The Small Almaty Circumnavigation \u2014 known locally as MAK (\u041c\u0430\u043b\u0430\u044f \u0410\u043b\u043c\u0430\u0442\u0438\u043d\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f \u041a\u0440\u0443\u0433\u043e\u0441\u0432\u0435\u0442\u043a\u0430) \u2014 is a ridgeline traverse of four summits above 3,000 metres, completed in a single day. It’s the most demanding day hike in the Almaty catalogue and one of the most rewarding: a skyline walk that connects Furmanov Peak (3,053 m), Panorama Peak (3,260 m), Bashuta Peak (3,355 m), and Chimbulachka Peak (3,450 m) before descending to Talgar Pass (3,200 m) and the Shymbulak cable car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The route can be done in two directions \u2014 classic (bottom to top) and reverse (top to bottom) \u2014 with very different physical demands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
MAK is the hike that every regular Almaty hiker aspires to complete. It’s sometimes called the Celestial Traverse (\u041f\u043e\u0434n\u0435\u0431\u0435\u0441\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u0422\u0440\u0430\u0432\u0435\u0440\u0441), and the name is earned: for most of the route you’re walking a ridgeline above 3,000 m with the city spread out on one side and the high Tian Shan glaciers on the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is not a beginner’s route. The classic direction involves approximately 1,400\u20131,800 m of cumulative elevation gain over 12\u201317 km, with four separate summit pushes connected by ridge walking. The terrain transitions from forest trail to exposed ridgeline to rocky scramble to alpine scree. The day typically takes 7\u201310 hours of continuous movement. You need prior mountain hiking experience, solid fitness, and \u2014 critically \u2014 a guide who knows the route, because the trail is poorly marked and easy to lose above treeline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The reward is a perspective on the Almaty mountains that no single-summit hike can match. Instead of climbing one peak and coming down, you traverse the entire skyline ridge that separates the Kimasar Gorge from the Malaya Almatinka valley. Every step changes the panorama. You see the city from four different angles, watch Almaty Peak\/Komsomol<\/a> (4,376 m) and Talgar (5,017 m) rotate around you as you progress along the ridge, and finish the day by riding a cable car down from exactly the mountain range you just walked across.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The traditional direction. You start at Medeo (1,680 m), climb the entire elevation gain on foot, summit all four peaks in ascending order, and descend via cable car from Talgar Pass. This is the harder option but the more satisfying one \u2014 you earn every metre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The easier alternative. You take the Medeo\u2013Shymbulak cable car to Talgar Pass (3,200 m), summit the peaks in descending order, and walk down through Kimasar Gorge to Medeo. Approximately 80% of the route is downhill. Significantly less cardiovascularly demanding \u2014 but harder on the knees. Not recommended for people with knee problems<\/strong> due to the extended steep descent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Distance: ~5 km | Time: 2\u20132.5 hours | Elevation gain: +820 m<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Meet your guide at the Medeo skating rink fountain at 6:00\u20137:00 AM. Early start is essential \u2014 you need daylight and must reach Talgar Pass before the last cable car descends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Turn immediately into Kimasar Gorge (\u041a\u0438\u043c\u0430\u0441\u0430\u0440\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0435 \u0443\u0449\u0435\u043b\u044c\u0435), leaving the main Medeo\u2013Shymbulak road behind. The trail follows a paved road that quickly becomes a mountain track along the Kimasar stream. The gorge is forested with Tian Shan spruce, shaded and cool in the morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After approximately 3 km, the trail exits the gorge floor and climbs onto the eastern ridge of the gorge. At approximately 2,500 m, you reach the famous Furmanov swing<\/a> \u2014 a wooden swing installed on the ridgeline with views over Almaty. This is the most photographed spot on the route, where hikers and Instagram visitors alike stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For most casual hikers, the swing is the destination. For MAK hikers, it’s the warm-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Distance: ~2 km | Time: 1\u20131.5 hours | Elevation gain: +553 m<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n From the swing, the trail continues along the ridge, which narrows and steepens. The last kilometre to Furmanov’s summit involves scrambling over rocky terrain \u2014 not technical climbing, but requires hands in places. The vegetation thins and disappears. You enter the alpine zone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Furmanov Peak (3,053 m)<\/strong> \u2014 the first summit. Named after Dmitry Furmanov, a Soviet Civil War political commissar and author. From the top: the city of Almaty spreads north below you, Kok-Tobe<\/a> and its TV tower visible. South: the ridge continues upward toward Panorama and beyond \u2014 the rest of your day laid out before you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Distance: ~1.5 km | Time: 45 min\u20131 hour | Elevation gain: +207 m<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Descend briefly from Furmanov, then climb again along the connecting ridge. The terrain is exposed ridgeline \u2014 wind can be strong. The views open dramatically: Butakov Gorge appears to the east, the Left Talgar valley<\/a> visible in the distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Panorama Peak (3,260 m)<\/strong> \u2014 the second summit. True to its name, this peak offers an unobstructed 360\u00b0 view. North: Almaty city, the steppe beyond. South: the main Zailiyskiy Alatau ridge with Almaty Peak<\/a> (4,376 m), Molodezhniy (4,147 m), and Talgar Peak (5,017 m) visible. East: the deep cut of the Malaya Almatinka valley with Mynzhylki Plateau<\/a> below. West: the Kimasar Gorge you ascended from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Distance: ~1.5 km | Time: 45 min\u20131 hour | Elevation gain: +95 m<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n From Panorama, another descent-then-climb along the ridge. The trail becomes rockier. Bashuta is marked by a large stone cairn (tur) at its summit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bashuta Peak (3,355 m)<\/strong> \u2014 the third summit. Less dramatic than Panorama in terms of views (you’ve already seen the panorama from multiple angles by now), but the cumulative altitude and distance start to weigh. This is where less fit hikers feel the day catching up. Your guide manages pace and ensures hydration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Distance: ~1.5 km | Time: 45 min\u20131 hour | Elevation gain: +95 m<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The final and highest summit of the traverse. The ridge continues southeast, with the Shymbulak ski resort becoming visible below to the east. The terrain is scree and rock \u2014 exposed and alpine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chimbulachka Peak (3,450 m)<\/strong> \u2014 the fourth and final summit. The highest point of the MAK. From here, you can see the entire route you’ve traversed \u2014 the ridge stretching back northwest over Bashuta, Panorama, and Furmanov to where you started at Medeo, 1,770 metres below and many hours ago. Ahead: Talgar Pass and the cable car station. The sense of achievement at this point is visceral \u2014 you’ve walked the entire skyline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Distance: ~2 km hike + cable car | Time: 30\u201345 min hike + cable car<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Descend from Chimbulachka to the Talgar Pass (3,200 m), where the Shymbulak ski resort’s upper cable car stations are located. Take the cable car down to the base station, then the eco-bus or eco-taxi back to Medeo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Critical timing:<\/strong> Check cable car operating hours before the hike. Typically: weekdays 9:00\u201317:30\/18:00 for upper stations, weekends slightly later. If you miss the last cable car, you must walk down to Medeo on the road \u2014 an additional 1.5\u20132 hours on tired legs.<\/strong> Your guide monitors pace throughout the day to ensure you arrive at the pass in time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Take the Medeo\u2013Shymbulak cable car to the base station, then the upper lifts (Combi-1 \u2192 Combi-2) to the top station near Talgar Pass at approximately 3,200 m. Travel time: approximately 30\u201345 minutes total.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Walk the same ridge in reverse \u2014 summiting the four peaks in descending order. The key difference: you start at altitude and descend overall. The ridge sections between peaks still involve short climbs (you must ascend to each summit before descending the other side), but the cumulative climbing is far less \u2014 approximately 400\u2013500 m total vs 1,400\u20131,800 m in the classic direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Descend from Furmanov through the Kimasar Gorge back to Medeo. This is a long, steep descent (1,370 m drop) that is hard on knees, ankles, and toes. Trekking poles are strongly recommended. The forest section provides shade and a psychological lift after hours on the exposed ridge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Route-finding.<\/strong> The trail above the Furmanov swing is poorly marked and crosses exposed ridgelines where visibility can drop suddenly in cloud. Between Bashuta and Chimbulachka, the path traverses scree slopes where the “trail” is little more than boot prints on loose rock. Your guide knows every cairn, every fork, and every section where hikers commonly go wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Time management.<\/strong> Missing the last cable car at Talgar Pass means an additional 1.5\u20132 hour road walk on exhausted legs. Your guide monitors group pace from Stage 1 and adjusts speed, rest stops, and summit time to guarantee you reach the pass before the lifts close.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Weather exposure.<\/strong> You’re above 3,000 m on an exposed ridge for 4\u20136 hours. Weather changes rapidly \u2014 cloud, wind, rain, and even snow are possible at any time of year. Your guide reads conditions and carries emergency gear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Altitude.<\/strong> The route reaches 3,450 m and spends hours above 3,000 m. Altitude headaches, nausea, and impaired coordination are possible, especially if you’ve recently arrived from near sea level. Your guide monitors symptoms and manages the turnaround decision if someone is struggling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The knees question.<\/strong> The reverse route is 80% downhill \u2014 approximately 1,800 m of descent. This is genuinely punishing on knees and ankles. Your guide assesses the group’s joint condition beforehand and recommends the appropriate direction.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Small Almaty Circumnavigation \u2014 known locally as MAK (\u041c\u0430\u043b\u0430\u044f \u0410\u043b\u043c\u0430\u0442\u0438\u043d\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f \u041a\u0440\u0443\u0433\u043e\u0441\u0432\u0435\u0442\u043a\u0430) \u2014 is a ridgeline traverse of four summits above 3,000 metres, completed in a single day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3350,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,15,18,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3349","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ile-alatau-national-park","category-kazakhstan","category-malo-almaty-gorge","category-hiking"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe two directions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Classic route: Bottom to top (Medeo \u2192 Shymbulak)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Reverse route: Top to bottom (Shymbulak \u2192 Medeo)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Detailed itinerary: Classic route (bottom to top)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Stage 1: Medeo \u2192 Kimasar Gorge \u2192 Furmanov Swing (1,680 m \u2192 2,500 m)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Stage 2: Furmanov Swing \u2192 Furmanov Peak (2,500 m \u2192 3,053 m)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Stage 3: Furmanov \u2192 Panorama Peak (3,053 m \u2192 3,260 m)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Stage 4: Panorama \u2192 Bashuta Peak (3,260 m \u2192 3,355 m)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Stage 5: Bashuta \u2192 Chimbulachka Peak (3,355 m \u2192 3,450 m)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Stage 6: Chimbulachka \u2192 Talgar Pass \u2192 Cable car \u2192 Medeo (3,450 m \u2192 3,200 m \u2192 1,680 m)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Detailed itinerary: Reverse route (top to bottom)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Stage 1: Medeo \u2192 Cable car \u2192 Talgar Pass (1,680 m \u2192 3,200 m)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Stage 2: Talgar Pass \u2192 Chimbulachka \u2192 Bashuta \u2192 Panorama \u2192 Furmanov<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Stage 3: Furmanov \u2192 Kimasar Gorge \u2192 Medeo<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Why book a guided MAK hike?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n