Kainyndy Glacier
Kainy
Between Kokshaal-Tau and Kainy-Katta lies the powerful Kuyakap Glacier, and between Kainy-Katta and Inylchek-Tau lies the enormous Kainy Glacier, the younger sibling of Inylchek, the second largest glacier in the region.
The glacier is located on the southwestern edge of the Kan-Tenir ridge. It is bordered to the north by the Enilchek-Tuu ridge and to the south by the Kainy ridge of the same name. The length of the glacier is 25.8 kilometers, and its area is 107.5 square kilometers, of which 68.3 square kilometers is allocated for the accumulation of this glacier, while 39.2 square kilometers is the ablation zone of the glacier, of which 4.9 square kilometers is covered by a continuous layer of moraines.
The highest point of the firn zone is located at an altitude of 5420 meters above sea level, the snow line of the glacier is at 4440 meters above sea level, and the lowest point of the glacier's end is at an altitude of 3270 meters above sea level.
The overall flow of the glacier is quite calm, except for the very upper reaches, with no sharp drops or heavily fragmented sections. At the level where the Powerful Glacier flows into it, lateral moraines begin. The middle section consists of a strip of clean open ice, with quite a few ice rivers, but crossings are simple. Below the confluence of the Powerful Glacier, the glacier rises for 2-2.5 km, with relative height differences of 20-30 meters. The strip of clean ice narrows due to the development of lateral moraines. After 6-7 km from the confluence, the Powerful Glacier is completely covered by moraines. The surface of the glacier is hilly, with relative height differences of up to 50 meters.
The end of the glacier tongue is covered by a moraine blanket. The river flows out from under the glacier closer to the right bank of the valley. Below the end of the glacier, the valley of the Kainy River has an extensive sandur area, where a powerful water flow winds and splits into branches.
The Kainy Glacier system includes more than 20 tributary glaciers and 14 independent glaciers that have detached from the main trunk. The largest tributaries are Schmidt and Powerful. It belongs to the type of dendritic (tree-like) glaciers, receiving dozens of tributaries, some of which are independently complex glaciers.
The feeding area is a vast multi-chamber glacier cirque. It belongs to the pulsating glaciers. The Kainy River, which flows through the territory of the Aksuu district of the Issyk-Kul region, originates from the Kainy Glacier.
The Kainy River is a left tributary of the Sary-Jaz River. It begins at the Kainy Glacier, located on the southwestern periphery of the Kan-Tenir massif. The length of the river is 50 kilometers, and the catchment area of the river is 599 square kilometers.
The tributaries of Kainy include the rivers At-Jailoo, Uch-Chat, Karagatti, and other rivers in the region. The basin of the Kainy River contains 73 glaciers with a total area of 158 square kilometers. The main source of water for the river is meltwater from snow and glaciers.
The flood season on the river occurs in the summer. The average water flow in the Kainy River is 10 cubic meters per second. The area of the Kainy Glacier is often visited by mountain tourists and climbers, characterized by peak heights of up to 6073 meters above sea level.
In the area of the glacier, there are many unclimbed peaks. The routes here are combined, consisting of ice-snow and snow, with height differences of up to 1000-1500 meters. The first climbing expeditions visited here in 1995.
