Guided Climb of Peak Chkalova (3,932 m) – 1B Route in the Tuyuk-Su Cirque

A guided day climb of Peak Chkalova (3,932 m) — a 1B route on the Maloe Almatinskoe (Малоалматинский) ridge in the heart of the Tuyuk-Su climbing area. Named after Valery Chkalov, the Soviet test pilot who completed the first non-stop transpolar flight from Moscow to Vancouver in 1937, this peak sits on the ridge between the Talgar Pass and the high Tuyuk-Su peaks. The 1B route involves a glacier crossing (the tongue of the Til glacier), exposed ridge scrambling, and a summit that opens a panorama across the entire Komsomolskaya wall — from Almaty Peak (4,376 m) down to Fizkulturnik (4,068 m).

Chkalova is a serious 1B — more demanding than Peak Khrishatogo (the most popular beginner 1B in the area) due to the glacier crossing and the approach length. It rewards with a summit nearly 80 metres higher than Khrishatogo and a more isolated position on the ridge with views into both the Tuyuk-Su cirque and the Talgar valley.

What to expect on the Peak Chkalova climb

The approach starts from the Shymbulak ski resort area in the Maloe Almatinskoe gorge. From the upper station or Talgar Pass (~3,200 m), the route heads south along the ridge toward the Tuyuk-Su cirque. Unlike peaks approached from the Alpingrad base camp, Chkalova is accessed from the northern (Shymbulak) side — a shorter but steeper approach.

Key waypoints:

Ridge traverse from Talgar Pass. The initial section follows the main ridge south — the same ridge that forms the backdrop to the Small Almaty Circumnavigation (MAK). The terrain is alpine scree with occasional scrambling over rock steps. Views open east into the Talgar valley and west into the upper Maloe Almatinskoe gorge.

Col and approach to the Til Glacier. Below the summit block, the route drops to a col (перемычка) before the main technical section begins. From here, you cross the tongue of the Til (Тіл) glacier — a section requiring crampons and careful rope work. The glacier is small but the crossing is not trivial: in late season the snow can be punchy and unstable, with hidden crevasse-like slots where snow bridges collapse underfoot.

Couloir and summit ridge. Above the glacier, a steep couloir leads to the upper ridge. This couloir has a tragic history: in January 1980, a group of six climbers — four beginners and two students led by Alexander Lipchinskiy — set out on a one-day training climb of Chkalova and did not return. Their bodies were found the following day. The couloir is not technically extreme, but in winter conditions with fresh snow it becomes an avalanche trap. In summer the couloir is mostly scree and stable rock — your guide selects the safest line through it.

Summit (3,932 m). The summit offers a commanding view of the Tuyuk-Su cirque’s most famous peaks: Almaty Peak (4,376 m), Komsomola (4,330 m), Fizkulturnik (4,068 m), Shkolnik (3,850 m), and — across the glacier — Peak Molodezhnaya (4,147 m). The Alpingrad base camp is visible far below. To the north, the entire city of Almaty spreads across the plain.

Descent retraces the ascent route — glacier crossing, col, ridge traverse back to Talgar Pass.