Almaty: Out to the Mountains

 A popular activity in Almaty is to go to the mountains. They are right there, after all. There is a spot called Madeo (Мадеу) that’s very accessible from the city, you can even take a bus there. Of course, it’s easy to compare to Colorado, where I am most familiar with the layout of the mountains. What struck me first was the amount of development - even as we drove up, most of the way was dotted with houses and hotels. The Madeo itself is a large speed-skating rink with a bunch of other recreational activities available. Signs advertising skiing, hang gliding, and downhill mountain biking are all over the place. There is a little cafe outside of the skating arena and about 8 coffee stands. 

Murat and I went on a “hike.” It was not a standard hike on a trail - it started out as a large staircase incline with about 850 steps, ending in a sort of dam structure. However, continued walking over the dam, where we walked alongside a very steep and windy road. 

Murat taking the stairs straight up

Halfway up there was a small spot with a calisthenics workout area and a naturally fed cold plunge and pool, as well as some running water for a shower. I’m not one to pass up a cold plunge, and I managed to sit in the frigid water for about a minute before giving up and warming up in the pool before showering and continuing our way up the mountain. 

Murat and I at the top of the dam

At the top, the view was pretty good, although the tops of the two peaks were shrouded in clouds. There is a mountain resort with shops and restaurants there, as well as a tram that goes further up the mountain, these added to the overall developed features of the mountain.

View from the top of the stairs, looking up to Shambulak peak

We had lunch, Russian shashlik barbecue, at the top and took the tram back down and were treated to a beautiful sunset. 

Sunset from the tram, heading back to Almaty

We ran a couple more errands to his work sites before heading back to his home. His mom made me some tea and we sat with his father and sister and talked/google translated for several hours.

I am very moved by their generosity and their eagerness to learn about each other, despite the language barrier.

Alau and Elmira after our evening tea