Kz-Charyn

Charyn Canyon

One outstanding geological feature of Kazakhstan goes down, not up. Charyn Canyon was formed by the Ili River, which starts in western China, then flows west into Kazakhstan, ending at Lake Balkhash. Less than 200 kilometers north of Almaty, Charyn Canyon can be explored from there in one day, even though that may be a long day.

Local people compare Charyn Canyon to the U.S. Grand Canyon. That comparison is reasonable in many ways, such as length and depth. However, the formations along the walls of the canyons are noticeably different. To a non-geologist, the rock layers along Charyn Canyon look much softer than those along the Grand Canyon. The result is some very unusual formations. Many of them appear more like the formations at Bryce Canyon, Utah, than the Grand Canyon.

Also, overall, the walls of Charyn Canyon are less colorful than the Grand Canyon's.

	One outstanding geological feature of Kazakhstan goes down, not up. Charyn Canyon was formed by the Ili River, which starts in western China, then flows west into Kazakhstan, ending at Lake Balkhash. Less than 200 kilometers north of Almaty, Charyn Canyon can be explored from there in one day, even though that may be a long day.
Local people compare Charyn Canyon to the U.S. Grand Canyon. That comparison is reasonable in many ways, such as length and depth. However, the formations along the walls of the canyons are noticeably different. To a non-geologist, the rock layers along Charyn Canyon look much softer than those along the Grand Canyon. The result is some very unusual formations. Many of them appear more like the formations at Bryce Canyon, Utah, than the Grand Canyon.
	Also, overall, the walls of Charyn Canyon are less colorful than the Grand Canyon's.