Kazakhstan: Furmanov Peak Trail
Казахстан: Пик Фурманова
The trail to Furmanov Peak, named after the Russian writer and soldier Dmitri Furmanov, is one of the many beautiful routes you can do in the Trans Ile Alatau mountains, a region for great hiking in Almaty. The trail takes you through fragrant pine forests, apple orchards, lush meadows flush with wildflowers, and offers stunning panoramic views over Almaty and the surrounding mountains.
The Peak Furmanov hiking trail is ideal if you want to trade in the busy city life of Almaty for the peace and quiet of the mountains for a day. The hike is also a great introduction to the beautiful alpine scenery of the Trans Ile Alatau mountain range and a good altitude adjustment if you’re planning on doing more hikes or multiple-day treks in Kazakhstan and/or Central Asia.
Total Km: 16km
Total Days: 1
Walking Time: 7h
Total Time: 8h
Elevation Gain/Loss: 1420m+ / 1420m-
Start Point: Medeu Skating Rink (1.609m)
End Point: Medeu Skating Rink
GPS Files
The trail to Peak Furmanov’s summit is continuously uphill. It starts with a moderate ascent but gets steeper along the way. There are a couple of signs along the way and the dirt trail, alternated with the occasional rocky patches, is quite easy to follow. The last 100 meters before reaching the summit are very steep and you might need to do some minor bouldering up the rocky field. While this last part might be challenging, the reward is amazing! On a clear day you’ll get to see the snow-capped peaks of the Tian Shan Mountains before you and behind you a panoramic view over the city of Almaty and the steppes beyond!
Peak Furmanov Hiking Trail
The Furmanov Peak hiking trail starts at the bus stop of the Medeu skating rink. Walk downhill from the bus stop and take a right at the sign mentioning “Gorelnik”. There you’ll see a paved road going uphill. Follow this road which runs parallel to a small water canal. After about a kilometer, the trail forks out into two paths.
Both paths lead up to the same point. The left path clibs through a pine forest, a refreshing option during the summer months as you’ll get some shade from the trees. However, this trail is more challenging and steeper than if you’d stick to the right path. The trail on the right path gets more sunshine but climbs gently until you cross a river. Once you pass the river, the trail becomes steeper while walking through an apple orchard. The path opens on a wide valley at the end of the orchard..
Once you reach this valley, the trail goes towards a ridge on your left. When you’re on top of this ridge, you’ll see the rugged head of Peak Furmanov popping up in the east. Keep following the path in the direction of the peak but don’t forget to look back every now and then to get spectacular views over Almaty.
While walking towards the peak, you’ll first come across an old Soviet ski lift that was hand-built by Soviet engineers. They brought this lift piece by piece up by hand! Continue on uphill and you’ll see another interesting – and mostly fun – feature on the trail: a giant swing that was built on the ridge a few years ago!
From this point on, even though it’s just 2 more kilometers before reaching Furmanov Peak, the hills become steeper and the trail more challenging. That’s why it’s recommended to take a small break, jump on the swing and enjoy the views over Almaty and its surrounding mountains before following the trail uphill across the ridge and the open field until you reach a steep rocky hill. Carefully climb your way up the hill for about 100 meters and you’ve reached Peak Furmanov’s summit (3,029m). If it’s a clear day, you’ll have a stunning 360-view over the surrounding mountain peaks and Almaty.
To return to the Medeu skating rink and bus stop, use the same route. It’s all downhill now so it will take around 3 hours to arrive at the end point.
Alternate Options for the Peak Furmanov Hiking Trail
The Furmanov Peak Trail is the first section of the Four Peaks Trail. If you still have time and – most importantly – energy left when you arrive at Peak Furmanov, you can continue following the path that goes up from there for another 20 minutes and reach Panorama Peak (3.291m) where you’ll find a wooden bench that overlooks multiple valleys. The next peak is Bashuta Peak (3.357m), followed by the final one, Peak Shymbulak (3.453m).
The distance between Peak Furmanov and Peak Shymbulak is about 5km, making the total distance between the start point at Medeu and end point at Peak Shymbulak 11km. You need about 7 hours to hike this distance.
Upon arrival at Peak Shymbulak, you have 4 options:
If you arrive before 5.00pm at Peak Shymbulak, you can return to Almaty the same day by taking the cable car that runs between Shymbulak and Medeu. You can find this cable car at the Talgar Pass below Peak Symbulak. A ticket costs 1.500 KZT.
There’s also a shuttle bus that runs between Medeu and Shymbulak Base Station but tickets need to be purchased in advance. If you’re confident you’ll arrive at the Talgar Pass before 7.30pm, you can buy the ticket before you start your hike at the “Kasse” at Medeu next to the bus stop. A ticket costs 300 KZT.
You can hike the final 4km from Peak Shymbulak to Medeu. There’s also a paved road that winds down all the way to the bus stop.
You can set up camp for the night and hike back the day after.
Good To Know
Don’t underestimate the altitude. While this hike is considered a moderate one, the trail goes continuously uphill and you ascend more than 1600 meters in one day. Also remember that the higher you go, the cooler and windier it will become so bring a warm sweater and/ or windproof jacket.
Time the hike well, especially if you’re planning on doing the full Four Peaks Trail. You don’t want to get stuck in the mountains for the night if you haven’t packed any camping gear. You also need to finish the hike before sunset. Depending on the time of the year, make sure you’re back at the bus stop before sunset or to catch the last bus at 8.40pm. Hiking this trail in the darkness is dangerous. I recommend you start hiking the Peak Furmanov Trail at the latest at 9am in the morning.
Best Time to Hike the Peak Furmanov Trail
The best time to hike the Peak Furmanov Trail is between late spring (around the end of May and early fall (around October). Most of the snow will be gone, the wildflowers will be in full bloom and the weather conditions between May and October are the best for undertaking a hike in the mountains. When hiking the trail in spring, check the weather conditions beforehand as there is a heightened avalanche risk when the snow starts to melt.
Check the weather forecast beforehand on the website of Shymbulak. Even in summer, the weather conditions in the mountains can be unpredictable. It’s not recommended to hike this trail on a rainy day as the final incline to Peak Furmanov can be slippery and dangerous.
Getting to the Peak Furmanov Trail
There is no need to hire a private car or take a taxi to get to the starting point of the Peak Furmanov Trail. You can easily get there from Almaty by taking buses number 12 and 28. The final stop in Almaty for bus 12 is located in front of hotel “Kazakhstan” on Dostyk Avenue. The last bus stop for bus 28 in Almaty is named “First President’s Park”, at the intersection of Al-Farabi and Dulati avenues. If you have the unified transport card “Onay”, the fare is 80 KZT. You can also pay 150 KZT cash to the driver. To return to Almaty from Medeu, take bus 12 or 28 at the bus stop at the Medeu skating rink.
Costs and Practicalities
The only costs you need to take into account for this hike are the bus fares to get from Almaty to the trailhead and back, which would be a maximum of 300 KZT per person. If you’re planning on doing the Four Peaks Trail and getting back to Medeu by cable car, bring an extra 1500 KZT per person. Taking the shuttle bus from Shymbulak to Medeu will cost 300 KZT per person.
The hike can be done all year round but keep in mind that winters are harsh in the mountains, the trail will be difficult to follow when it’s covered in a thick layer of snow and the last incline to reach Furmanov’s summit will be treacherous. Another thing to keep in mind if you want to hike this trail in winter is the short amount of daylight. Make sure you’re back at the bus stop in Medeu before sunset as you don’t want to get lost in the mountains when it’s dark!
Where to Stay and Eat
There are no dining places or shops near the trailhead. You have to bring your own food and drinks. The only water source is a spring near the beginning of the trail, about 2.5 kilometers in, so continue the hike from there with a full water bottle as you’ll not have another chance to refill.
It’s possible to wild camp as there are quite a lot of places along the trail that are ideal to camp, with the exception of the lack of water noted above. Most people, however, base themselves in one of the many hostels, guesthouses and hotels in Almaty and do this hike as a day trip. There are also a handful of guesthouses near Medeu but they can be quite pricey in comparison with the ones in Almaty.
What to Pack
Wear proper hiking boots and bring enough food and water for the day. You can refill your water bottle at a small mountain spring or at the river at the beginning of the hike. There are no other water sources on the trail.
In case you’re planning on doing some wild camping, bring proper camping gear and warm clothing as it cools down a lot in the mountains at night.
Be prepared for any weather conditions so even if you’re just doing this hike as a day trip, bring a warm sweater and a rain jacket. The weather in the mountains is very unpredictable.
[All photos courtesy of Cynthia Bil | Journal of Nomads]
