Talgar Peak (5,017m) is the tallest peak in the Zaili Alatau. It is higher than Mon Blanc, Europe’s higherst peak, and to have climbed it is considered a major achievement for any mountaineer.
Talgar Peak is located on the territory of the Almatinsky Reserve.
Usually it takes 7-9 days to reach the summit. There are different routes from moderate to difficult. The majority of them routed from MidleTalgar Gorge. The simpler routed from the Korzhenevsky Glacier through Gorin Glacier. The only inconvenience is a long way to the starting point (base camp).
1. The simpler (but longer) way is from Issyk Lake through Kokbulak Pass (1A*, 4036m) It takes 4-5 days to the starting point.
Permit can be bought beforehand at the office near Talgar city (Lebedinka village)
1Day: Issyk Lake- cross of Issyk and Jarsai Rivers
2Day: Akkol Lake(meteorological station)
3Day: Kok-Bulak Pass - “Paradise” spot, 300m low the pass, last green spot
4Day: Base camp
Or:
1Day: Cross of the Issyk and Ivanov Log Rivers
2Day: Sarykol
3Day: Kokbulak glacier
4Day: Paradise spot or Korjenevsky glacier
5Day –Base camp
2. The quickest route starts from Middle Talgar Gorge, then through Suroviy Pass (2A*, 4455m) or Bivachniy (2A*, 4450m)
1Day- Former Mountaineering Camp Talgar
2Day- Close to Surovy Pass
3day- Surovy (Bivachny)Pass- Gorin glacier
4day –additional day in case of bad weather.
3. Chimbulak ski resort- Talgarsky Pass (3163, probably use the lift), Teu Pass (4050, 1B)- Surovy Pass (2A*, 4455m) or Bivachny Pass (2A, 4450m).
Advantages - possibility to climb on Talgar Peak without permit, nice view on Talgar Peak from Teu Pass, and Left Talgar Gorge.
Disadvantage- two additional passes.
About 1 hour drive from Almaty to Chimbulak Ski resort
Chair lift starts from 10:00, 3 lifts X 800 tenge = 2400 tenge per person. It takes about 40 minutes to reach Talgar pass.
Move down to the left to the small pond, in 20 minutes- Small Talgar Pass. Then the path goes to the right slope and after several zigzags goes down to the Left Talgar River.
It takes 2-3 hours from Talgar Pass to the Left Talgar valley. There is a good spot for a lunch with clean water of the small stream. After the lunch 3 hours down the path till the small lake – result of mudflow. Stay overnight and search good place to cross the Left Talgar River.
Next day early in the morning cross the river and move not much down to the river that flows to the L.Talgar River, cross the river and move up. The gorge is narrow at the beginning with fir trees becomes wider soon where the moraine begins. The path goes along the river and sometimes loss. In 3-4 hours turns to the left of the Djambul peak. Near the pass there are several good spots for camping.
From this place- 1 hour to the TEU Pass, Another 1 hour to go down from the Pass to the TEU glacier. Total -3 hours to reach Middle Talgar River, the place of the junction. Then pass the burned helicopter and a lot of former camp spots move to the right side of the moraine close to the ridge. When we bent the ridge there will be a big pyramid from the rocks (!) Be careful, don’t pass it, turn to the right direction to the next ridge direction, and cross Aktau moraine up or down the glacier lake (as we like), go steep up- big rock direction. After the rock there is small pond and suitable spots for camp. Here or you can go up close to the glacier (if we chose Surovy Pass) where there are although several good spots for camping in order to save time for tomorrow day.
Next day start as soon as possible, so the way is narrow and afternoon there could be a stone fall and could be dangerous. 30 minutes way up through moraine till the glacier. From this place we use rope, crampons, cross 2meters wall, 2 ropes through rocks usually covered with ice, then 3 ropes-ice covered. Near the wall of Korzhenevsky Glacier you can easily see the pass (left side). There is a spot with water- good to have a lunch, but very windy to spend over the night. Then move along Aktau peak to the Gorin peak direction. Don’t come close to Bliznetsy Peak- a lot of splits(?) bent Grin ridge and find camp spots for Base camp at the joined place of Gorin and Korzhenevsky glaciers near the ridge. There is another possibility to set camp on the ice (snow) a bit up on the Gorin glacier. When low spots covered with sow it’s not a big difference but you can safe time for the next day.
In that variant:
1-Day: Chimbulak Ski Resort- small lake on the Left Talgar River.
2-Day: TEU Pass (or before the pass)
3-Day Close to Surovy Pass
4-Day Surovy Pass- Base camp
So, it takes 4-5 days to reach the base camp. 1-2 days –climb.
You can come back to Almaty through Issyk Lake, Middle Talgar or Left Talgar Gordges.
Special Gear: ice axe, crampons, helmet, rope jumar, carabineers…
The route to Mt.Talgar from Gorin Glacier
We chose this route. You can watch movie (part1, part2), that were made by Oliver, one of the participants.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM50ZroE_Tg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPEWlgN8-eE
