Ski Safari Kazakhstan
Going on a Ski Safari in the south of Kazakhstan? That means that you will spend a week in the metropolis of Almaty and that you will experience the largest ski areas of the country. Of course it’s gonna be a mix of culture and local experiences. For example, we are going to visit the Charyn Canyon, the vast steppes and bustling local markets.
Ski Adventure Kazakhstan
This coming winter we are offering several ski adventure trips to Kazakhstan. Skiing in the northern Himalayas overlooking the metropolis of Almaty! Don’t expect boring nightlife, Wiener Schnitzels or German Schlagers. So what can you expect? Well, for example, brand new ski resorts, vibrant nightlife and a visit to the Charyn Valley.
Charyn Kloof
Often the Charyn Gorge is compared to the Grand Canyon in the United States. Indeed, the beautiful hues from deep red to light brown and the jagged rock formations ensure that this Kazakh landmark can be seen as the Grand Canyon’s little brother. Here, too, wind and water erosion gave the gorge beautiful shapes and colorful sculptures. The Charyn Gorge is about 90 kilometers long and is part of the Charyn National Park, which was established in 2004.
The Sharyn River traverses the gorge and helped shape the beautiful rock formations. It rises in the Tian Shan Mountains, is some 400 kilometers long and is more than 150 meters deep in some places. The river eventually flows into the Kapchagai resevoir. On the river, adventurers can canoe and raft. However, that activity is only for the more practiced rafters among us because the difficulty level of river rafting is fairly high. A more peaceful activity that is also among the river’s options is fishing.
Another way other than discovering the beauty of the gorge from the water is to walk through it. A trek starts from the National Park parking lot and takes you past scenic vantage points. For example, there is the “Dolina Zamkov” or “Valley of Castles” where unusual rock formations can be seen over a distance of three kilometers and a depth of up to 100 meters. Still other parts of the gorge were given names referring to witches or spirits because time gave the rocks there strange shapes. The Charyn Gorge consists of five different gorges: the Valley of Castles, the Temirlik Gorge, the Yellow Gorge, the Red Gorge and the Bestamak Gorge. The Valley of Castles is the most popular.
Ash as a central player of the Charyn Canyon
According to some sources, the river’s name Sharyn comes from the word “sharyn” which means “ash” in Uyghur. Other sources believe the name comes from the word of Turkish origin “char,” meaning abyss. Both explanations are possible for this gorge characterized by steep precipices, but where ash trees also grow in the area. The “Relic Forest,” for example, about 20 kilometers from the gorge, consists mainly of ash trees. You will also find willows, poplars and berberis (sourberry).