A Day In My Life

September 2019. Kazakhstan.

Yesterday, we three intrepid explorers set off to find Úlken Almaty kólі, or Большое Алматинское Озеро, or Big Almaty Lake, that sits at an altitude of 2511m in the Tien Shan mountains.

A bus dropped us off, and we set out on an uphill trek that lasted at least five hours. Hugging the switch backed road, a car stopped and the family stepped out to take a selfie with us, then repaid us with the kind gift of a rather large melon… to add to the burden of an already uncomfortable load on our backs (my companions were to be camping at the lake for the night), so we stopped to rest and eat ..all of it!

At the lake we were greeted by angry shouts from a group of men at the waters edge. Our now shaking legs had taken us to a forbidden section, although the trail was sign posted in English as being the way to the lake!

Leaving my new friends to set up camp a little way back down the mountain, I stood at the road side to hitch a ride back to the city, and was taken to the door of my hostel by three friendly Russians, who — we were all of a similar age — confessed that my choice to hike to the lake was sheer madness.

It was a pretty view, but I’d take a taxi ..if ever there were to be a ‘next time’.