INTRODUCTION
Cycling across the grasslands, rocky roads running alongside crystal-clear water rivers, a lunar mountain landscape and sandy dunes, this is mountain biking in the South-East part of Kazakhstan!
Once you arrive in the largest city of Kazakhstan - Almaty, you will be offered to enjoy a traditional welcome dinner and spend a night in a comfortable hotel to take a good rest before we take you off the grid and our biking adventure begins.
Snow-capped mountains of Alatau National Park provide a stunning backdrop for our mountain biking adventure through valleys with lush pastures and up to passes and plateaus that are teeming with grasslands and wildflowers. We'll meet nomadic Kazakhs that have moved their flocks of sheep to high pastures and live there in yurts.
ITINERARY DESCRIPTION
We meet in the cosmopolitan city of Almaty that still has remnants of the Soviet era while evolving into a city with a distinctive European feel. Almaty, means a "the grandfather of apples" and southeast Kazakhstan is where apples were first cultivated and from where they spread around the world. We will explore Almaty by a walk around this leafy city before heading to the mountains and rivers.
We start biking at the foot of Alatau Mountains Range. The landscape quickly changes from pine trees to open rolling grasslands. Every day we'll bike up dirt roads to the top of passes, have adrenalin-inducing downhills and then camp next to rushing rivers.
The adventure continues as we visit Charyn National Park where we will spend the night at a beautiful Yurta on the bank of the mountain river. The sunset favorably emphasizes the freakish shapes of rocks in the “Valley of Castles”.
The next stage is cycling into the desert of Altyn Emel National Park with its multicolored Ak Tau mountains and the Singing Sand Dune, located on the Kapchagai lakeshore, and the herds of kulans (wild horses) will leave an indelible impression on us.
This off-road mountain biking tour is challenging not only by the cycling itself but also because we will be riding at middle-level mountain altitudes and in extreme weather conditions. This all makes the trip a true adventure for those that want to get a unique biking experience with spectacular mountains and desert sceneries.
TRIP PROFILE
This time of the year to the North of Almaty city enough warm and nature waking up with many flowers. We will cycle about 570 kilometers in 9 days of riding.
This is an average difficulty trip due to the low altitude and the terrain. We never sleep higher than 1200 m. Due to the remoteness of the terrain, we’ll be staying in camps and be accommodated in yurts and a small hotel.
Biking Difficulty:
Rough, rocky dirt and sandy roads, grasslands, and single track at low altitude (500-1400m) make this trip very interesting and attractive. The average level of fitness and a technical experience are strongly recommended.
Cycling Distance:
About 570 kilometers.
10 Cycling Days:
10 full days with a few transfers.
The trip features a combination of different conditions – low altitude, weather, topography, and overall environment – that makes this a challenging tour and a test for sustained riding.
Vehicle support, which allows cyclists the option to get into the truck as needed, is available on all cycling days.
Biking Conditions:
The road surfaces are a mix of paved, dirt and sandy roads, and a few sections of single track.
Suitability:
This trip is designed for the regular cyclist with a good level of fitness. The distances and gradient each day are not extreme, but getting into the best shape possible for the trip will ensure you get the most from your holiday.
