater birches»), opposite - greater mountain with top reveals.
Further we pass in natural landmark Topshak-Saz and we continue a way on a natural landmark​ of the river Zhabagly.
Returning to a cordon Topshak. Overnight in summer camp of reserve.

Day 3. Topshak cordon – Ulken – Kayndy gorge’ – Ulken – Kayndy pass 2900 m.a.s.l. (8 km).

Back to the camp of the nature reserve. Overnight in the tents.

Day 4. Topshak cordon – Kaskabulak river – Kaskabulak natural landmark - valley of petrogliphs (12 km). 

Breakfast. Horse riding to Kaskabulak natural landmark​. 
Black stones in which are carved pictures, concentrated in the square more 1 sq. km. Mainly in the pictures are the figures of mountain goats. Back to the camp of the nature reserve. Overnight in the tents.

Day 5. Kaskabulak – Kayndy gorge – Kyshy river – Kayndy gorge 1800 m. a. s. l. – Zhabagly village (14 km).

Breakfast. After Ulken – Kayndy gorge we raise to the small plateau with meadows.
Visit to waterfall in the Kyshy – Kayndy river and go down and go out from the gorge to plain. Accommodation in overnight in private hotel

Day 6. Trip to the Stalactitic Cave near Akbiyik village.

Breakfast. Transfer by auto: Zhabagly village – Ak-Beit village (15 km). 
Excursion to the cave. Return to the guest house in Zhabagly. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 7. Zhabagly village – Taldybulak natural landmark – Aksu canyon 1620 meters above sea level (9 km).

Breakfast. Horse riding to Aksu canyon.
Today trip begins from Dzhabagly village. We pass village and the road raises to the mountains. Than pass Irsu plateau and again descent to the Aksu canyon. Overnight in the tents.

Day 8. Aksu canyon – Chuuldak natural landmark – Darbaza tract (12 km).

Breakfast. Horse riding to Darbaza natural landmark.
From the place of our camp, some time we go along automobile road, which later bifurcates and old neglected road go down to Aksu canyon. Soon we see narrow passage between high and plumbs rocks – it is Darbaza (gate in Kazakh). This river made a crevice, which is nearly 100 m, width only 6 – 8 m.
We pass the bridge over Baldarbek river. Overnight in the tents.

9 Day. Darbaza – Sayramsu tract (11 km).

Breakfast. Horse riding to natural landmark Kaiyndy Tau around Sayramsu river.
We go along valley of Sayramsu river, which has beautiful meadow and in the afternoon we come to natural landmark Kaiyndy Tau the mountain guest house ‘’Magnum’’. Accommodation in mountain guest house “Magnum”, overnight.

Day 10. Transfer to Shymkent (60 km).

Breakfast. Visit to Sayramsu natural landmark. Transfer to Shymkent. Departure from Shymkent to Almaty by train ‘’Otrar’’ (700 km). Overnight in train.

Day 11. Almaty

Arrival to Almaty at 9.00 a.m. Meeting at railway station ‘’Almaty – 2’’. Transfer to hotel, breakfast. City tour, visit ‘’Green Market’’. Trip by cable way to the Kok – Tobe mountain, panorama of the town. Visit to Medeo gorge. After excursion free time. Accommodation in the hotel, overnight

Day 12. Almaty - airport.

Accompanying service at departure to airport, departure from Almaty.

The note:
Author program is Alexander Petrov copying and use of a material - from the sanction of the author petrovsra@mail.ru

Photos
Alexander Petrov