Overview
Medeu sits at 1,691 m and is best known for its outdoor speed-skating oval, which hosted world records through the Soviet era. The trail to Furmanov Peak begins at the bus stop: descend about 20 m below the main stop level and follow the road east into Kimasar Gorge along the Komissarovka River. After roughly 1 km of asphalt the road turns to packed dirt and the gorge narrows. A spring about 2.5 km in offers safe water to top up bottles. Watch for a left-hand fork after the spring — this is the Furmanov ridge route; the right fork continues up the gorge floor and leads elsewhere.
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Curated trails and nearby things from Medeu
Medeu works as a practical trailhead for short gorge walks and ridge approaches above the skating rink.
Trail options
If the interactive map is unavailable, the trail cards and nearby list include the same critical details.
Selected trail: Kimasar gorge to Furmanov approach. Critical route notes remain in the cards below.
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Jpeg2art via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
Kimasar gorge to Furmanov approach
A steady half-day climb from Medeu into Kimasar Gorge, following the Furmanov Peak approach as far as the ridge fork.
Use this as the easiest route to understand the Kimasar side before committing to the longer Furmanov ridge climb.
The route starts below the Medeu bus stop and follows the road east into Kimasar Gorge. Asphalt gives way to packed dirt after about 1 km, then the gorge narrows around the Komissarovka River. A spring around 2.5 km in is the practical turnaround for a shorter walk; stronger hikers continue left toward the Furmanov ridge.
- Distance
- 6.4 km
- Time
- 3 hr 30 min
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Route
- Out and back
Moderate because the route climbs steadily above 1,700 m and the ridge fork can be missed in poor visibility.
Approximate geometry: use the waypoint list as planning context, not a navigation track.
Access
Start from the Medeu bus stop area; descend below the main stop level and follow the side road east into Kimasar Gorge.
No special permit is described in the source material for this lower approach, but Ile-Alatau National Park access rules can change.
Season: Best from late spring to autumn. Snow and ice can remain on shaded turns into spring.
Cautions
- altitude
- snow and ice on shaded turns
- fast mountain weather
- route fork after the spring
Waypoints
- Medeu bus stop area — Start below the main stop level.
- Kimasar road narrows — The paved approach gives way to packed dirt.
- Spring and Furmanov fork — Use this as the short-route turnaround unless continuing to the ridge.
Sources and review notes
- Medeu POI source set (ru, retrieved 2026-04-26)
- Medeu (en, retrieved 2026-04-26)
Lower Kimasar approach published as approximate planning geometry, not turn-by-turn navigation.
Nearby from Medeu
Shymbulak — From the Medeu gondola station, 8-person cabins depart for Shymbulak, rising 570 m over 4.5 km in roughly 15–20 minutes.
- Mode
- Shuttle
- Approx. time
- 25 min
- Approx. distance
- 4.5 km
- Kind
- trailhead
Reach Shymbulak by cable car or shuttle when operating; queues and weather affect timing.
Kimasar Ridge The Swing — After the fork the trail climbs steeply through Tian Shan spruce, crossing the remains of a Soviet-era ski lift — the rusted pylons are still visible in the forest.
- Mode
- Walk
- Approx. time
- 150 min
- Approx. distance
- 4.2 km
- Kind
- natural feature
A longer continuation from the same Kimasar approach; turn back earlier if weather closes in.
Furmanov Peak 3 053 M — The summit of Furmanov Peak is marked by a small cairn and occasional flagging at 3,053 m.
- Mode
- Walk
- Approx. time
- 300 min
- Approx. distance
- 7.5 km
- Kind
- natural feature
A full mountain hike above the Kimasar fork, not a casual add-on to the rink visit.
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Visit notes
Viewing visit notes for Furmanov Peak — Ile-Alatau Day Hike
Medeu — Trailhead
Step 2 · 14 km from previous · 35 min drive
Medeu sits at 1,691 m and is best known for its outdoor speed-skating oval, which hosted world records through the Soviet era. The trail to Furmanov Peak begins at the bus stop: descend about 20 m below the main stop level and follow the road east into Kimasar Gorge along the Komissarovka River. After roughly 1 km of asphalt the road turns to packed dirt and the gorge narrows. A spring about 2.5 km in offers safe water to top up bottles. Watch for a left-hand fork after the spring — this is the Furmanov ridge route; the right fork continues up the gorge floor and leads elsewhere.
Viewing visit notes for Medeu & Shymbulak
Medeu ice rink and dam
Step 2 · 17 km from previous · 35 min drive
The Medeu stadium complex occupies the flat floor of the gorge at 1,691 m. The outdoor rink covers 10,500 square metres and has hosted over 200 world speed-skating records since it opened in 1951 — locals call it the 'factory of records.' In winter (November–March) the ice is open for public skating; in summer roller skating and walking fill the surface. A short distance above the rink, the mudflow-protection dam rises across the valley. Climbing its 842 steps is a tradition among Almaty residents and takes about 20–30 minutes; the top gives a clear view down the gorge toward the city.
Viewing visit notes for Tuyuk-Su Glacier
Medeu dam (1,691 m)
Step 2 · 17 km from previous · 35 min drive
The Medeu anti-mudflow dam stands above the skating complex at 1,691 m, built in 1966 across the gorge to protect Almaty from debris flows. For this trip it is a transit point rather than an endpoint: note the 842 concrete steps on the dam's south face and the wide view down the gorge as you pass. The gondola base station sits immediately beyond the dam. Buy a round-trip gondola ticket to the Shymbulak resort base (2,260 m) here — the first of two stages. One-way tickets are available but the round-trip saves queuing on return when legs are tired.