Shymbulak – Skiing in Kazakhstan
The Shymbulak Ski Resort, high above the city of Almaty and tucked deep into the mountains that stretch beyond the Medeo Ice-Skating Rink, is an area seemingly unknown to outsiders but may well be one of the best spots for snow-sports in all of Central Asia.
Starting from the cable car station just before the Medeo complex, one could be excused for supposing that Shymbulak is another second-rate mountain resort that will do for local skiers but probably isn’t attracting too much interest from abroad. One would be right on the latter half of that statement, of course, but only on account of general lack of knowledge rather than anything lacking in the facilities themselves. In fact, if not for the signage in Russian and strong predilection for Kazakh pop songs one might almost imagine they’d just stepped off the bus from Denver. Almost.
Spanning over 3000 ft of vertical drop (920m) and nearly 7.5 miles (12km) of ski runs, there is definitely enough to keep you entertained – and even on a Sunday on the tail end of ski season it didn’t seem too terribly crowded. Importantly, Shymbulak seemed to have all the modern conveniences that a top-quality ski resort should. Lifts to several different points on the mountain, first aid stations scattered all around, several restaurants and places to stay, and lessons available in English. Compared to the ski bases in Kyrgyzstan (with the exception of Karakol, about which I’ve written a bit as well), Shymbulak Ski Resort seemed fairly well developed and equipped to handle lots of skiers and snowboarders of various levels. They even had a little terrain park for adventurous boarders.
I didn’t ski this time, and honestly had only intended to snap a few photos and then head back down the mountain. Once I’m a bit more confident on the snow, though, a weekend here is definitely in the works. If my ski partner isn’t quite ready to hit the heady slopes of Shymbulak? Not to fear! They’ve got a snow-tubing course and a kiddie’s corner as well.
So, would I recommend a trip to Almaty just to visit Shymbulak? For the serious ski enthusiast looking for an offbeat experience, I think that between skiing in Kyrgyzstan and here in Kazakhstan there are enough options to justify a long trip to try them all. Ideally plan a couple of weeks to hop between different ski resorts and backcountry options, maybe even throw in some heliskiing to make it a proper adventure. Given enough time spent in the region, and especially at the resorts in Kyrgyzstan, the cost savings compared to the US or Europe can more than cover the price of flights to Central Asia and it will certainly make a more interesting story for next year’s Aspen apres-ski.
Practical Details
The easiest way to get to Shymbulak is to take Bus 6 or 12 from Almaty (just north of the intersections of Dostyk and Abay) to Medeo, and then take the Shymbulak Cable Car. The cable car is 2,500T (~$14 USD) round-trip, or 1500T one-way.
A map of the resort is online here.
Equipment rental is available at Shymbulak, with a complete ski set 5,000T per day or a premium set for 7000T. (Of course, you can also rent individual pieces if you need.) Additionally, lockers are available for rent by the day (1000T), week (5000T), or month (15000T) and a Hotel starting at 20000T per night.
Alternatively, in Almaty’s city center (a quick ride or 15 minute walk away from the stop to pick up the Medeo bus) is a hostel called the (pretty aptly named) Almaty Central Hostel. Slight less central but also a few dollars cheaper is the Almaty Backpackers hostel. (Either way, it’s fantastic to see proper hostels starting to pop up in Central Asia!) If price isn’t an issue but you want to be in town rather than at the resort, you could also just stay at the Dostyk Hotel and take a cab straight up Dostyk Ave. each morning to get to Shymbulak and Medeo.
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Woohoo! Sounds like quite the adventure — and snow looks good!
It was a strange departure from the ordinary for sure. Doesn’t look quite so nice as those Japan shots you put up from a while back, though!
Are there any tour operators offering Skiing in Shymbulak?
Hi Peter, I’m sure you could arrange it with a company in town if you wanted. However, it’s also extremely easy to do on your own. Check out the ‘Practical Details’ section at the end of that article for info on public transport and equipment rental – the hotel at Shymbulak I don’t have any info on hand but even if they don’t have rooms you could very easily get back to the city for the night. Have fun!
I think I’d be pretty happy to just chill and look at the view too. Wow…
If there’s one thing that’s always true about Central Asia, it’s that the mountains are beautiful!
Re: equipment rentals. Did you notice if the resort rents just the hard equipment or can they provide clothing as well? I am going there later this week. I appreciate the info.
Hi Anton, I don’t recall for certain, but I don’t remember having seen any of the soft stuff. Better bet might be to look for that stuff in town, and just pick up your skis and boots and whatever once you’re up at the resort.
Hi Stephen , we are planning to book this place for our travel in may , do you thing it will be still as pretty then?
The skiing may not be quite the same by then but I think the area is pretty all year round!
There are some coaches or buses that depart from Almaty to Shymbulak?
Hi Nicholas, as mentioned in the post, there are two buses that depart from central Alamty for Medeo, where you can transfer to Shymbulak.
Hi,
Can I ski there during December 23-26? Is it a proper season to find snow at Shymbulak ski resort? Many thanks….
Yep, you’ll find quite a few people in the area at that period. Enjoy!
Hi Stephen,
The place sounds great, I’m planning a trip there in December, do you recall how much a lift pass costs? Many thanks…
Don’t recall offhand, but I seem to remember it in the neighborhood of $30 or $40 US.
Hi Stephen,
Is there any entrance fee? Can I just go for a leisure and without ski?
Hi Aliza, there’s a fee to access the chairlift from Medeu, but no entrance fees for Shymbulak. It’s a nice place to have a walk around and take some photos, just be careful of skiers!
Hi Stephen
unfortunately the Almaty Backpackers hostel link does not work. Do you have any idea how to contact them?
Regards
Hi Rama, I would suggest Google to find their information.
Best,
Stephen
Hi Stephan, Is there any skiing late Nov? Or just light snow? Thanks
Hi Stephen,
We are visiting in July, and wanted to know if there’s any place for clothes rental around there, before we go up.
Thanks a lot!
There is at the ski base for basic ski equipment, if that’s all you need. Enjoy!
Hi Stephen, we are a family of 4 and coming to shymbulak for learning Skiing. Can you recommend/guide to hire an English speaking instructor, to teach us.
Hi Sachin – I don’t have any specific rec for you, but there were plenty of instructors up there when I visited so it shouldn’t be any trouble to show up and find somebody.
Hi Stephen, cheers for the read. Just wondering if you knew of a way to pre-purchase weekly ski passes, or is it a case of buy each day on-site? And equipment. Also, would you suggest staying in Almaty or at the resort? Cheers.
Hi Ross, in theory it seems possible to buy day pass on their website, but in practice it seems like you need some sort of payment card that can only be purchased in town. I’d probably just wait till I got there, if I were you.
As for accommodation, unless you’re short on time and heavy on cash I’d suggest staying in town and transferring up each day.
Stephen, while you were in Almaty, did you come across any fitters worth using? I just picked up a pair of Solamon X-Max 130 boots that need attention. I have insoles from old boots, but the toe ends need expanding and the liners to be heat fitted. I need the work done in Almaty since I am here in KZ already and will not be back to Europe of the USA before next winter. Very hard to find a trusted recommendation for a qualified fitter.