Big Almaty Lake before the crowds
Left the trailhead at five. The water was still the colour of milk and glass, and the only sound for the first hour was the river below the road. By nine the buses arrived and it was time to go higher.
Trail logs, gear notes and the occasional photograph from the mountains south of Almaty.
Left the trailhead at five. The water was still the colour of milk and glass, and the only sound for the first hour was the river below the road. By nine the buses arrived and it was time to go higher.
A long, gentle day across the plateau with an unhurried descent through apple forest. Water is easy to find until the last saddle; carry two litres from there.
Light shell, one warm layer, a hat you actually like wearing. Evenings drop fast once the sun leaves the valley, even in late summer.