Don’t let my pictures fool you, I am not that adventurous.
That being said, being adventurous or not is highly subjective – It depends who I compare myself with: I am more willing to take risk than many people I know. But compared with backpackers I met during this journey, I am probably among the least adventurous. One rule that I have given myself is that I don’t do solo hiking. I have done my fair share of solo hikes when I was younger: Back in the days I would wake up at midnight, drive 4 hours to Yosomite, do a 10-hour hike at Half Dome (that giant rock with steel cables hanging on top), and make it home in time that same evening for late-night snack – Those days are gone. As I grow older, my priority changes and doing adventurous hikes no longer seems appealing. I have seen what could have gone wrong during solo hikes and that is a risk that I do not take.
Yet, I violated my own rule in Kazakhstan: During my last day in the city of Almaty, I was to do a 4-hour hike at the Shymbulak glacier. I didn’t realize that I would be hiking solo. Shymbulak is a ski resort and there is cable car operating every day. There were plenty of people at Shymbulak – But for some reason none of them were hiking the glacier that day. In order to reach the glacier, I had to climb Shkolnik Peak, which is basically a hill made out of giant boulders. The risk of climbing Shkolnik Peak is due to its unstable boulders: Every step I took I was stepping on loose boulders and I constantly saw rocks falling downhill. It wouldn’t be a risky hike if I were to have a companion. But since I was hiking solo, no one would have known if I had gotten stuck between the boulders. I had to be extra careful what I was stepping on, and always tried to stay high in order to not get hit by falling rocks.
The glacier itself was absolutely amazing and overall it was a fairly enjoyable hike – It would be even better if there were other hikers around so that I didn’t have to take on unnecessary risk to climb the peak all by myself.
#Kazakhstan
www.LifeAsNomad.com
Don’t let my pictures fool you, I am not that adventurous.
\\
That being said, being adventurous or not is highly subjective – It depends who I compare myself with: I am more willing to take risk than many people I know. But compared with backpackers I met during this journey, I am probably among the least adventurous. One rule that I have given myself is that I don’t do solo hiking. I have done my fair share of solo hikes when I was younger: Back in the days I would wake up at midnight, drive 4 hours to Yosomite, do a 10-hour hike at Half Dome (that giant rock with steel cables hanging on top), and make it home in time that same evening for late-night snack – Those days are gone. As I grow older, my priority changes and doing adventurous hikes no longer seems appealing. I have seen what could have gone wrong during solo hikes and that is a risk that I do not take.
\\
Yet, I violated my own rule in Kazakhstan: During my last day in the city of Almaty, I was to do a 4-hour hike at the Shymbulak glacier. I didn’t realize that I would be hiking solo. Shymbulak is a ski resort and there is cable car operating every day. There were plenty of people at Shymbulak – But for some reason none of them were hiking the glacier that day. In order to reach the glacier, I had to climb Shkolnik Peak, which is basically a hill made out of giant boulders. The risk of climbing Shkolnik Peak is due to its unstable boulders: Every step I took I was stepping on loose boulders and I constantly saw rocks falling downhill. It wouldn’t be a risky hike if I were to have a companion. But since I was hiking solo, no one would have known if I had gotten stuck between the boulders. I had to be extra careful what I was stepping on, and always tried to stay high in order to not get hit by falling rocks.
\\
The glacier itself was absolutely amazing and overall it was a fairly enjoyable hike – It would be even better if there were other hikers around so that I didn’t have to take on unnecessary risk to climb the peak all by myself.
@Shymbulak
Don’t let my pictures fool you, I am not that adventurous.
\\
That being said, being adventurous or not is highly subjective – It depends who I compare myself with: I am more willing to take risk than many people I know. But compared with backpackers I met during this journey, I am probably among the least adventurous. One rule that I have given myself is that I don’t do solo hiking. I have done my fair share of solo hikes when I was younger: Back in the days I would wake up at midnight, drive 4 hours to Yosomite, do a 10-hour hike at Half Dome (that giant rock with steel cables hanging on top), and make it home in time that same evening for late-night snack – Those days are gone. As I grow older, my priority changes and doing adventurous hikes no longer seems appealing. I have seen what could have gone wrong during solo hikes and that is a risk that I do not take.
\\
Yet, I violated my own rule in Kazakhstan: During my last day in the city of Almaty, I was to do a 4-hour hike at the Shymbulak glacier. I didn’t realize that I would be hiking solo. Shymbulak is a ski resort and there is cable car operating every day. There were plenty of people at Shymbulak – But for some reason none of them were hiking the glacier that day. In order to reach the glacier, I had to climb Shkolnik Peak, which is basically a hill made out of giant boulders. The risk of climbing Shkolnik Peak is due to its unstable boulders: Every step I took I was stepping on loose boulders and I constantly saw rocks falling downhill. It wouldn’t be a risky hike if I were to have a companion. But since I was hiking solo, no one would have known if I had gotten stuck between the boulders. I had to be extra careful what I was stepping on, and always tried to stay high in order to not get hit by falling rocks.
\\
The glacier itself was absolutely amazing and overall it was a fairly enjoyable hike – It would be even better if there were other hikers around so that I didn’t have to take on unnecessary risk to climb the peak all by myself.
@Shymbulak
A guide from my hostel took me to Big Almaty Lake. Spending half a day with a local Kazakhs taught me more about the daily life of a Kazakhs than I would otherwise be able to find out on my own.
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Google Maps doesn’t work in Kazakhstan (it shows your location but does not show any public transportation options). I used a Russian mapping app called 2Gis while in Kazakhstan, and it worked seamlessly; most people in Kazakhstan don’t use Facebook – They use the Russian social media equivalent called VK.
@Almaty
Don’t let my pictures fool you, I am not that adventurous.
\\
That being said, being adventurous or not is highly subjective – It depends who I compare myself with: I am more willing to take risk than many people I know. But compared with backpackers I met during this journey, I am probably among the least adventurous. One rule that I have given myself is that I don’t do solo hiking. I have done my fair share of solo hikes when I was younger: Back in the days I would wake up at midnight, drive 4 hours to Yosomite, do a 10-hour hike at Half Dome (that giant rock with steel cables hanging on top), and make it home in time that same evening for late-night snack – Those days are gone. As I grow older, my priority changes and doing adventurous hikes no longer seems appealing. I have seen what could have gone wrong during solo hikes and that is a risk that I do not take.
\\
Yet, I violated my own rule in Kazakhstan: During my last day in the city of Almaty, I was to do a 4-hour hike at the Shymbulak glacier. I didn’t realize that I would be hiking solo. Shymbulak is a ski resort and there is cable car operating every day. There were plenty of people at Shymbulak – But for some reason none of them were hiking the glacier that day. In order to reach the glacier, I had to climb Shkolnik Peak, which is basically a hill made out of giant boulders. The risk of climbing Shkolnik Peak is due to its unstable boulders: Every step I took I was stepping on loose boulders and I constantly saw rocks falling downhill. It wouldn’t be a risky hike if I were to have a companion. But since I was hiking solo, no one would have known if I had gotten stuck between the boulders. I had to be extra careful what I was stepping on, and always tried to stay high in order to not get hit by falling rocks.
\\
The glacier itself was absolutely amazing and overall it was a fairly enjoyable hike – It would be even better if there were other hikers around so that I didn’t have to take on unnecessary risk to climb the peak all by myself.
@Shymbulak
View of Almaty traffic from Kok-Tobe.
@Almaty
Traditional yurt.
@Almaty
My Kazakhs guide told me that Kazakhs are lazy. I think Kazakhs are smart – They built a pipe across so that they don’t have to walk all the way to the other side to get spring water.
@Almaty
Filling up my water bottle with Spring water. All drinkable water in the city of Almaty comes from Big Almaty Lake.
@Almaty
A small 16-passenger plane from Kazan to Samara, before heading to Almaty. The pilot also worked as a flight attendant before and after the short flight.
@Samara @Russia
Kazakhstan is in Central Asia and most Kazakhs look more “Asian” or “Russian” than “Middle Eastern”. I was able to blend in really well: People thought I was Kazakhs, until they started speaking Russian / Kazakhs to me – That was when my backpacker identity got exposed.
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They asked me to take picture for them with my camera and to send them the pictures through Whatsapp. I was like their personal photographer and did exactly that.
@Almaty
Don’t let my pictures fool you, I am not that adventurous.
\\
That being said, being adventurous or not is highly subjective – It depends who I compare myself with: I am more willing to take risk than many people I know. But compared with backpackers I met during this journey, I am probably among the least adventurous. One rule that I have given myself is that I don’t do solo hiking. I have done my fair share of solo hikes when I was younger: Back in the days I would wake up at midnight, drive 4 hours to Yosomite, do a 10-hour hike at Half Dome (that giant rock with steel cables hanging on top), and make it home in time that same evening for late-night snack – Those days are gone. As I grow older, my priority changes and doing adventurous hikes no longer seems appealing. I have seen what could have gone wrong during solo hikes and that is a risk that I do not take.
\\
Yet, I violated my own rule in Kazakhstan: During my last day in the city of Almaty, I was to do a 4-hour hike at the Shymbulak glacier. I didn’t realize that I would be hiking solo. Shymbulak is a ski resort and there is cable car operating every day. There were plenty of people at Shymbulak – But for some reason none of them were hiking the glacier that day. In order to reach the glacier, I had to climb Shkolnik Peak, which is basically a hill made out of giant boulders. The risk of climbing Shkolnik Peak is due to its unstable boulders: Every step I took I was stepping on loose boulders and I constantly saw rocks falling downhill. It wouldn’t be a risky hike if I were to have a companion. But since I was hiking solo, no one would have known if I had gotten stuck between the boulders. I had to be extra careful what I was stepping on, and always tried to stay high in order to not get hit by falling rocks.
\\
The glacier itself was absolutely amazing and overall it was a fairly enjoyable hike – It would be even better if there were other hikers around so that I didn’t have to take on unnecessary risk to climb the peak all by myself.
@Shymbulak
Don’t let my pictures fool you, I am not that adventurous.
\\
That being said, being adventurous or not is highly subjective – It depends who I compare myself with: I am more willing to take risk than many people I know. But compared with backpackers I met during this journey, I am probably among the least adventurous. One rule that I have given myself is that I don’t do solo hiking. I have done my fair share of solo hikes when I was younger: Back in the days I would wake up at midnight, drive 4 hours to Yosomite, do a 10-hour hike at Half Dome (that giant rock with steel cables hanging on top), and make it home in time that same evening for late-night snack – Those days are gone. As I grow older, my priority changes and doing adventurous hikes no longer seems appealing. I have seen what could have gone wrong during solo hikes and that is a risk that I do not take.
\\
Yet, I violated my own rule in Kazakhstan: During my last day in the city of Almaty, I was to do a 4-hour hike at the Shymbulak glacier. I didn’t realize that I would be hiking solo. Shymbulak is a ski resort and there is cable car operating every day. There were plenty of people at Shymbulak – But for some reason none of them were hiking the glacier that day. In order to reach the glacier, I had to climb Shkolnik Peak, which is basically a hill made out of giant boulders. The risk of climbing Shkolnik Peak is due to its unstable boulders: Every step I took I was stepping on loose boulders and I constantly saw rocks falling downhill. It wouldn’t be a risky hike if I were to have a companion. But since I was hiking solo, no one would have known if I had gotten stuck between the boulders. I had to be extra careful what I was stepping on, and always tried to stay high in order to not get hit by falling rocks.
\\
The glacier itself was absolutely amazing and overall it was a fairly enjoyable hike – It would be even better if there were other hikers around so that I didn’t have to take on unnecessary risk to climb the peak all by myself.
@Shymbulak
Like I said, my new haircut looks absolutely ridiculous. It looks even more hilarious in real life – But I will save that extra laughter to myself.
@Shymbulak
I am cheap – I don’t take taxi unless absolutely necessary. I love getting on buses with the locals and have lost count of how many times I took buses in Almaty. I took buses multiple times a day, every day.
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Most buses in Almaty are overcrowded. Children, women, and the elderly have sitting priority.
@Almaty
Sunkar Ski Jump Complex.
@Almaty
Memorial of Panfilov’s Heroes.
@Almaty
Memorial of Panfilov’s Heroes.
@Almaty
First real food and beer of the week.
@Almaty