Silk Ski City
10,500 feet, height of Kazakhstan’s astonishing masterpiece ski resort, Shymbulak
When you consider an expansive alpine snow sports destination a few key players are always in the loop, maybe Canada, France, or Austria. For Asia, the snow sports scene is a little more limited but after recent Winter Olympic events, the continent has had exposure in destinations like South Korea and Russia. What makes the environment great for these regions is the high altitude, consistently low temperatures, and a stream of moisture. In the southeast of Kazakhstan is the country's second-largest city, Almaty, nestled in the foothills of the Tian Shan mountains. This city has a vibrant, adventurous generation within its bustling community, a group of snow seekers, elegant ice skating enthusiasts, and mountain lovers - where else would make the perfect spot for Central Asia's largest winter sports region.
Shymbulak (or Chimbulak) resort is etched into the Medeu Valley within the Tian Shan’s peaks, just south of Almaty and above the Kyrgyzstan border. The resort is high, extremely high, its elevations soar to 10,500 feet, even the base rests at an eye-watering 7,200 feet - if you're looking for pristine and consistent conditions this is truly it. The resort's ski infrastructure is highly sophisticated too, with modern gondolas, chair lifts and for beginners an array of button lifts, which all service its carefully curated pistes running through the alpine landscape. 50% of all the pistes are designed for intermediate skiers, we would say it’s an ‘improvement’ resort in this sense. However, don’t be fooled if you’re looking to test your ability, remember those near-perfect conditions? It’s not abnormal here to have a 25cm+ snow dump 2-3 times per week throughout the winter season, this resort is snow heaven when it comes to the backcountry!
One of the elements we look out for when curating an article within Central Asia is finding the balance of visuals and experiences for all readers and visitors across destinations. With this in mind, the Shymbulak resort caters to all the needs of on and off mountain enthusiasts from an array of Kazakh restaurants, vodka stocked apres bars and some pretty good hotels (if we say so ourselves), but most of all the grandeur of the resort is found at the Medeu ice skating rink. When completed in 1951, it was the largest ice skating rink in the world spanning 10,500 square metres of ice, and it still holds the highest title (no surprise considering the altitude of the resort) at 5,500 feet. The Bond-esque rink pulls skaters from across the region and even the world to train for the winter games and of course the Olympics.
We truly believe this destination is one not to be passed if you're a snow admirer, adrenaline lover or just curious about Kazakhstan’s aims to be the best at building in high altitudes. If you are looking for something a little more ‘remote’ then check out what the other regions of Central Asia offer in our Secret Ski Paradise piece.
