East Kazakhstan lies near the borders of China, Mongolia and Russia. This area is comprised of a lot of different kinds of landscapes which are all met in one region: desert, steppe, taiga, mountains, and blazing glaciers. Situated in a deep depression 1485 meters above sea level. High in the mountains there is a resort "Rakhmanov Hot Springs". The tourists can get acquainted with the region and its nature going on a series of real adventure tours. East Kazakhstan gives a great opportunity to admire the eternal and majestic steppe and desert, valleys intersected by meandering rivers and streams, noise of the rushing waters, refreshing mountain air, tinted with the scent of Siberian pine tree. The peak of this beauty parade is in the spring and autumn when the different landscapes - forests, mountains and deserts - all blaze with different impressive colors.

One of the most prominent things is the mountain Belukha, the highest mountain of Rudniy Altai as well as of all Siberia.

Lake Markakol is a unique picturesque place. It is the biggest lake of the region. The local tourist companies and firms "Goluboi Zaliv," "Krugozor," "Orion," "Geotsint-Vostok," "Inturist" and "Ecosystem" all suggest a great variety of tourist routes to the most beautiful and interesting of places.

This series of real adventure tours is designed for: mountain-climbers, mountain tourists, equestrians, fishing, bike riding, auto-tours, geologists, extreme sport lovers, as well as a host of others. East Kazakhstan has great potential for developing tourism and invites you to visit and see for yourself the beauty of the Altai.

 

Ecosystem Ltd, a private company, was established in 1997 through cooperation with the firm "Podkova," specializing in the fields of ecological tourism, fishing and hunting since 1991. At present, Ecosystem Ltd collaborates with the State Nature Reserve of Markakol and the German-run firm "Edro-Tours" both involved in the sphere of ecological tourism. The company is an active participant in the work of the Regional Branch of Ecological Society of Kazakhstan, not to mention both the initiator and executor of this particular program.

Ecosystem Ltd is also a member of the World Tourist Organization. In the sphere of the development and the creation of the National (Nature) Park, Ecosystem Ltd cooperates with World Wide Fund for Nature (Altai-Saian eco-region program), the National Ecological Society of Kazakhstan, Regional Administration of Ecology & Nature Resources, the State Nature Reserve of Markakol, the Nature Reserve of Katun and the National (Nature) Park of "Belukha" (Republic of Altai). Ecosystem Ltd has works published in the Russian Conservation News as well as other prominent magazines.

In the field of caring for nature, Ecosystem Ltd cooperates with the State National Park of Markakol and the Regional Administration of Ecology & Nature's Resources.

Ecosystem Ltd 's activities include: ecological tourism, conducting adventure tours, disseminating informatin on ecological activities, creating the National (Nature) Park, publication of advertising prospects and the production of films about the nature of East Kazakhstan.

Ecosystem Ltd's motte is: "Altai - a new country on the map of tourism". Its brochure includes 23 tours: for mountaineers, hikers, river-rafting amateurs, horseback trekking, extreme events, ballooning and paragliding, motorbike riding, geologists, collectors of minerals, ornithologists, archaeologists, botanists and religious groups. There is also a special tour entitled "NOMAD" designed for the republic's program entitled Revival of the Great Silk Road. All the programs are translated into German and English.

Ecosystem Ltd is in the process of publishing a book entitled "East Kazakhstan" The book will be in Kazak, Russian and English. Ecosystem Ltd has created a number of advertising films, including videos on tourism, fishing and hunting. In August 1998, Ecosystem Ltd in the framework of creating the National (Nature) Park Program of Katon-Karagai, organized an expedition of Belukha, the highest mountain of Altai and Siberia. "Raduga" (Rainbow), an international studio, headed by V. Israszov, filmed the ascent. The film is called "My friend goes off to Belukha."

Ecosystem Ltd conducts the training of guides and interpreters for the work in which complicated expedition terms are utilized.

The firm also has representatives abroad-"Edro-Tours," "Luftbrucke" and "JagdKrause" of Germany; "JagdStiede" (Austria); "Euroasian Expeditions" (USA); and "ANAS" (France).

Address: 21-314 M.Gorky Street, P.O. Box 243 Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan

Phone/fax: (8 3232) 26-77-97; 26-54-38.

e-mail: altai-es@ukg.kz

http://www.ukg.kz/altai-es

 

Markakol Reserve

In the serene summertime Lake Markakol resembles a precious blue aquamarine set in a golden-green mountain chain - a real treasure of rare beauty. The purity of its water is reminiscent of Lake Baikal of long ago. Twenty seven rivers flow into Lake Markakol, and only one - the Kaldzhir river - flows out of it. Thirty eight kilometers long, up to 19 kilometers wide, and 27 meters deep, the lake lies in a canyon bordered on the north by the Kurchum mountain range and the Azutau range on the south. Its water is fresh, caressed by wonderful taiga mountain air. The main treasure of the lake is the fish - uskuch.

The protected natural reserve was established there in 1976. Deciduous forests, and in some places coniferous, cover the picturesque rocky ledges of the mountains. Nineteen kinds of trees grow in the ravines, close to the rivers, including rowan trees, Siberian pine trees, birch, asps, poplars, and willows. Shrubbery abounds: meadow-sweet, bird-cherry tree, honeysuckle, sweetbrier, buckthorn, raspberry, black and red currants.

Many specie of flowers and medical plants such as the golden root and Siberian stag root grow in the sub-Alpine grasslands of the reserve. The reserve's fauna is abundant and varied. Mammals include brown bear, fox, Siberian stag, hare, lynx, squirrel, wolverine, roe, sable, marmot ermine, polecat and others. Birds include falcon, silver gull, snipe, partridge, hazel grouse, black grouse, wood-grouse and ducks. The snow leopard, red wolf, marten and black stork are some of the Red Data Book species living in the area. The main goals of the Markakol Reserve are to preserve and study picturesque landscape, flora and fauna.

 

Rakhmanov Hot Springs

The Katon-Karagai district of the East-Kazakhstan region boasts a variety of beautiful highlands, rich in flora and fauna living in cedar taiga and mountain meadows.

The famous Rakhmanov Hot Spring Sanatorium is located in this territory at an altitude of 1700 meters above sea level in a very picturesque environment. The Altai-Belukha peak towers 4506 meters high above the famous Katun mountain range. Eternally snow-covered, its glaciers feed the regions' rivers. The underground waters of these places reputedly contain health giving radon - a product of the disintegration of very rare, radioactive mineral elements in granite. The thermal waters are used to heal joint disease, the spine, nervous system, and skin. A peasant named Rakhmanov "discovered" the hot springs in 1763. According to the legend, he wounded a Siberian stag. Losing strength, the animal wandered into one of the springs and emerged from it in sound health.

Aromas of taiga and mountain meadows fill the health - giving fresh air. Cedar as larch and fir trees abound in the taiga. The shrubbery includes blackberries, red bilberries and the Altai honey- suckle or barberry bush. Its oblong, bluish berries are said to lower blood pressure. The forest is rich in mushrooms, especially the boletus, luteus, milk, agarig, and russula. The varied fauna in this wilderness include sable, badger, wolverine, wolf, fox, bear, leopard, lynx, Siberian stag, foe, squirrel, hare, marmot, and suslik. Black grouse, wood-grouse, willow-ptarmigan, and hazel-grouse are but a few of the birds living here.

 

Kiin-Kirish

Would you like to travel to the Red planet Mars? A strong desire is all you need to make the task light and simple. You just need to follow the asphalt road to Zaisan's basin and then turn to the deserts that lead to Lake Zaisan. Even from afar the sparks of the burning hill Kiin- Kirish can be seen. Large lumps of gypsum seem to be in dispute with the sun sending out dry, prickly arrows of the reflected light. It looks as if stars that have fallen from the sky have been left to burn out on these red hills.

Kiin-Kirish is the "red planet"of our region. Everything here - hills, domes, turrets, chapels, yurta, ruins of collapsed temples and ancient fortresses - seems to copy the landscape of Mars. The blue, green and white streaks found on these red surfaces only accentuate the effects of weathering. For centuries, rain, snow and wind carved and reshaped this landscape. Coming across the antiquities of the past and the alien scenery is breath taking.

 

Manrak Ridge

The Manrak ridge is called "Blazing Adyry" because of its bright red color throughout the hills. A variety of tinges from striking red, pink and brown to ruddy and green produce an impression of blazing colors across the range.

In 1959, a dinosaur eggshell was found here, and later on the bones of small dinosaurs. To the east of the "blazing adyry" imprints of ancient plants, invertebrates, and sea fish can be found. All these discoveries have had great scientific value.

If you have any questions on national parks and reserves, please, contact East Kazakhstan Regional Territorial Timber and Bio-Resources Administration.

40 Tokhtarova St, Ust-Kamenogorsk 492000, Kazakhstan

Tel: (8 3232) 26-25-65, 26-27-56

E-mail: zapoved-markakol@hotmail.ru

Head of Administration: Amangeldy Gainievich Kalmykov

Head of the Timber and Protected Nature Territories: Mirgaly Toleugalievich Baimukhanov.

 

West Altai National Reserve

East Kazakhstan flora and fauna are noted for diversity and richness. Plains are alternated by valleys of rivers and lakes, and alpine meadows go down to high-altitude snowy peaks.

West Altai reserve was established in 1992 and its area equals 56.3 thousand ha. The reserve covers ranges in Kazakhstan Altai, including Lineisky, Kholzun, Koksinsky, and Ivanovsky ranges in the sources of the Balaya Uba, Chernaya Uba and Barsuk Rivers, a tributary of the Turgussun River. Sources of the Belaya Uba River has fourteen small glaciers.

The climate in the West Alai reserve is sharply continental and it is the wettest place in Kazakhstan and the Asiatic part of the NIS. Snow stays from November up to April, that is up to 170 days.

The reserve has four belts: deciduous forest, alpine taiga forests, sub-alpine and alpine meadows and alpine tundra. The deciduous forest is typical of valleys of rivers. Apine taiga forests are diverse and include thick taiga, cedar and fir forest and coniferous forest.

Sub-alpine and alpine forests are found at a height of 1,800-2,000m. There are no distinct frontiers between the belts as it is characteristic of Kazakhstan Altai. Alpine tundra is at a height of 2,000m and plus. The tundra is made up of fragments of different types of plants, which are now and then alternated with detritus and clay.

Reserve fauna is typical of mid-alpine area in West Altai. The reserve harbors over 200 species of birds, including black kite, Asiatic snipes, wood grouse, big turtle-dove and little owls and others. The reserve is a home to fifty species of mammals: the Altai mole, fox, bear, glutton, sable, weasel, ermine, Siberian weasel, otter, musk-deer, Siberian deer, deer, roe deer and squirrel. Meantime there are not many species of fish, reptile or amphibian. Taimen and Siberian grayling, fog and gray toad, common steppe viper and lizard are to be found in the reserve.

Some species of birds found in the reserve are included in the Red Data Book for Kazakhstan. Among them are such birds as golden eagle, eagle owl and black stork. As for plants :. West Altai National reserve is no doubt a paradisiacal realm for a researcher.

 

The Kuludjunsky State Nature Reserve.

Kuludjunsky Reserve was founded on November, 29 in 1967 within Kokpektinsky (former Samarsky) region limits. It takes up about 46000 hectares. The territory of the Resort occupies the biggest part of sand massif Kizylkum and the valley of the low currency of the Kuludjun River on North - West of Zaysan hollow. In the East it is limited by the waters of Buhtarminsky reservoir.

The landscape can be divided into two types: the first is alluvial accumulative, represented by fixed, brown and unfixed sand - hilled massifs, appeared as result of wind erosion of the surface. The second one is alluvial erosive, which is represented by the terraces of the Irtysh and the Kulundjun rivers. In the mouth of the Kulundjun River there are situated three small lakes - which are called Kaznakovskoe, Kambar-Karasu and Chaechie accordingly.

The flora of The Kuludjunsky Reserve is represented by approximately 200 kinds of plants. Most of them are representatives of different types of desert vegetation - wormwood, cereals etc; bushes - acacia and juniper; and some other rare kinds of plants, which are included in The Red Book. There can be found the pine-tree - its steppe form - the remnants of which disappeared in the beginning of the XIX century Hatun - Karagaysky pine-forest. In the mouth of The Kulundjun River marsh meadows are spread. Among the sand - hills there can be seen small lakes with reeds on the shores.

Fauna is represented by two species: grey toad and sharp-nosed frog. There live six species of reptiles: multicolored lizard, grass-snake and other species included in The Red Book.

There are about 80 kinds of birds among which are white and grey heron, grey goose, wild duck, and steppe and desert types of birds; such rare birds as bustard, little bustard.
The Resort plays the particular role in protection of mammals (there about 20 species of mammals). Roe deer come here to stay the winter; the amount of them could reach hundreds of specimen. Sometimes the steppe cat can be seen. There also live wolf, fox, muskrat, hamster and others.

Poaching and economic activity have a negative impact on the fauna of The Kuludjunsky Nature Resort.

 

Nizhne-Turgusunsky State Nature Reserve

It was founded on the 6th of April, on the territory of Zyranovsk region between the Turgusun, Bobrovka and Buhtarma Rivers. The territory of the Reserve is hectares. Bush trees are significant for this reserve, such as: poplar, woodbine, guilder-rose, blackberry-bush, and raspberry and bird-cherry tree. The purpose of creation of this Reserve is preservation of valuable medicine types of plants of Altai hawthorn and brown wild rose.

The Altai hawthorn can be found in the forests, near the rivers and among bushes. It spreads on the territory of hectares approximately. Its productivity is 40-70 kg per hectare. Stock of fruits is 4-8 tones, including trade stock - 2-4 tones.

Different kinds of dogrose grow in underbrush and in bushes. Stock of fruits is 30-45 tones, trade stock is 15-25 tones, productivity is 200-400 kg/hectare. Fruits have a high content of ascorbic acid - about 2-5%, which is by 3-4 times higher than other plants growing in other places have. According to this the Reserve is of great importance as a source of medicinal material.

Independent gathering of fruits with damage

 

"Sinegorskaya fir grove"

"Sinegorskaya Pichtovaya Roszha"

First "Sinegorskaya fir grove" was founded in 1968 and its second birthday is April, 17, 1982 in Ulanskiy region. It stretched for 137 hectares. It was created to protect relict dwelling place of Siberian fir. It is the only place on the left shore of the Irtysh where this kind of trees can be found. This place is an element of dark fir pine forests, which cover Kalbinskiy range.

Fir grove, with 97 hectares covered with trees is situated on the northern slope of Medvedka mountain of Koktau mountain massif. The fir grows in humidified valley and among the rocks, making pure planting and mixed with birches and aspens. Rocks are characterized by fir elfin woodland and multibarreled form. Some trees reach the height of 16 meters and trunk 24 sm in diameter. In the under wood there grow Siberian juniper, mountain ash, dog rose, peony, globe-flower, and lily.

As for the animals a bear, moose, hare, fox, badger, and blackcock can be seen in the fir grove. In the environs there live a marmot, a barge hauler and other representatives of fauna.

The most dangerous events for Sinegorskaya fir grove are forest fires and illegal cutting of woods.

 

Back to top