One of the most picturesque gorges of Zailiyskiy Alatau, Turgen, is situated 70 kilometers from Almaty city.
The main attraction of this gorge are the waterfalls. Picturesque violent streams of water, falling from the ledges of the mountains.
The most accessible for tourists are Bear and Kayrak waterfalls.
Approach to the falls fundamentally different, Bear well visit with children, because the walk is only 1.5 km, but Kayrak waterfall is located 8 km from the car drive.
Height of the Kairak waterfall is about 55 meters, the form reflects its name "Kairak" from the Kazakh language translates as "grindstone".
When you look at the waterfall you realize that the persistent stream of water has chiseled its way among thousands of years old rocks. Scientists estimate that the waterfall was formed about 10,000 years ago.
Turgen Ravine is situated 70 km to the East from Almaty. First, from Almaty, one needs to drive through almost all of the gorge, up to the village of Batan. Then you leave your car at the barrier and walk along the gorge to the right.
The waterfall is located at an altitude of 2130m on the Bozgul River.
On the way you can visit the ostrich farm and trout farms. Especially children will appreciate it, because the powerful birds are a delight, and the opportunity to catch a trout and eat it is very interesting.
Excursion to Kairak waterfall long enough, consists of two parts - car and foot. Takes one day, is a weekend tour.
The distance to the waterfall from the place of leaving the car is 8 km. The altitude difference will be about 464 meters, so it is suitable for fans of mountain hiking. The last 1.5 km is quite difficult, the trail goes quite steeply upwards.
But there is no need to be afraid, because the view of the Kairak waterfall at the end of the way pays off all the effort.
On the way there are Chinturgen mossy spruce forests, which are famous for the fact that under a thick layer of moss you can still find pockets of permafrost. They have survived because there is almost no sunlight in the gorge and the thick layer of moss reliably protects them from thawing.
