Cossack Lakes

The lakes are situated in the upper reaches of the South Cossack (Yuzhnaya Kazachka) River. The Yuzhnaya Kazachka River is the right tributary of the Kaskelen River, one of the westernmost gorges of the Zailiysky Alatau. Approximately 1.5 hours by car from Almaty to the start of the hiking segment. Due to this, the gorge is less popular among Almaty residents for hiking and trekking.

Relief: The Kaskelen and South Cossack gorges are less popular than the routes in the immediate vicinity of Almaty, which one might think would make the gorge wilder and more trail-less. However, there are trails, although they are highly branched with many dead-ends leading to steep slopes, created by animals grazing livestock. In the upper reaches of the gorge are alpine meadows, and the lakes themselves are located among moraines, meaning there there are many rocks that require careful walking. The lower and upper lakes are separated by a rocky scree ridge; descending from it will be through loose and steep scree.
Participants: This hike is challenging. On the first day, there will be a significant elevation gain. Participants need endurance and experience in demanding one-day mountain hikes, such as Kumbel, Furmanovka, Bukreeva, or Titova pass. It is highly advantageous if a participant already has experience camping overnight in a tent.

• Day 1: 10 km, elevation gain of 1,400 m
• Day 2: 3 km to the lake, elevation gain of 450 m, and back to the camp, totaling 3 km to the camp and 10 km down the gorge, with an elevation loss of 1,850 m

When climbing to a height above 2500 m.a.s.l., mountain sickness may occur with the following symptoms: headache, weakness and sickness. If such symptoms appear, you shall immediately inform your guide, make a stop, take out your bottle of water and drink as much water as possible in small sips.
To prevent mountain sickness, you can do the following: go to the mountains a week before the hike, for example, climb to Shymbulak peak, get enough sleep one day before, and have a good breakfast in the morning, take at least 1 liter of water with you, as well as a chocolate bar.
Another danger is getting sunstroke when staying in the sun without a hat. It's simple - take a Panama hat with you!
And sunscreen and glasses will also save you from the harmful effects of the sun.
Always take a raincoat or waterproof hardshell jacket - mountain weather is unpredictable!
Remember that you are solely responsible for your health - be careful!

1-2 day tours: If the cancellation is made at least 72 hours in advance, a full refund (100%) will be provided. If the cancellation is made less than 72 hours in advance, a 70% refund will be provided. If the cancellation is made less than 48 hours in advance, a 50% refund will be provided. No refund will be given for cancellations made on the day of the service.
Multiday tours: If the cancellation is made at least 15 calendar days in advance, a full refund (100%) will be provided. If the cancellation is made less than 15 calendar days in advance, the refund will be issued minus actual expenses incurred (such as advance payments for transfers, hotel reservations, food purchases, tickets, etc.), but not exceeding 70% of the tour price. If the cancellation is made less than 7 calendar days in advance, a 50% refund of the tour price will be provided.

Food prepared during a hike is different from food in the city. We usually bring grains to cook on gas stoves. Typically, in the morning we prepare porridge: oatmeal, grain porridge, rice porridge, and we add cookies and tea.
Lunch depends on where we are eating and how much free time we have. In trekking tours, lunch often takes place on the go, so we usually make sandwiches with bread, cheese, and sausage, along with tea and a piece of candy.
For dinner, we usually have enough time to cook, so we typically prepare a side dish of buckwheat or pasta along with sliced beef. Tea and sweets are always included. We only bring vegetables on two-day hikes because they are perishable.
If you have any dietary restrictions or preferences, please inform your guide, and we will make sure to consider them when planning the menu.