Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Travel / Places to Visit => Topic started by: Sophie on September 09, 2019, 10:14:37 AM
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Some of you may remember David's report from his 2016 trip to Kazakhstan (here: http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=14540.0 (http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=14540.0)).
I was lucky to be given the opportunity to lead the same tour this year in June.
While we explored the same two regions (Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve and Ile-Alatau National Park in the Western and Eastern Tien Shan), we had a slightly different itinerary.
After a day in Almaty, we got on the very comfortable night train to Aksu-Zhabagly, around 500km West of Almaty.
Arriving in the early morning in our guesthouse for the next 5 nights, we were greeted by this view:
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We spent three days visiting the river gorges around Aksu-Zhabagly.
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Roemeria refracta
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Rosa fedtschenkoana (white), Rosa kokanica (bright yellow) and a potential pale yellow hybrid
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Atraphaxis pyrifolia
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More from the gorges around Aksu-Zhabagly:
Rosa fedtschenkoana
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Ferula penninervis in Taldybulak Gorge
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Megacarpaea orbiculata
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Allium karataviense
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Allium barsczeweskii
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We spent one day visiting Aksu-Canyon (a 15 km long and 500m deep canyon)
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Cousinia minwitziae
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Scutellaria immaculata, growing in crevices on the slopes of the canyon
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A great diversity of alliums, including Allium inconspicuum and A. eriocoleum
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The meadows near Aksu Canyon, with Allium fetisowii, Eremurus regelii, Gentiana olivieri, Tulipa greigii seed pods, several fennels (Ferula penninervis and F. tenuisecta)
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Dactylorhiza umbrosa growing along streams
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Oxytropis trichocalycina
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The bright red fruits of Rheum maximowiczii
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A view point over the Karatau mountains
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Ferula karataviensis
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Lagochilus knorringianus
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Schrenkia congesta
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The wonderful Scutellaria subcaespitosa
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The endemic maple Acer tataricum subsp. semenovii
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Crambe orientalis (does anyone know where to get seeds in the UK?)
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Phlomoides/Eremostachys speciosa
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Salvia aethiops
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Another view with the tall spikes of Verbascum songaricum
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On the 3rd day we went to Mashat canyon, 30 km north-east of Shymkent, which isn't part of the Aksu-Zhabagly reserve. Although it isn't the most quiet of places (the bottom of the canyon is home to holiday camps, restaurants and theme parks), the scenery and the flora are fantastic. Due to the geological history of the region, the flora of the canyon is closer to that of the Karatau range. It is home to several tulip species, including the rare Tulipa lemmersii.
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Cerasus erythrocarpa
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Ephedra intermedia
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Lagochilus platycalyx
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Trichodesma incanum
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More from Mashat Canyon:
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Convolvulus pseudocantabrica
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Sergia severzovii
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Capparis herbacea
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Goebelia pachycarpa
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Eremurus sogdianus
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Iris orchioides
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Phlomis salicifolia
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Centaurea pseudosquarrosa
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On the fourth day of the trip, we got taken by 4wd to the Kshi-Kaindy Mountain hut, where we climbed up the valley along the stream.
Horses near the hut
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Geranium pratense
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Pedicularis dolichorhiza
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Rhinanthus songaricus
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Richteria tianshanica (daisy) with Ephedra equisitina
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Allium hymenorhizum
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Berberis oblonga
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Rosa albertii
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Hedysarum flavescens
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Cortusa turkestanica
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Aquilegia atrovinosa
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Clementsia semenovii
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Dactylorhiza umbrosa is very common on stream banks
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We decided to walk the 10km down the valley, back to the guest house.
Siberian peashrub, Caragana arborescens
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Both species of endemic apple, Malus sieversii and Malus niedzwetzkyana
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A pale form of Allium severzovii
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Pyrola rotundifolia
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Stipa lessingiana
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Morina kokanica, growing on rocky slopes along the path
Codonopsis clematidea, growing above a stream in a shaded area
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Linum olgae
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Scutellaria linczewskii
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After 6 days around Aksu-Zhabagly, we got back on the night train, enjoyed a breakfast at the hotel in Almaty and drove up to the Alpine Rose guesthouse in the Ile Alatau National Park.
We spent the morning exploring a woodland area behind the guesthouse.
Clematis alpina subsp. sibirica
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Trollius dschungaricus
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Lathyrus gmelinii
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Primula matthioli subsp. brotheri
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Primula algida
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The gorgeous endemic Sorbus tianshanica
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Saxifraga sibirica
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Corallorhiza trifida
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Goodyera repens
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Orthilia secunda subsp. obtusata
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In the afternoon, we walked from the guesthouse up the juniper forest, and down to Big Almaty Lake. On 13 days of trip, it was our only day of bad weather, with thunderstorm and pouring rain.
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Two species of violet growing together - the pale yellow and purple forms of Viola altaica, and the bright yellow flowers of Viola biflora
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Papaver croceum
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Buds of Allium atrosanguineum
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Leontopodium fedtschenkoanum
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Erigeron aurantiacus
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Ribes meyeri
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Dasiphora phyllocalyx
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Viola biflora
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Geranium albiflorum
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On our second day in the area, we drove up to the Cosmostation and explored the surroundings, at an altitude of 3,200m.
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Angelica brevicaulis
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Astragalus lithophilus
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Callianthemum alatavicum
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Tulipa heterophylla
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Sibbaldia tetrandra
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Saxifraga macrocalyx
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Androsace sericea
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Oxytropis chionobia
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Rhodiola coccinea
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Ranunculus albertii
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Draba subamplexicaulis
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The creeping honeysuckle, Lonicera semenovii
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Primula nivalis var. farinosa
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Chorispora bungeana
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Tulipa dasystemon
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Taraxacum pseudoroseum
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Androsace septentrionalis
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Chrysosplenium nudicaule
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A view of Big Almaty Lake. There's a car park which can get crowded, as city dwellers from Almaty go up to the Lake to get a couple of selfies, and sometimes show off their fancy cars. There was even a van serving refreshments - it was a strange experience to enjoy a takeaway coffee at 3,000m!
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In the afternoon of the second day in Ile Alatau, we walked down the pipeline close to the guesthouse and explored its surroundings (there's a huge pipeline bringing water from the mountain to the city of Almaty).
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Aconitum leucostomum
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Polemonium caucasicum
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Erigeron pseudoseravshanicus
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Thesium alatavicum
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Fantastic trip, Sophie - you were indeed lucky with the weather. Great to see the wide range of plants seen and kind of you to share the photos here!
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Thanks Maggi, it was a fantastic trip with a good group of plant enthusiasts too!
I have a few more pictures from Ile Alatau to post. This time closer to the Old Observatory, around 2,900m.
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Pulsatilla campanella
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Aster alpinus
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Anemone narcissiflora ssp. protracta
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Thermopsis alpina
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Rhodiola linearifolia
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Lagotis integrifolia
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Dactylorhiza viridis
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Gagea serotina
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Gentiana uniflora
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Geranium saxatile
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Marmots!
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Allium platyspathum subsp. amblyophyllum
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Geranium saxatile
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Dracocephalum nutans
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On the last day, we stopped along the road down to Almaty to look at a verge full of Eremurus altaicus
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We found Juniperus sibirica
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Allium carolinianum
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Allium schoenoprasoides
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And finally, the rather beautiful bearded iris, I. albertii
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On the afternoon of the final day, several of us drove to Medeo resort outside of Almaty and boarded a cable car up to Talgar Pass (3,600m), a popular ski resort.
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Although the flora wasn't different from what we had seen on previous days, it was an interesting change of setting.
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We enjoyed a last kazakh meal in the overpriced ski restaurant, and headed down to Almaty before our flight back to the UK via Istanbul.
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Thanks for this mouthwatering report!
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Thank you too for this impressive account!
Gerd
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Sophie, Kurt Vickery has (had?) Crambe orientalis seed on his latest list ... see this post for the list :
http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=17389.0 (http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=17389.0)
Failing that, I think Hillview plants should stock plants .... http://www.hillviewhardyplants.com/ (http://www.hillviewhardyplants.com/)
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triple whouah, very nice report :o
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Thank you so much, Sophie! Every one of your pics are so enjoyable, and showing detail is very useful! I'm always being shown think I never knew existed. :D