In-The-Mountains

In the Mountains

When dawn comes to Almaty, it first appears as a flash of red on the highest peaks of the Tien Shan range. One chain of this mountain range lies along the border between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Most of the range is in Kyrgyzstan, which is mostly mountains - only western Kyrgyzstan has very much land flat enough to farm.

Even though the mountains do not receive a lot of precipitation, they are high enough (12,000 to 18,000 feet) to create and hold a number of glaciers, many of which are visible from Almaty. The scale of this one is rather difficult to tell from the photo. However, the altitude difference between the higher peaks and the lower end of the glacier is probably about 4,000 feet. This photo was probably taken in mid-summer.

When winter snows start to melt, thousands of streams run down the mountains, some creating spectacular waterfalls, such as this one. Again, the scale is not obvious, but the height of the waterfall is measured in hundreds, not tens, of feet.

Because the snow melts slowly, and the glaciers never melt entirely, many of the mountain streams run all summer, providing the lower slopes (and Almaty) with a reliable water supply for people, industry, and agriculture.

The U-shaped valleys found in the middle and upper reaches of the mountains were formed by glaciers during periods of higher precipitation or colder climate. The sides and floors of these valleys are usually a mixture of small rocks and powdery rock dust created as the glacial ice moved slowly down the slopes and then deposited as the climate warmed and the glacier shrank or melted away entirely.

When the snow melts quickly, some of these areas become water-saturated and unstable. Mudslides are common in the Spring and early Summer and sometimes cause substantial damage.

Many of the mountain valleys have been blocked by slides, earthquakes, or the dikes left when glaciers started to retreat. The result is many lakes that range from small seasonal ponds to clear, cold natural reservoirs miles long. During much of the year, the higher, smaller lakes are giant blocks of ice. The larger, lower lakes (like this one) do not freeze entirely and are very pleasant places to escape from the heat of the summer steppe.

	When dawn comes to Almaty, it first appears as a flash of red on the highest peaks of the Tien Shan range. One chain of this mountain range lies along the border between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Most of the range is in Kyrgyzstan, which is mostly mountains - only western Kyrgyzstan has very much land flat enough to farm.
Even though the mountains do not receive a lot of precipitation, they are high enough (12,000 to 18,000 feet) to create and hold a number of glaciers, many of which are visible from Almaty. The scale of this one is rather difficult to tell from the photo. However, the altitude difference between the higher peaks and the lower end of the glacier is probably about 4,000 feet. This photo was probably taken in mid-summer.
	When winter snows start to melt, thousands of streams run down the mountains, some creating spectacular waterfalls, such as this one. Again, the scale is not obvious, but the height of the waterfall is measured in hundreds, not tens, of feet.
Because the snow melts slowly, and the glaciers never melt entirely, many of the mountain streams run all summer, providing the lower slopes (and Almaty) with a reliable water supply for people, industry, and agriculture.
	The U-shaped valleys found in the middle and upper reaches of the mountains were formed by glaciers during periods of higher precipitation or colder climate. The sides and floors of these valleys are usually a mixture of small rocks and powdery rock dust created as the glacial ice moved slowly down the slopes and then deposited as the climate warmed and the glacier shrank or melted away entirely. When the snow melts quickly, some of these areas become water-saturated and unstable. Mudslides are common in the Spring and early Summer and sometimes cause substantial damage.
Many of the mountain valleys have been blocked by slides, earthquakes, or the dikes left when glaciers started to retreat. The result is many lakes that range from small seasonal ponds to clear, cold natural reservoirs miles long. During much of the year, the higher, smaller lakes are giant blocks of ice. The larger, lower lakes (like this one) do not freeze entirely and are very pleasant places to escape from the heat of the summer steppe.