Day hikes above Almaty

A running log of walks in the foothills and gorges south of the city. Times are my own, at an unhurried pace, and include stops. Conditions change every season, so treat everything here as a starting point rather than a promise.

Latest

Kok-Zhailau plateau, early September

Updated September 2026 · moderate · full day

Dry trail, cold wind on the top meadow after three o'clock. Started too late again.

Butakovka gorge and the waterfall

Updated August 2026 · easy · half day

A good first walk for visitors. Busy on weekends; go on a weekday morning.

Big Almaty Lake viewpoint

Updated July 2026 · easy walk, long drive · half day

Check the current access rules before going — they have changed more than once.

Why a log

Every spring I forgot how long a route took the year before and how much water I actually drank. Writing it down fixed that. The gear list is the other half of the same habit.

Plain pages, written by hand. No tracking and no comments.