Almaty, at the edge of the city
Almarasan and Ayusay
Where the city stops and the mountains start walking distance away.
The last bus stop in Almaty is also the mouth of a gorge. Within minutes there is spruce on both slopes and a river loud enough that you talk over it. The trail from here climbs towards Gorelnik; the waterfall is in Ayusay, the valley next door.
The easiest mountains you will find
The path is level enough for children and for grandparents, and it follows the water the whole way. Nobody needs boots or a guide to survive it, which is exactly why families come here and not somewhere higher.
Ayusay and the bear
Ayu is bear in Kazakh, which is where the name on the maps comes from. The valley next to Almarasan has the waterfall and a marked path to it, and we drive across in the same half day.
Why people come in summer
It is the coolest air within reach of the city. When Almaty sits at thirty-five degrees in August, the gorge is ten degrees cooler and the river makes it feel colder still.
Tours that go here
Prices are per group, not per person, and include the guide, the driver and the car.
