Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Travel / Places to Visit => Topic started by: Dave M on July 03, 2016, 09:27:09 PM
-
I’ve just come back from a couple of weeks tour leading and exploring the botanical highlights of the Kazakhstan Tien Shan. What a fantastic place, stunning scenery, an outstanding flora and fauna and lovely people. We spent roughly a week in the east exploring Ile-Alatau National Park then caught the overnight sleeper train to the west to botanise Aksu-Dzhagly Nature Reserve. My fellow botanist for the trip was Vladimir Epiktetov, a superb local naturalist and plantsman with a small nursery and an impressive collection of plants in his garden perched up in Ile-Alatau NP near Almaty.
Transport was a mix of foot, 4wd and horse riding to get to the real high altitude gems (Vladimir hated the horse riding!). Logistics into this area are not to be underestimated with few surfaced roads and tightly regulated access on the borders of China and Kyrgyzstan needing the right paperwork to negotiate the numerous armed military checkpoints and random stops. Accommodation was a mix of mountain guesthouses and a fairly basic mountain hut in Aksu-Dzhagly with no electricity, water or flushing toilet. The weather was excellent with only 2 days of inclement weather at lower elevations and temperatures ranging from 16-25 degrees most days in the mountains.
With some top-draw alpines, meadows of Tulips and wildlife including Snow Leopard and Himalayan Rubbythroat its not hard to see the appeal!
The Tien Shan bursting up from the steppe to the west of Almaty.
[attachimg=1]
Overnight sleeper train from Almaty to Tulkubas
[attachimg=2]
Mountain hut, Aksu-Dzhagly Nature reserve
[attachimg=3]
Some muppet on horseback - the only way to find those remote alpine gems!
[attachimg=4]
Vladimir Epiktetov and Thylacospermum caespitosum
[attachimg=5]
-
Starting off exploring the alpine meadows in the eastern Tien Shan within Ile-Alatau National Park.
Atrangene sibirica
[attachimg=1]
Delphinium confusum
[attachimg=2]
Dianthus hoeltzeri
[attachimg=3]
Geranium saxatile
[attachimg=4]
Iris sogdiana
[attachimg=5]
-
Oxytropis globulifera
[attachimg=1]
Papaver croceum
[attachimg=2]
Phlamoides oreophilla
[attachimg=3]
Pulsatilla campanella
[attachimg=4]
Trollius dschungaricus
[attachimg=5]
-
Codonopsis clematidea
[attachimg=1]
Aquilegia atrovinosa
[attachimg=2]
Delphinium confusum
[attachimg=3]
Eremurus altaicus
[attachimg=4]
Erysimum croceum
[attachimg=5]
-
Leontopodium fedtschenkoanum
[attachimg=1]
Domestic apple relative Malus sieversii
[attachimg=2]
A rather stunning dandelion, Taraxacum pseudoroseum
[attachimg=3]
-
Climbing a little higher now just above the tree line (mostly Picea schrenkiana and various Juniper species) around 'Big Almaty Lake'.
Cortusa brotheri
[attachimg=1]
The stunning Dracocephalum grandiflorum
[attachimg=2]
Dracocephalum grandiflorum
[attachimg=3]
Gentian karelinii
[attachimg=4]
Ligularia macrophylla
[attachimg=5]
-
Quite a trip, Dave - and in good company- it was a real pleasure to meet Vladimir at the 2nd Czech international rock garden conference - and he gave us a great talk too.
-
Within the alpine zone above the old soviet observation station and the decommissioned kosmo-station between 2,800m and 3,590m.
Allium atrosanguineum
[attachimg=1]
Androsace lehmanniana
[attachimg=2]
Callianthemum alatavicum
[attachimg=3]
Callianthemum alatavicum
[attachimg=4]
Chorispora bungeana
[attachimg=5]
-
Quite a trip, Dave - and in good company- it was a real pleasure to meet Vladimir at the 2nd Czech international rock garden conference - and he gave us a great talk too.
It was an outstanding place. Also met up with Anna Ivashenko another fine central Asian botanist, unfortunately she is now getting out less into the mountains so couldn't join us.
-
[attachimg=1]
Old soviet kosmo-station
[attachimg=2]
Eritrichium tienschanicum
[attachimg=3]
Lloydia serotina
[attachimg=4]
Lonicera humilis
[attachimg=5]
-
Some snow melt stunners:
Oxygraphis glacialis
[attachimg=1]
Oxygraphis glacialis
[attachimg=2]
Trollius lilacinus
[attachimg=3]
Trollius lilacinus
[attachimg=4]
Viola tianschanica
[attachimg=5]
-
Viola altaica
[attachimg=1]
Schmalhausenia nidulans
[attachimg=2]
Rhodiola coccinea
[attachimg=3]
Ranunculus alberti
[attachimg=4]
Pedicularis oederi
[attachimg=5]
-
A few more Primulaceae:
Primula algida
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
Primula kaufmaniana
[attachimg=3]
-
And the first few tulips!
Tulipa heterophylla
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
Tulipa dasystemon
[attachimg=3]
[attachimg=4]
-
What a fabulous trip Dave, love the pink Taraxicum
-
Huge old cushions of Thylacosprmum caespitosum grew at around 3,500m providing home to a range of species growing on and within them.
Thylacosprmum caespitosum
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
Smelowskia calycina
[attachimg=3]
Sibbaldia tetrandra
[attachimg=4]
Tulipa dasystemon
[attachimg=5]
-
What a fabulous trip Dave, love the pink Taraxicum
Wait for the Paraquilegia!
-
A few more bits growing on Thylacosprmum caespitosum.
Saxifraga macrocalyx
[attachimg=1]
Oxytropis chionobia
[attachimg=2]
Draba altaica
[attachimg=3]
-
North facing cliffs provided ideal conditions for Paraquilegia anemonoides, some plants were nearly 1m across!
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
[attachimg=3]
[attachimg=4]
[attachimg=5]
-
Dave i like your photos, what a stunning country :o
-
Wow!
-
Super interesting report on stunning plants and landscapes.
I'm particularly happy to have seen the setting of Eritichium tianshanicum and some other gems from this marvelous mountains!
Thank you very much for the pics.
-
Fabulous stuff, Dave!
For a muppet you cut a fine figure as a horseman ;D
cheers
fermi
-
Moving west we caught the overnight sleeper train from Almaty to get to Aksu-Dzhagley Nature Reserve. The reserve, formed in 1926 is the oldest reserve in Asia and spans some 131,000ha, nearly all mountainous with the highest peak, Mount Sayram at 4,238m asl. Its home to over 1300 species of vascular plants, rare mammals including snow leopard and Indian Crested Porcupine yet is at the mercy of climate change like many places with its glaciers noticeably melting year by year. Access is strictly limited to 26 people per area per week, needing a permit arranged in advance along with accompaniment of a park ranger at all times. We spent 3 nights up in the alpine zone at Ulken Kaindy (using horses and foot to get around) and a further 2 days visiting 2 of its impressive lower altitude gorges: Kok Sai and Aksu.
Kok Sai Gorge held many interesting and unusual plants, being significantly lower in altitude but unfortunately most of the bulbous plants had finished flowering the previous month. Given the quantity of Tulip seed heads the place must have been stunning in April/May with Tulipa greigii, T. bifloriformis and T. turkestanica super numerous. Spent leaves and flower heads of various junno iris were also abundant. It also looked the ideal film set for an Indiana Jones film!
[attachimg=1]
Allium caesium
[attachimg=2]
Centaurea depressa
[attachimg=3]
Traditional Kazakh herdsman
[attachimg=4]
Leftover leaves of flowering junno, probably Iris willmottianna
[attachimg=5]
-
A few more from Kok Sai Canyon
Eremurus tianschanicus
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
Helichrysum maracandicum
[attachimg=3]
Tulipa greigii
[attachimg=4]
A rather fine and well camouflaged crab spider
[attachimg=5]
-
The Aksu (white river) Canyon was slightly higher in altitude but with a distinctive Mediterranean climate and flora.
[attachimg=1]
Alcea nudiflora
[attachimg=2]
Gentiana olivieri
[attachimg=3]
Stunning Hulthemia persica
[attachimg=4]
Rhaphidophyton regelii
[attachimg=5]
-
A few more specialists from the Aksu Canyon
Salvia sclarea
[attachimg=1]
Scutellaria immaculata
[attachimg=2]
Sergia sewerzowii
[attachimg=3]
-
Using 4wd vehicles then horses and foot we ascended further into Aksu-Dzhagley Nature Reserve to stay and explore the area around Kshi-Kaindy.
[attachimg=1]
Allium polyphyllum
[attachimg=2]
Allium karataviense
[attachimg=3]
Aquilegia atrovinosa
[attachimg=4]
Cortusa turkestanica
[attachimg=5]
-
Climbing up the Kshi-Kaindy valley.
Apollo
[attachimg=1]
Echinops tschimganicus
[attachimg=2]
Eremurus regelii
[attachimg=3]
Ixiolirion tataricum
[attachimg=4]
Phlomis tianschanicum
[attachimg=5]
-
Some nice alpines from the top of the Kshi-Kaindy valley
Corydalis gortschakovii
[attachimg=1]
Campanula capusii
[attachimg=2]
Macrotomia ugamensis
[attachimg=3]
Paraquilegia caespitosa
[attachimg=4]
Primula minkwitziae
[attachimg=5]
-
Highlight of Aksu-Dzhagly was exploring the Kshi-Kaindy pass on horse and foot.
[attachimg=1]
Allium fedtschenkoana
[attachimg=2]
Androsace sericea
[attachimg=3]
Aster alpinus
[attachimg=4]
My horse debating if it should go and eat the plants Im trying to photograph!
[attachimg=5]
-
[attachimg=1]
Gagea filiformis
[attachimg=2]
Macrotomia euchroma
[attachimg=3]
Pyrethrum pyrethroides
[attachimg=4]
Trollius altaicus
[attachimg=5]
-
Trollius altaicus
[attachimg=1]
Tulipa kaufmanniana
[attachimg=2]
[attachimg=3]
[attachimg=4]
[attachimg=5]
-
Tulipa dasystemonoides
[attachimg=1]
Interesting double Tulipa dasystemonoides
[attachimg=2]
-
Dave i like your photos, what a stunning country :o
Cheers, its a fantastic place.
-
Super interesting report on stunning plants and landscapes.
I'm particularly happy to have seen the setting of Eritichium tianshanicum and some other gems from this marvelous mountains!
Thank you very much for the pics.
Thanks, the Eritrichium was one of the plants I particularly wanted to see.
-
Fabulous stuff, Dave!
For a muppet you cut a fine figure as a horseman ;D
cheers
fermi
Cheers, not a bad spot to go riding if you have to! Was certainly the best way to get around and cover ground from one pass and valley to the next.
-
Dave,
wow :o 8) :o what a remarkable journey! Enjoy the picture tour, more please :D
-
Superb images and report, Dave … particularly the fabulous Ranunculaceae. Many thanks.
-
What a trip Dave!!! Fabulous pictures of plants and mountains scenery!
-
What a wonderful trip and report!!!
-
Dave:
Thank you so much for the tour.
-
I wish i could just teleport myself up there :)
-
Excellent,enjoyed every moment you have shown
-
A wonderful place indeed! Amazing plants and fantastic scenery, the stamping ground of the courageous Vladimir Epiktetov, who, arriving just the night before from his homeland, and having no English at all, read "cold,"a Russian language paper hurriedly translated into English at the 2013 Czech Conference. Not only was he quite able to be understood by those of us who had no other language but English, he also successfully married what he was saying to the on-screen pictures, an amazing achievement under the circumstances, especially since I think he was quite shy.