Shepherds of Djailiau and Singing sands. T-6
Tours to Kazakhstan

Duration: 15 days
Accommodation: hotels - 2 nights, tents - 13 nights
Category of difficulty: AA
Season: June 20 - September 10
Group size: no more than 10

Day 2. Breakfast. Horse ride: Oi-Zhailau river - river valley - the pass Oyzhaylau (H-2521)- Assy river (12 km). From the place of night stop we ride horses along a not wide valley. A small river that takes its beginning from the eastern slopes of the valley flows on the bottom of the valley. At the banks of the river there are number of yurtas and tents of the shepherds. Women are busy with household, men graze cattle. Gradually we ascend a low pass from where Assy-Turgenskaya observatory is well seen. Lunch on the way. The pass commands a panorama to a high-altitude plateau - locals call such places "dzhailiau" (an open area high in the mountains where shepherds graze horses, sheep, cows). We continue to the east where plateau is lost on the horizon. We descend from the pass to Assy river valley where our night camp will be fixed. Dinner. Night in tents.

Day 3. Breakfast. Horse ride: Assy river - Kumbel mouth of the river (22 km). Our way goes along the riverbed of Assy river, then we ford the river to the left bank and ascend the left slope of the valley. We continue on the earth (ground) road to the east. Lunch on the way. We have a stop at the first yurta of shepherds, meet the family. They offer us their simple treat: tea with cow's milk, kumys (a drink made of mare's milk that perfectly allays thirst). We will meet a number of yurtas on the way to our next night stop. Dinner. Night in tents.

Day 4. Breakfast. Horse ride: Kumbel mouth of the river - Assy village - Bulankaz gorge (23 km). Short after we start our ride we see another yurta where we meet a young Kazakh woman who milks a mare. Mare's milk will be used then to make kumys. So here we can take a look into a nomad's life. There is a colt near the mare. As a rule, a mare gives birth to a colt in the middle or end of the spring. For some period it feeds with the mare's milk, then shepherds start milking the mare. The colt should be always with the mother, otherwise it will not give milk. Young woman will tell us how to make kumys (actually it is a fermented milk), we will be also offered that drink to try. We will also have a look at inside of the yurta. Lunch on the way. Assy village consists of three houses, the shepherds use them for their needs. During migration of cattle a veterinary lives there. There is also a storage with medicines. An all-year weather station is situated nearby. We continue to move along the riverbed of Assy river till we reach a narrow gorge where the river flows to. From here we move along a highway to the place o our night stop. Dinner. Night in tents.

Day 5. Breakfast. Horse ride: Bulankaz gorge - Assy forestry - Red rocks - gorge Canyon (21 km). Today our way goes along the highway that sweeps on the right slope of the gorge, sometimes far beneath. Assy river is seen to the left. We meet less and less yurtas and shepherds, this area has less grasslands. But landscape is perfect: surrounding mountains, Assy valley that is left behind, canyons of Assy river and another valley in the front. Lunch on the way. From here we descend to a narrow Assy valley. Soon we reach Assy forestry, that consists of number of houses and constructions. In about one kilometer to the right we see fascinating Red rocks, formed of red clay and stones. Here we take pictures and continue to another road spiral. Dinner. Night in tents at the river bank.

Day 6. Breakfast. Horse ride: Canyon gorge - Bartogai water reservoir (22 km). We continue to move to the east and soon reach a wide highland valley with a numbers of shepherds houses to the north-east. Then we descend to the narrow gorge on the bottom of which a highway goes. Gradually the gorge becomes wider and again we see a valley that ends up with Bartogai water reservoir. Lunch on the way. From here way ahead we see watery waste of Bartogai. Gradually the road turns to the south-east and goes on the left bank of water reservoir. We reach a bridge over Chilik river that flows into Bartogai water reservoir. Above the bridge, on the glade of the right bank of Chilik river we will fix our camp. Farewell dinner with horse-breeder and horse-drivers .Night in tents.

Day 7. Breakfast. Transfer by car: Bartogai water reservoir - Zhalanash village - Saty village - Kolsai river (150 km). From the place of night stop we drive along the right bank of Bartogai, in 12 km we reach asphalt road. Short stop to take a picture of "Bartogai fountain" - water bursts forth from the locks of a dam. Lunch on the way. We pass a small village Baiseit and turn to the south-west from the main highway in the direction of Kolsai lakes. Our road passes by number of Kazakh villages and soon we are on the lower glade of Kolsai lake-I. From here to the lake about five kilometers of walk along the right bank of Kolsai river. Our camp is on the left bank of Kolsai river. Dinner. Night in tents.

Day 8. Breakfast. Passage on foot (hiking): Kolsai river - Kolsai lake -I - Kolsai lake II (14 km). From the place of our night stop we ford Kolsai river and ascend to the lake on the right bank of the river. We pass a dam and see one of the most picturesque places of Kazakhsta nature - Kolsai lake. Then all they way further we move one the right coast of the lake and admire beautiful landscape. Lunch on the way. Soon our path goes steeper, then flat again. Ascent of Kolsai lake II is a bit steep. We cross the river that flows out of the lake to the right coast, to the wide Alpine glade. Dinner. Night in tents.

Day 9. Breakfast. Passage on foot (hiking): Kolsai lake II - Kolsai lake I - Kolsai river (14 km). Descent to our camp on Kolsai river is the same way as ascent. Lunch on the way. Dinner. Night in tents.

Day 10. Breakfast. Horse ride: Kolsai river - Kurmenty village (15 km). From the camp on Kolsai river we ride horses to the south-west along the slope, on the cattle path. Gradually we ascend a not high pass that commands a panorama to Chilik river valley that lies to the north. Lunch on the way. From here we move in the direction of Kurmenty village. Soon we see Kurmenty village from a bird's-eye view. The village stretches along the river. We move down to the village, to one of the first houses. Yurta is standing nearby. A wife of the shepherd will make kazakh tea for us and we can help her with the cooking. We stay for a night in this yurta. Dinner with home made bread. Night in yurta.

Day 11. Breakfast. Transfer by car: Kurmenty village - Saty village - Zhalanash village - Charyn canyon (105 km). On the way we have made on Day 7 we return to the main highway and turn in the direction of Charyn canyon. A short stop on the way at the edge of the canyon to see Charyn river that flows beneath. We turn from the highway again and in 11 km of earth (ground) road we are at the grandiose Charyn canyon. A walk into the canyon: we go as far as Charyn river to the Castles glade and then return the same way. Lunch. Transfer by car to the place of our night stop at the bank of Charyn river (35 km). Dinner. Night in tents.

Day 12. Breakfast. Early transfer by car: Charyn river - Chundzha village - bridge over Ili river - Aidarly village - National Natural park Altyn-Emel - White mountains - Singing dune (180 km). From the place of night stop to Aidarly village we move on the asphalt road in the direction of Kazakh-Chinese border. We leave Chundzha village behind, mostly people of Uigur nation live in Chundzha. Passing the bridge over Ili river we turn to the north and in 10 km enter the territory of Altyn-Emel park. White mountains are seen to the right. These are old, colorful rocks appeared on the Earth millions of years ago. Moon landscapes, wide and narrow gorges of these mountains leave deep impression. Short radial trekking to the mountains. Lunch on the way. Transfer to Singing dune. Dinner. Night in tents at the bank of Ili river.

Day 13. Breakfast. Transfer to the start of ascent of a Singing dune. On the hot sand we ascend on the peak of a sandy hill, which is more than 200 m high and more than 500 m long. There are two smaller hills to the south. Transfer by car: Singing dune - Besshatyr burial mounds - Shingeldy village - Tamgaly-Tas gorge at Ili river (140 km). Visit to Besshatyr burial mounds - the table-tomb of Sack's king Tigra Khauda (VII-IV c.) on the way. There are 31 burial mounds, from 45 to 105 m in diameter. Lunch on the way. After visit to burial mounds we move to Ili river via Shingeldy village. At Ili river we see over petroglyphic drawings of Buddah, pets and inscriptions in ancient Tibetan and Kalmyk on the rocks, situated 20 km below Kapchagai hydroelectric station. These drawings symbolize peaceful nature of people inhabited the area of Semirech'e (Seven rivers), the northern part of Great Silk Road. It was necessary to live in peace for mutual cooperation between Asia and Europe. Dinner. Night in tents at the right bank of Ili river, two kilometers below Tamgaly-tas gorge.

Day 14. Breakfast. Transfer by car: Tamgaly-Tas gorge - Kapchagay city - Almaty city (120 km). Our road goes on the ancient Iliskyi tract. In 19th century it was the main trade road from Semirech'e region to Western Siberia via Semipalatinsk, Omsk. The road was open in 1855 to connect Vernyi fortification (now Almaty) with former center of Alatau region Kapal village (now Kapchagai), so the road also has another name - Kapalski tract. In 1827 a bridge over Ili river was built. In 1885 post stations and picket lines were built. In 1940 the road was covered with gravel and in 1948 with asphalt. Transportation of passengers and mail started in 1927.Dinner and Lunch at the local cafe. Accommodation at the hotel "Otrar" ****. Free time. Night at the hotel. Day 15. Departure from Almaty.

The cost of the program (US$)
Num. pax	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10+1	11+1	12+1
Cost p\p	3870	2158	1707	1686	1587	1399	1259	1249	1191	1276	1229	1167
Single supplement - US$ 102 per person

Prices include:

Price does not include:

Visa support to Kazakhstan; All land transfers; Meeting and seeing off at the airport, services of interpreter, cook and his helper; Guide; Accommodation at hotels (double rooms with breakfast); Sightseeing; Entry fees; Ecological taxes; Police registration; Serving of tea/coffee in the tent in the morning; Special permits; Tents during the trekking on double basis; Full board in the cities and during trekking; Packed lunch on the way; Kitchen and camp equipment for trekking; Guide consultations; Bottled water on transfers 1,5 l/day/person.

Airline tickets, tips; Insurance and other medical subcosts; Additional excursions, not mentioned in the program; Personal extras like luggage overweight; Laundry, phone, fax, e-mail services; Alcohol drinks; Mini bar and other extra services at the hotels.

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Notes:

All rates for tours are valid until December 31, 2008; The above rates can be changed without prior notification