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Route: Almaty Region (Kazakhstan)
Season: January-December
DAY BY DAY ITINERARY:
Day 1. Almaty - Altyn Emel Park - Singing Dune
Departure from Almaty at 09:00. Arrival to Altyn Emel National Park at 12:00. Sightseeing at Singing Dune. Lunch at a spring nearby the dune.
Singing Dune, reaching a height of 120 meters and a length of about 3 km, located in one of the corners of the Altyn-Emel National Park, a few kilometers from the Ili river between the mountains of Big and Small Kalkan. This sandy hill consists of very fine pure sand, which starts to "sing" in windy weather and its sound reminds the organ music. Before a sandy storm the dune sounds like a drum. From the top of the Dune you can observe the grand panorama of the surroundings. In the south - thin strip of the Ili River is visible as well as purple mountains of Sogety and Boguty, looking out from the white peaks of the Ketmen ridge. On the west the horizon is obstructed by the steep slope of the Big Kalkan, and the Small Kalkan – from the east. In the north - violet-blue ridge of Djungarian Alatau mountains, Chulak mountain, Matai and Altyn-Emel are visible. If the weather is dry and windy, the sand-dune will "sing" you its song, which could be heard as far as several kilometers...
Transfer to the bank of Ili river and setting a camp. Dinner and overnight in the tent camp.
Day 2. Katutau and Aktau Mountains
Breakfast at 10:00 and disassembling of the camp. Transfer to Katutau mountains.
The name of Katutau mountains comes from Mongolian dialect and means "harsh mountains." The mountains really harsh, this is confirmed by geological surveys, the results of which indicate that these mountains are entirely of volcanic origin. In ancient times in these places were volcanoes, comparable in size with such volcanoes as Vesuvius and Etna in Europe, Avacha in Kamchatka. The confirmation of volcanic activity are findings of residues of mud volcanoes in the surrounding countryside. There was a huge prehistoric basin at the foot of the volcano. Manifestations of extinct by that time volcanic activity had been gradually covered with bottom sediments washed from the rocks of the mountains. And volcanoes were buried. Millions of years are passed, water has disappeared, the bottom of the reservoir gradually began to collapse under the influence of wind and water, exposing buried volcanic crater, lava flows, volcanic ash and bombs. From all this, nature has created bizarre surreal compositions and individual forms.
Lunch (picnic) in Katutau mountains. Transfer to Aktau mountains.
Chalky Aktau mountains are the world famous paleontological deposit. In the layers of the Paleogene lacustrine deposits are found well-preserved remains of ancient animals whose age is estimated at 25-30 million years. Among the findings are remains of giant rhinos, crocodiles, turtles, etc. Aktau mountains is an enchanting spectacle of the variety of shapes and colors. Red clay, bluish-gray calcareous sandstone, gravel and gypsum-bearing Tertiary sediments. Stone galleries are stretched for kilometers. Stone textures vary after each new turn of the winding gorges.
Setting a camp at the mountains, dinner. Overnight in the tent camp.
Day 3. Aktau Mountains - Almaty
Breakfast at 10:00. After breakfast, a walk to the one of the gorges of Aktau mountains. Return to the camp and departure to Almaty. Lunch on the way. Arrival to Almaty approx. at 20:00.
