4 Peak one day round hike in Almaty - Furmanov, Panorama, Bashuta and Shymbulak peaks

Before my solo trip to Kazakhstan, I couldn’t find any decent hiking maps or reliable GPX tracks that other hikers had already done and shared publicly (like you’d find on apps such as AllTrails or Komoot). So, my only option was to hire a private hiking guide.

I won’t mention which agency it was, but let’s just say I wasn’t thrilled. The guide didn’t speak English (even though they promised she did), and as it turns out, all our prior “English” communication had actually been handled by Google Translate on their end. Lovely.

Even though I’d carefully explained my hiking experience, fitness level, and concerns in advance, they completely ignored that information. As you can imagine, that didn’t end well — I ended up developing altitude sickness at just 3,000 meters. Yep, only 3,000! The whole experience left me questioning why I even do these things to myself. Now, all I have are vivid memories of pounding headaches, nausea, and the new fear that I might never enjoy high-altitude hiking again.

The only silver lining? I recorded the full .gpx trail — so if you’re an experienced hiker, fearless, and maybe a tiny bit crazy, you can do this full-day hike yourself.

Hiking Stats

Distance: 12.91 km

Duration: 7h 27min

Starting point: Medeu Ice Rink (Almaty), 1,500 m

Elevation gain: 1,745 m

Highest point: Below Shymbulak peak, 3,456 m

Peaks along the route: Furmanov (3,053 m), Panorama (3,260 m), Bashuta (3,355 m), and Shymbulak (3,460 m)

Difficulty: Physically very demanding

We started our hike bright and early at 6:00 a.m., taking a taxi from Almaty city center to our starting point near the Medeu Ice Rink, located in Ile-Alatau National Park.

This wasn’t your typical European-style trail — no clear red-and-white markings to tell you you’re on track. The first section followed a dirt and forest path along a small river, gradually leading into the Kimasar Gorge. From there, the trail continued through pine forest until we reached the famous swing at 2,500 m (yes, a literal swing overlooking the mountains — Kazakh hikers know how to have fun).

The path so far had been a steady climb, but from there the real uphill battle began — the steep ascent to Furmanov Peak (3,053 m). Looking back, the entire city of Almaty spread out below us, while in the distance I could see the Bukreev ridge, and even farther south, the massive snow-capped peaks near the Kyrgyz border.

Furmanov peak 3.053 m

From Furmanov, the trail continued along the ridge toward Panorama Peak (3,260 m). This section was relatively gentle — well, as “gentle” as a mountain ridge can be. The reward was spectacular: from Panorama Peak you can see the highest mountain in Kazakhstan, Talgar (4,979 m), surrounded by shining glaciers. It’s breathtaking — literally and metaphorically, apparently, because this is where I started to feel the first signs of altitude sickness.

A headache crept in, followed by nausea. I slowed down, walking like someone’s grandma on a Sunday stroll. By the time we reached Bashuta Peak (3,355 m), I was in real trouble. My stomach hurt, I couldn’t eat or drink — even the thought of water made me queasy. I tried a bite of a chocolate bar but immediately spat it out.

To make things worse, a cold wind picked up just as we’d started sweating from the climb. Perfect combo. At this point, I gave up on taking photos or enjoying the view — all I could think about was descending to a friendlier altitude.

Panorama peak 3.260 m

But of course, the hardest part was still ahead: the final climb to Shymbulak Peak (3,460 m). From the base, it looked awful — steep, unstable, full of loose rocks, and with no clear path. I just kept my head down and focused on one careful step at a time. Near the top, about 10 meters below the summit, I threw up. Not my proudest hiking moment, but at least I felt some relief afterward. I decided not to push for the summit — no view is worth dying for. My Garmin watch later confirmed my highest point of the day: 3,456.2 m. My personal record — and possibly my personal limit.

View to the south

The descent to Big Talgar Pass (3,164m) felt like it took a hundred years. It was steep, rocky, and required all four limbs to stay upright. Once we finally reached the ski slopes near Shymbulak Resort, we took the cable car down. That’s when my body completely crashed — dizziness, weakness, drowsiness — classic “altitude hangover.”

Back at the hotel, I managed half a banana, half a bottle of Coke, and some tea before collapsing into bed. Couldn’t sleep, of course. My brain was still somewhere around 3,000 meters, probably wondering what just happened.

It’s been a month since that adventure, and I’m still processing it. I mean, I’m fit, healthy, eat clean, don’t smoke, don’t drink coffee or alcohol — yet altitude sickness got me good at just 3,000 meters. Meanwhile, my guide lit a cigarette on every single peak. I guess that’s her version of “breathing exercises.”

I honestly don’t know what to do next. I’ve heard about medication you can take a few days before high-altitude hikes — maybe that’s my next move. Or maybe I’ll just stick to lower mountains for now. I just hope that one bad experience didn’t do any permanent damage to my brain!

While I’m still figuring it out, feel free to check out my .gpx track below — and if you’re brave enough, maybe you’ll have better luck than I did. 😉

🗺️ Download GPX 4 peaks in Almaty