Leg 137, Ürümqi, Xinjiang, China, via Kazakhstan to Kazarman, Kyrgyzstan
DAY01_06.PLN (5.9 KB)
Some steep mountain flying in this leg. I’m very glad the Bonanza got the power boost last update, this leg would have been two legs without it. Awesome mountains in this region.
01-05 Urumqi South Air Base ZYAG 8:00 PM
01-05 Xinyuan Nalati ZWNL 9:04 PM
01-05 Yining ZWYN 9:37 PM Building at end of runway
01-05 Sarkand UASR 10:16 PM
01-05 Balkhash UAAH 11:26 PM
01-05 Cambala UASI 11:52 PM
01-06 Jeppesen Avia Club UABN 12:49 AM
01-06 Iliysk North UAKP 1:07 AM
01-06 Zhetygen UAKS 1:16 AM
01-06 Almaty UAAA 1:35 AM
01-06 Tyup UATY 2:15 AM
01-06 Karakol UCFP 2:24 AM
01-06 Tamga UAKA 2:48 AM
01-06 Naryn UANA 3:29 AM
01-06 Kazarman UAFZ 4:03 AM
Flight time 8:03 14 stops
Starting before dawn again, with a steep climb to 16,000 ft over Taipuqi Kewuzeng river
Topping out at 16,500 ft to get over the mountain range
The sun is starting to light up the mountain tops at Ke Erdala
Ka’er A’erhan Bulakesi river below
Kax river flowing out the mountains crossing the Duku Highway nearby
Near A Susayi over the Duku Highway (G217) crossing the Tianshan Mountains
Considered China’s most beautiful highway following the route of the Wusu Ancient Road
Over the Basile Gensayi river
Near Keqike Bulakesi
Near Dunmazhazhen, Ghulja, Ili, Xinjiang
Yining county, also transliterated from Uyghur as Gulja County, along the Ili river
Lake Sayram, high up in the mountains
Wenquan county, also transliterated from Mongolian as Arixang County, on the border with Kazakhstan
Flying into Sarkand district, Kazakhstan
Priozersk, closed city on lake Balkhash
It serves as the administrative center of Sary Shagan anti-ballistic missile testing site
Lake Balkhash, huge lake in South Western Kazakhstan.
Time flies, half the moon gone again already
The South East shore of lake Balkhash has forests
The Ile river delta provides plenty fertile ground
Jappesen Avia Club along the Ile river
Iliysk, Ile river canyon near Kapchagay
Chertov palets along the canyon and a view of the Kazakh steppe in bloom
Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest metropolis, set in the foothills of the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains
It served as the country’s capital until 1997 and remains Kazakhstan’s trading and cultural hub
Zenkov’s cathedral, wooden Ukrainian-baroque Russian Orthodox cathedral
Central State Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan
You can walk through the museum in Google street view
Almaty Airport, ready to take on the next mountain range
Straight up the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains
Over Ile-Alatau National Park
Flying towards Pik Talgar, 16,335 ft, highest peak of the Trans-Ili Alatau
Shymbulak ski resort, with over 7 miles of trails, in the other direction
More of Pik Talgar
Spectacular crossing into Kyrgyzstan
Tuyup, Kyrgyzstan, on the East end of lake Issyk Kul, North side
The lake and Karakol’s Holy Trinity Cathedral, a little South of Tuyup
Tamga, about halfway along lake Issyk Kul
Across the next mountain range to Naryn
Khrebet Kuylyutau mountain peak in the distance, 17,326 ft
Kakshaal-Too ridge
Naryn river
Ak-Tal
Looking back on approach to Kazarman
Kazarman, village and capital of Toguz-Toro District, Jalal-Abad Region
One source says that “this poor dust-blown settlement in northern Jalal-Abad Region has something of the sinister reputation of a tough mining town down on its luck”
The Makmal open-pit gold mine just to the south no longer provides employment opportunities. The town is largely cut off in winter when the roads are closed by snow.
They have an airport at least! Further West tomorrow via the capital of Kyrgyzstan