Pass crossing in the Ile-Alatau Mountains

The Ile-Alatau is the foothill of the Tien Shan, which borders Almaty. Over two days, we crossed a pass there to get from one valley to the next. The hike was quite demanding, not only due to our developing fitness level but also because the trails were often poorly maintained. We got lost several times, had to cross streams, and climb steep slopes up or down. Admittedly, we just picked a route on the map without checking beforehand if it was actually passable :D

However, the effort was absolutely worth it. After a long ascent on the first day, we set up our tent in the middle of nowhere among spruces by an icy mountain stream. The next day, we ascended to the pass at 3200 m and from there descended through a beautiful valley. Along the way, we encountered a few friendly people, enjoyed the view of Almaty and the Big Almaty Lake, and by the end, we were completely exhausted.

Back in the city, we celebrated our last evening in Almaty with a fancy dinner. Now, as I write this text, we are already on the bus to Bishkek and have about 30 km left to the border...