Sairam-Ugam National Park

Sairam-Ugam covers the Kazakh side of the Ugam and Pskem ranges east of Shymkent, rising from around 1,200 metres to Sayram peak at 4,238 metres, and it protects the juniper forests, wild fruit and nut woodland and alpine meadow that make the Western Tien-Shan one of the world's centres of origin for cultivated fruit species. It forms part of the transnational Western Tien-Shan World Heritage property inscribed in 2016, shared with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, along with Aksu-Zhabagly and Karatau on the Kazakh side. Walking routes go up the Sayram-Su and Kaskasu gorges to lakes and passes, with yurt camps and guesthouses in the villages at the mouths. Bears, ibex and, rarely, snow leopard occur.

What you actually see

• Juniper forest - the archa woodland on the mountain slopes.
• Sayram-Su gorge - the main walking valley with its lakes.
• Wild fruit and nut woodland - the ancestral fruit species of the range.
• Alpine meadow - the high pasture and summer herding camps.

When to go

May to October for walking, with June and July best for flowers in the meadows. Snow closes the high routes from November. The lower gorges are hot in July and August.

Honest expectations

Trails are unmarked and a guide or local driver is generally needed. Access roads to the gorge mouths are rough. Accommodation is guesthouses and yurt camps of variable standard. Border zone permits may be needed near the Uzbek frontier.

Nearby

Sayram town lies west; Aksu-Zhabagly is northeast.