Guided Hike to Kumbel Peak (3,200 m) via Gorelnik Gorge – Waterfalls, Hot Springs & Summit

A guided day hike from Medeo to Kumbel Peak (3,200 m) via the Gorelnik Gorge — the scenic back route that most visitors to Kumbel never see. While the standard Kumbel approach comes from Kok-Zhailau via the Three Brothers rocks, this route enters from the Maloe Almatinskoe (Small Almaty) gorge side, passing the Gorelnik thermal hot spring, two waterfalls, and a long alpine valley before climbing to the summit ridge from the east.

The result is a richer, more varied day than either the standard Kumbel hike or the standard Gorelnik waterfall walk — you get both in a single traverse.

What to expect

Medeo → Gorelnik Gorge entrance (~1,700 m)

Start at Medeo skating rink. Climb the dam (or take the side path to bypass the 842-step “Health Staircase”) and walk the Medeo–Shymbulak road for 1.5 km to the ranger’s house where Gorelnik Gorge branches right off the main valley.

At the mouth of the gorge, where the Gorelnik River meets the Malaya Almatinka, sits the Gorelnik thermal hot spring — a natural mineral water source with a constant warm temperature year-round. Small open-air pools have been built here, and the spot is popular with locals for evening dips after mountain walks. On the return leg, a soak in the warm water with mountain views is a fitting reward. Your guide can factor this into the timing.

Gorelnik Gorge → Waterfalls (~1,700 – 2,400 m)

The trail follows the Gorelnik stream up the gorge through dense spruce forest. After approximately 1.8 km, you pass the meteorological station (2,200 m) and enter a wide, open alpine valley — the Gorelnik meadow, with Kumbel Peak visible ahead to the right.

Continuing up the gorge, the trail reaches the two Gorelnik waterfalls:

Lower (Maliy) Waterfall — a 4–5 m cascade, compact and photogenic. Easily accessible from the main trail.

Upper (Bolshoy) Waterfall — a 20 m cascading waterfall dropping over moss-covered rocks. Requires a short detour and a brief climb to the viewpoint on the opposite slope. The sound fills the gorge.

Waterfalls → Kumbel summit (~2,400 – 3,200 m)

Above the waterfalls, the terrain opens into high alpine meadow — grass, wildflowers (Ivan-chai / fireweed in summer), and occasional ruined structures from old seasonal camps. The trail steepens as it leaves the gorge floor and climbs toward the Kumbel ridge from the east. The final section is steep grass and scree, gaining approximately 800 m from the upper gorge to the summit.

Kumbel Peak (3,200 m)

The summit panorama is one of the finest accessible viewpoints near Almaty. To the north: the city, extending into the steppe. To the south: the full chain of the Zailiyskiy Alatau — Almaty Peak/Komsomol (4,376 m), Satpayev/Sovetov (4,317 m), Titova, Tereshkova, Ordzhonikidze. To the east: the Gorelnik valley you ascended from. To the west: Kok-Zhailau plateau and the Three Brothers rock formations.

Descent options:

1. Return via Gorelnik — retrace the route, ending with a hot spring soak
2. Traverse to Kok-Zhailau — descend west via Three Brothers and Kok-Zhailau plateau, exiting to Alma-Arasan or Prosveshchenets. This creates a one-way traverse from Medeo to the western valleys — a different endpoint requiring transport logistics but a more complete experience