For a lot of Almaty locals, Kok-Zhailau is their first hike ever. You reach the meadow, drink tea from a thermos, look down at the city. Lift your head from the meadow and you'll see rocks sticking out of the ridge above. Those are the Three Brothers, and people go there on their second hike. Further along the same ridge stands Kumbel, and beyond it Tereshkova Peak, where you can see Big Almaty Lake from the top. That one takes a whole day.
In short
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Three Brothers: rocks on the Kumbel ridge, 2,860 m. About 7 km and 3-4 hours up from the Prosveshchenets sanatorium.
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Kumbel: about 3,200 m, roughly 2 km above the Three Brothers. Via Kok-Zhailau it's about 17 km there and back with almost 1,700 m of climbing.
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Tereshkova Peak: 3,435 m. A hike of about 18 km and 8-10 hours, with the city and Big Almaty Lake in view from the top.
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Boukreev Peak: 3,012 m, above the Butakovka gorge. Until 2007 it was called Pionersky.
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Snow lies on the north face of Tereshkova until July.
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By electric bike: Three Brothers and Kumbel, Lake Titova below Tereshkova, the Gorelnik descent, Boukreev Peak.
Map: from Medeu via Kok-Zhailau to the Three Brothers and Kumbel, from Gorelnik to Tereshkova Peak, from Medeu to Boukreev Peak
Three Brothers: the first step above Kok-Zhailau
The trail starts at the Prosveshchenets sanatorium, around 1,600 m and a kilometre short of the Medeu skating rink. Bus 12 along Dostyk Avenue gets you there. For the first hour and a half to two hours you follow the ridge to Kok-Zhailau: about 4.4 km, and you're already at 2,200 m. That stretch is covered in detail in the Kok-Zhailau guide.
From the meadow it's about another kilometre to the foot of the rocks, at roughly 2,350 m. Then comes the part people both love and curse the Three Brothers for: the trail goes up very steeply, and in places you'll use your hands. From Prosveshchenets it's about 7 km and 3-4 hours up in total.
It's almost always windy at the top. In return you see Kumbel, Kumbel-Tau, Tereshkova Peak and the pyramid of Big Almaty Peak. There's water in the Bedelbai stream and in brooks off the Kumbel ridge, but carrying your own is safer. After heavy winter snowfall the climb gets hard, so start early.
Kumbel: two more kilometres along the ridge
From the Three Brothers to the top of Kumbel is about 2 km up the ridge, to about 3,200 m. The most popular way goes through Kok-Zhailau: about 17 km there and back with almost 1,700 m of climbing. That's a full day. In cloudy weather the ridge disappears into cloud and staying on the trail gets harder, so check the forecast first.
Tereshkova Peak: where you can see the lake
Tereshkova Peak, 3,435 m, stands on a spur of the Kumbel ridge above the Kumbelsu gorge. It carries the name of Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space: in June 1963 she orbited the Earth 48 times aboard Vostok 6. Nearby on the map there's also Titov Peak and Kosmonavt Peak, so the space theme here is clearly no accident.
There are three ways up. From the Big Almaty Gorge along the Kumbelsu river and over Tereshkova Pass. From the Gorelnik gorge over Trapeziya Pass. Or from the Small Almaty Gorge along the Kumbel ridge, past the Three Brothers and Kumbel. A typical hike is about 18 km and 8-10 hours, from 2,200 to 3,435 m. Until July the north face, the one you see from the city, is under snow.
Why bother: the summit gives a full panorama. The city on one side, Big Almaty Lake and the peaks of both Almaty gorges on the other.
A turquoise lake on the route to the foot of Tereshkova Peak
Boukreev Peak: the summit with a bell
This is the next ridge over, above the Butakovka gorge, but it deserves its own story. Until 2007 the 3,012 m summit was called Pionersky Peak. Then it was given the name of Anatoli Boukreev.
Boukreev lived in Almaty for many years and trained in these mountains. He climbed 11 of the 14 eight-thousanders. In May 1996, when a storm hit several expeditions on Everest at once, he went out into the night alone and brought freezing climbers back to camp. On 25 December 1997 Boukreev died in an avalanche on Annapurna. His monument stands by the Medeu rink, and a bell and memorial plaques hang on the summit of his peak.
Hikers go up from Medeu through the Butakovka gorge: about 24 km there and back, roughly 1,500 m of climbing and 8-10 hours. In summer thunderstorms often build in the afternoon, so aim to be off the top by noon.
By electric bike
None of these routes is for your first time on a bike. If you're just starting, ride Kok-Zhailau first and come back to the ridge after a couple of trips.
Three Brothers and Kumbel: seven hours, 60,000 tenge, difficulty 6 out of 10. After the birch and spruce forest the climb gets close to vertical, and in rain the route is impassable. The strongest riders try to drag the bike even higher, onto Kumbel.
The foot of Tereshkova Peak and Lake Titova: eight hours, 70,000 tenge, difficulty 7 out of 10. It passes the Three Brothers and keeps going, through boulder fields to a lake with snow beside it even in August.
Tereshkova and the Gorelnik descent: twelve hours, 80,000 tenge, difficulty 9 out of 10. A kilometre and a half of vertical drop through forest, roots and wet rocks. By the bottom the brakes are hot and your arms are buzzing.
Boukreev Peak: ten hours, 70,000 tenge, difficulty 8 out of 10, over the Mys Nadezhdy rock ridge. If that's not enough, there's 5 Peaks: Boukreev, Kotyrbulak, Sky, Panorama and Bashuta in a row, twelve hours, 80,000 tenge.
One rule on every route: we stay on the trail and never cut across the grass. In the national park that's the law, and we agree with it.
The view on 20 September 2025; snow high on the ridge does not mean winter conditions along the whole trail
An exposed ridge section on 20 September 2025
The finish by the Three Brothers rocks during the ride on 20 September 2025
High-altitude moraine on 2 August 2026; rock and snow conditions change through the season
The Titov lakes on 2 August 2026 during an actual xBike ride
What to bring and keep in mind
- A warm jacket and a windproof layer: it's almost always windy on the ridge.
- Plenty of water, 2 litres or more each.
- Stiff-soled shoes, the steep section to the Three Brothers is loose small rock.
- A headlamp if you're going for Tereshkova or Boukreev: 8-10 hours easily stretches into darkness.
- The day's forecast. An afternoon thunderstorm is normal in these mountains in summer.
FAQ
How do I get to the Three Brothers? Take bus 12 along Dostyk Avenue to the Prosveshchenets sanatorium, about a kilometre before Medeu. From there the trail leads via Kok-Zhailau to the rocks: about 7 km and 3-4 hours up.
How high are the Three Brothers? 2,860 m above sea level. The rocks sit on the Kumbel ridge above Kok-Zhailau.
How high is Tereshkova Peak? 3,435 m. From the top you can see the city and Big Almaty Lake.
How do you climb Tereshkova Peak? There are three routes: from the Big Almaty Gorge over Tereshkova Pass, from Gorelnik over Trapeziya Pass, or along the Kumbel ridge via the Three Brothers. The hike is about 18 km and 8-10 hours.
Why is it called Boukreev Peak? In 2007 the former Pionersky Peak was named after Anatoli Boukreev, a mountaineer who lived in Almaty and climbed 11 of the 14 eight-thousanders. A bell hangs on the summit in his memory.
Can you ride up to the Three Brothers on an e-bike? Yes, with a guide and some experience: the Three Brothers and Kumbel tour is rated 6 out of 10. It's impassable in rain.
