Ala-Archa National Park
The longest gorge, bearing the same name, is located just 30 km from the city. Immediately behind the Voronцовка recreation center are three gorges: Alameddin, from which a small river flows, Malinovoe, overgrown with dense raspberry bushes, and the largest one — Ala-Archa. The word "Ala" translates to "snowy," and "archa" is analogous to "juniper." Indeed, there are glaciers in the gorge that only melt during the scorching summer. The slopes of the gorge are abundantly covered with various species of archa. According to specialists, almost all diseases can be cured in the gorge. The bactericidal action of archa is so strong that a single tree can kill microbes within a radius of 50 meters.
This stunningly beautiful natural corner, rich in plant and animal life, and diverse landscapes, allows for year-round tourism, provided that necessary environmental protection measures are observed.
Ala-Archa has been declared a park. Since then, almost all types of natural resource use have been prohibited here. It is unlikely that this is reasonable. Usually, parks also serve tourism and short-term recreation for city dwellers. The task is simple: to carry out a set of organizational and urban planning activities... And the "road romantic" is on the way!
The cable car, equipped with comfortable cabins, will have its starting point at an altitude of 1300 m above sea level, and the endpoint at an elevation of up to 4000 m, transporting tourists to the ski complexes "Chubyk-Tybek," "Chunkurchak," or "Shamsi." In winter, visitors can ride sleds, skis, and skates. In summer, they can take health-improving one-day hikes through the mountain gorges on horses, donkeys, camels, or simply on foot. The hunter and fisherman houses can serve the same purpose, both in season and at all other times.
The total length of the cable car from the beginning of the gorge to the glaciers of the Aksai ridge is about 30 kilometers. With branches to the most beautiful side gorges, it extends up to 60 km.
The cable car in Ala-Archa offers a multitude of opportunities: both mountain recreation and exploration of the nature of the homeland, as well as a unique attraction. Moving along its route, tourists will be able to familiarize themselves in a relatively short time with a whole series of changing landscape zones: mid-mountain steppe with floodplain thickets of sea buckthorn, rose hips, barberry, currants, and archa; forest-meadow-steppe, striking with a rich variety of vegetation, among which are the legendary Tien Shan fir, birch, rowan, berry shrubs, and a bright carpet of diverse herbs, including valuable medicinal plants: thyme and St. John's wort, mint and valerian; subalpine and alpine zones with lush green meadows dotted with flowers; tundra and rocky landscapes, where majestic cliffs, scree, and glaciers prevail.
During the journey, one can see high mountain lakes, graceful waterfalls, moraines, glaciers, pass through clouds, and look down on them from above. In just one journey, you can experience the summer's sweltering heat and the realm of glaciers and snowfields. Truly, it is a journey not only in space but also in time...
The grand panorama allows for views of the peaks of Semenov-Tian-Shansky, Korona, Free Korea, Teke-Tor, Ak-Tuu, and others, most of which reach heights above 4000 m above sea level.
Along the cable car routes, there will be a system of viewing platforms with catering facilities and souvenir kiosks. There will also be areas for sunbathing and enjoying the fresh air throughout the year, naturally covered in winter.
The concerns of those who want to preserve nature in its pristine and natural beauty are understandable. There are grounds for this. One only needs to open the list of endangered species of the world's flora and fauna to immediately join the slogan: make everything a reserve.
However, the proposed system takes this aspect into account. The cable car, along with excellent viewing opportunities, will also prevent the most eager tourists from accessing the valley part of the gorge, primarily limiting their curiosity to passive observational types of recreation. Visits to the protected valley should only occur in an organized manner along specially equipped routes under the guidance of a tour guide. The stopping viewing platforms will be located on steep, vegetation-free slopes. Such a choice is not only in the interests of nature conservation but also in the interests of tourists: it provides better visibility! Solar lounges will also be equipped on these platforms.
The viewing platforms will be connected to the peaks and sightseeing objects by special trails and stairways.
Nature conservation is also served by the predominant use of transport vehicles as a means of transportation.
Ala-Archa Recreation Area, combining passive and active forms of recreation, operates year-round, specializing according to the season. If winter is primarily focused on ski tourism, then summer is for sports, health, and relaxation. This is the first.
Second. The complexes can simultaneously accommodate from 500 to 1000 tourists each. The experience of developing both domestic and foreign tourism convinces that in the future, such complexes can accommodate up to 5000 tourists. This figure is calculated based on the maximum allowable anthropogenic load on the natural complex. Let us just remind that there are three such complexes in "Ala-Archa": "Chunkurchak," "Shamsi," "Chubyk-Tybek." So is it worth it?
What lies behind the word "complex"? This is probably the first question that a vacationer asks themselves. So, let's see what awaits us. First, a hotel, a cafeteria, and solar lounges. Second, ice rinks, indoor swimming pools, gyms, a ski school, an equestrian sports school, a rental and fitting point for tourist equipment and inventory, and a snowmobile driving school. In the evening — video rooms, bars, discos...
The staff of the complex should consider the availability of instructor and classroom facilities, a garage for snowmobiles, a stable for horses, and a riding arena for horseback riding training, as well as equestrian sports clothing, skates, and skis for rent, evening lighting for the rink, and its radio coverage, a wardrobe, and a bar.
The central complex will be complemented by ski fields, sports and health routes, walking paths, and wellness trails.