Hiking in Kazakhstan?

[ShelterLeopard]

Has anyone here ever done any hiking in Kazakhstan or nearby areas? Overnight hiking is what I'm looking for, but have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA about multiple day hikes in the area. I don't think it should be dangerous, but I'm naive...

[HiKen2011]

Talk to Borat, he should know:eek:

[Trailbender]

Has anyone here ever done any hiking in Kazakhstan or nearby areas? Overnight hiking is what I'm looking for, but have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA about multiple day hikes in the area. I don't think it should be dangerous, but I'm naive...

Don't forget an AK and about 6 spare mags. An ultralite option would be an AK-74 with a folding stock, the ammo is also lighter as well.

[Snowleopard]

The Tien Shan in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are absolutely gorgeous. I trekked in Kyrgyzstan for a couple weeks in 1996. Trekking in the Tien Shan is mostly going from pass to pass. I'm sure political conditions have changed and you must get more recent info. I hired a guide.
My original plan was to fly to Almaty, take a bus to the beginning of the mountains and then hike to Kyrgyzstan. Some Russians I met in Worcester, Mass, who had lived in Kazakhstan told me I was crazy and I'd die. The Kyrgyz embassy told me I was crazy, would die and they wouldn't give me a visa to do that. So I found a tourist company in Karakol, Kyrgyzstan, that arranged things for me.
In retrospect, I think it would have been relatively safe from crime, but a year earlier would have been dangerous. On the other hand, the mountains were pretty serious and I did not have enough experience for route finding or safe travel in such mountains without a guide. We met an Austrian couple that were doing it independently and they were lost -- they were very very happy to come across us. Also, my Russian and knowledge of local customs (to bribe or not to bribe?) were not adequate to get the needed permits.
There has recently been serious ethnic conflict (i.e., war) in the south of Kyrgyzstan in the Fergana valley. I have no idea what effect this has had in the rest of the country.
In Kazakhstan, I think everyone speaks Russian; the Kazakh speakers mostly speak Russian also. In Kyrgyzstan, almost everyone speaks Russian, but some of the ethnic Kyrgyz are shaky on grammar. There's the possibility that the ethnic Kyrgyz in government offices might refuse to speak anything but Kyrgyz.
Two other areas in Kazakhstan that would be interesting would be the Altai Mountains (very wild and remote) and the wild apple forests near Almaty (relatively civilized, Almaty means something like Father of Apples and this is where apples originate). Traveling from Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan to China would also be pretty interesting. There are trains from Kazakhstan to Urumqi China. The Tien Shan extend into China, but I don't know if trekking in that part of China would be possible.
The Tien Shan is the second most beautiful place I've been (Peru is the best).

[Snowleopard]

Talk to Borat, he should know:eek:
I found that movie really offensive. The Kazakh people I met were really friendly, really went out of their way to help me and were a lot of fun.


Don't forget an AK and about 6 spare mags. An ultralite option would be an AK-74 with a folding stock, the ammo is also lighter as well.
If it would freak you out to have horsemen ride up to you carrying rifles, you should probably not go to into the Kyrgyz mountains. They carry the rifles for hunting and for protecting their flocks from predators. I'm afraid they do sometimes shoot snowleopards, which sometimes eat their sheep. These horsemen were not threatening to us. The people were hospitable. If you went past one of their camps, they would usually offer tea or kumiss. Kumiss is fermented mare's milk yoghurt and tastes awful unless it's really fresh and cold.

[Sly]

At one point I went overland from Europe to Afghanistan through Turkey and Iran. At the time it would have been inconceivable to go through Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan or Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Now of course, it would be the only way do go avoiding Iran. Where I traveled the scenery and people just blew me away. They were really cool, especially the Afghans (at the time).

[Trailbender]

If it would freak you out to have horsemen ride up to you carrying rifles, you should probably not go to into the Kyrgyz mountains. They carry the rifles for hunting and for protecting their flocks from predators. I'm afraid they do sometimes shoot snowleopards, which sometimes eat their sheep. These horsemen were not threatening to us. The people were hospitable. If you went past one of their camps, they would usually offer tea or kumiss. Kumiss is fermented mare's milk yoghurt and tastes awful unless it's really fresh and cold.

Wouldn't freak me out at all. I have been around guns, and weapons most of my life. I carry a handgun concealed most every day as well. I'd like to walk around carrying a rifle as well, but I would probably get weird looks.

[Pedaling Fool]

...I'm afraid they do sometimes shoot snowleopards, which sometimes eat their sheep. These horsemen were not threatening to us. The people were hospitable. If you went past one of their camps, they would usually offer tea or kumiss.
Yeah, conservation not a real big deal over in that part of the world.

These horsemen were not threatening to us. The people were hospitable. If you went past one of their camps, they would usually offer tea or kumiss.
The majority of people in these countries are very nice and hospitable, including Iran. It's the governments that are the crappy ones.

[tiptoe]

ShelterLeopard, I've been to Almaty, and yes, the Tien Shan Mountains are gorgeous and the Kazakhs are very friendly people (forget Borat). I can put you in touch with a very experienced hiker who leads trips into the mountains. He works at the American embassy and speaks some English. PM me if interested.

[Highway Man]

...Traveling from Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan to China would also be pretty interesting. There are trains from Kazakhstan to Urumqi China. The Tien Shan extend into China, but I don't know if trekking in that part of China would be possible.
The Tien Shan is the second most beautiful place I've been (Peru is the best).

I have done some researches about backpacking in the east Tien Shan area. Actually that's the place I want to do backpacking second to Himalaya/Karakoram regions in China. The landscape looks just like high Alps blended with lush green pastureland, and steep-n-deep valleys.

The trails there are usually old trade or herding routes (100 mile or less) that usually cut across the mountain range. Many hikers/trekkers have successfully made it through these days. In terms of getting a permit to hike there, I knew a female British teacher went out recently with a trekking service all the way to the border area that is even difficult for Chinese to get a permit. There're a couple of more similar cases as well. Most of the trails are far away from the border. Transportation or shuttling service is available as many people live in that huge area. In general, one should make hiking in the border area as the last choice.