DAY 3 (29th August 2024)
Kazakhstan (Almaty – Shymbulak Resort)
As we were researching the interesting places to visit in Almaty, we came across this place called Medeu Skating Rink, where in winter, you could skate in the open air due to its high elevation of more than 1,600m above sea level, complete with its own complex ice-making system installed. But, it wasn’t winter yet and we don’t skate (Bro. Ray: I’m probably as graceful as crow on a hot tin roof!).
However, surrounding this popular destination (they have other sporting facilities as well, but the ice rink is the most well-known), are other attractions as well. During the planning stages for this trip, we noted that there are many hiking trails in and around this area, and Wifey and me thought that some of the easier and shorter hikes would be suitable for my in-laws. We had eyes on heading to the Shymbulak Resort as well, and if possible, to hike to Furmanov Peak or Gorel’nik Gorge.
But it ain’t adventure, if things turn out only exactly as we planned! What we didn’t know during the planning stage about this whole area was that there are more things to do and see than there is time to do them! And what a pleasant surprise it turned out to be.
Cable Car Journey from Medeu to Shymbulak Resort
Our Yandex dropped us off at the cable car station at around 9:00am in the morning. For a tourist location, this place was relatively quiet. When we came to the ticket counter, we realised that there were so many options and so much information, which were not available when we searched the Net. Thankfully, the information centre was managed by this lovely lady who spoke good English and explained everything to us about this area. And we totally revamped our plans to try to squeeze as much as possible from the place.
The Tourism Information Centre itself was a trailhead, round trip around 2 hours. Or we could walk a little further away for a different trail. But the map that was on her table, was much, much more compelling. Basically, after a 4.5km cable car ride from Medeu sports complex, we would arrive at Shymbulak Ski Resort. The resort is an adventure on its own, but we could take another two cable car rides up to Kombi-1 and on to Kombi-2, where a different adventure awaits. So, we abandoned all other ideas and headed up to Kombi-2.
Launched in November 2010, this cable car ride offers panoramic views of the hills and mountain peaks, and even a glimpse of Almaty City in the distance. The famous Medeu Skating Rink came into full view almost immediately after leaving the station. While it looked empty now, I was pretty sure there would hardly be any space to skate in winter.
Shymbulak Ski Resort
Discovered in the 1940s by amateur skiers, this place had seen many development over the years, and even became USSR’s Olympic Skiing Team’s training centre in 1983. The school of alpine skiing and snowboarding was birthed in 1995, and still exists today. Restaurants and hotels soon sprouted alongside other developments in the area. Since this place isn’t far from Almaty City Centre, it’s no surprise that the locals would come here to relax in the cooling atmosphere, while winter would welcome skiers from all over the world.
When we got off the cable car at Shymbulak, we were pleasantly surprised by the well-planned buildings – restaurants with al fresco dining, shops selling souvenirs and skiing equipment, a hotel, and other ancillary buildings. Even in autumn, the mountain view was breathtaking. There were twin cable cars going up to Kombi-1, one fully covered and the other, open-seated. We did not stay long at the resort, though… We had other things to do!
Kombi-1
A few minutes’ ride on the cable car from Shymbulak, we arrived at Kombi-1. There were just two or three buildings there, and for skiers, this would be one of the places to launch off – on snowier days, of course. We spent some time at the balcony of a closed restaurant overlooking the valley below, with a few visible skiing trails. It was touch and go, as the adventure was at the next station up ahead.
Kombi-2
The real adventure begins here. We got off Kombi-2 station and immediately in front of us is a wall of rock with the Til Glacier carving a pass right through the mountains. There were several yurts nearby, one of which served as a restaurant. Chalets were being built in anticipation of a flood of visitors to this hidden gem. There were many trails to hike as well, and I was kicking myself that we hadn’t been able to do more research on this area before coming here!
It was quickly determined that all the trails around Kombi-2 were a little too hilly and rocky in nature, and MIL decided immediately that she would be too much of a hindrance to us to hike these trails. After spending quite some time taking photos, we had a quick meal and coffee at the yurt restaurant to warm us up for the hike ahead. We settled upon trying for the Bogdanovich Glacier, although the limited time we had meant that we would very likely not reach it.
Bogdanovich Glacier Trail
With a full stomach and joyful spirit, FIL, Wifey and me headed out along the Bogdanovich Glacier Trail with vigour and gusto, except that it was me who would travel furthest, since FIL and Wifey preferred to look for picturesque places to take photos. I was hoping that I could finally fulfil my dream of touching glacial ice. So, off we went along the trail, which, to be honest, wasn’t much of a trail. I was pretty sure that I was lost for a while, since the rocky surface afforded no clearly marked paths.
After going in and out of an apparent trail, always heading upwards and skipping along the dangerous rocky surface, I finally got to the top of the ledge. It was dangerous because the rock debris field was not stable, and some rocks were shaky, and can easily cause injury to anyone not prepared. The fog was slowly rolling in at that time also to add to the adventure and mystery of the place, but I felt it was still safe to push on until I came to the top of the ledge.
I saw the signpost from afar, and thought that this was the general direction I should be heading to. Many others who were fitter than me overtook me at this juncture as I stopped for a drink and some energy bar. The signpost was both a relief and a dread – I still had a long way to go – all of 1.93km to walk! I honestly thought I had gone very far, but I guess distance is deceiving when you are trekking uphill.
As I trudged along, I suddenly heard a loud boom to my left and it took me a while to realise what that sound was, and then it hit me that this was exactly what I was looking for – a glacier (Bro Ray: apologies that the panoramic photograph above is not representative of the actual look. However, you can clearly see the outline of a river-like structure cutting into the hillside). I stood there for several moments contemplating whether I should walk down to the glacier and just touch the glacial ice that was just right there.
Believe me, standing no more than 50m to what I had always dreamed of, I was tempted to. Several more “booms” later, the decision was made for me. I had no back-up in case of an emergency, and there were absolutely no one around at that time. I’m an adventurer, but not a careless one. The “booms” were caused by the chunks of melted ice falling into the deep crater that had formed, evidently with a fast-flowing river under the ice. It was absolutely too dangerous for me to attempt this alone, and without the proper gear. I turned back thereafter…. The end of the Bogdanovich Glacier Trail would take me too long to get there. I should have trained for this!
With another “near miss” in terms of fulfilling my dreams, I walked back down to where everyone were nicely and snugly hid away in the yurt, enjoying its warmth and having a lively chat. By this time, the fog had enveloped the mountain, and that was the signal that it was time to head back down to Kombi-1 and Shymbulak Resort.
Going Back Down
Kombi-1 actually has two cable car lines coming up from Shymbulak, and when we got to Kombi-1, we decided to walk to the other cable car line just to look around. Here, we could see that there were several people camping on the hillside, next to La Skala Restaurant.
Shymbulak was lively with people (way more than when we first arrived), with merrymakers from all walks of life enjoying the cool weather and the clear skies. The restaurants were packed and the atmosphere celebratory, and we were taken in by the sights and sounds as well. Got myself a well-deserved beer after the long hike, before we bade farewell to Shymbulak and made our way back into the city.
Summary for Day 3
I was very pleasantly surprised by the turn of events today…. Unexpected discoveries led to more unexpected adventures and great memories. I was really glad that I at least tried to make it to the Bogdanovich Glacier, although proper preparations prior to coming here would have made it easier for me to reach the end. I think I got closer to a glacier than I have ever been before, but I was also glad that I did not throw caution to the wind. It may have been disastrous for everyone. So near, yet so far!
