Big Almaty Lake at 2,511 m with the snow-covered summit of Peak Sovetov at 4,317 m rising beyond the turquoise water in early September.

Natural place · Used in 1 trip

Big Almaty Lake 2 511 M

The lake occupies a tectonic basin at 2,511 m and is surrounded on three sides by peaks that hold snow through much of the year.

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Hero image: МаратД via Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0 · Source

Overview

The lake occupies a tectonic basin at 2,511 m and is surrounded on three sides by peaks that hold snow through much of the year. The water colour is most vivid on calm, sunny days in late summer and early autumn; a cloudless September morning turns the surface a deep cyan that contrasts sharply with the grey talus shores. Swimming is prohibited — the lake supplies Almaty's drinking water. A small dam at the outlet controls the flow downstream through GES-1 to GES-2. The shoreline path offers a full circuit of the lake in about 45 minutes. Do not approach the Kyrgyz border markers above the lake.

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Gallery

Amarkiev via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
Ds02006 via Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Source
Amarkiev via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
Nikolai Bulykin via Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0 · Source

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Big Almaty Lake · Step 3

Visit notes

Viewing visit notes for Big Almaty Lake

Big Almaty Lake — 2,511 m

Step 3 · 10 km from previous · 30 min drive

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Big Almaty Lake at 2,511 m with the snow-covered summit of Peak Sovetov at 4,317 m rising beyond the turquoise water in early September.

The lake occupies a tectonic basin at 2,511 m and is surrounded on three sides by peaks that hold snow through much of the year. The water colour is most vivid on calm, sunny days in late summer and early autumn; a cloudless September morning turns the surface a deep cyan that contrasts sharply with the grey talus shores. Swimming is prohibited — the lake supplies Almaty's drinking water. A small dam at the outlet controls the flow downstream through GES-1 to GES-2. The shoreline path offers a full circuit of the lake in about 45 minutes. Do not approach the Kyrgyz border markers above the lake.

Tip: The best light is in the morning before midday clouds build. There are no toilets or food stalls at the lake. Bring everything you need.