Green wooden information board showing a map of tourist routes, among spruce trees.

Hiking

Hiking trails

Five day hikes, all from Alplager at about 2 160 m: from a short climb to Broken Heart rock to a long day up to Racek hut.

Open the park map

Getting to the start

Start: Alplager, about 2 160 m
Shuttle: Free electric shuttles from the entrance checkpoint
Cars: No private cars since 1 May 2025, except electric ones

Sources: 24.kg, 29.04.2025, Park map (OpenStreetMap)

Compare the trails

Ranges show where sources disagree. Every figure links to its source below each trail.

Trail	Distance, one way	Ascent	Time	Highest point
Broken Heart rockEasy	1.2 km0.7 mi	180–255 m590–840 ft	On the way to Tepshi	2 377–2 415 m7,800–7,920 ft
Tepshi plateauEasy	1.8–2 km1.1–1.2 mi	260–420 m850–1,380 ft	3–4 h round trip	2 458–2 580 m8,060–8,460 ft
Ak-Sai waterfallModerate	3.9–5 km2.4–3.1 mi	700 m2,300 ft	2–3 h up4–6 h round trip	2 665–2 860 m8,740–9,380 ft
Racek hutHard	5.6–6.4 km3.5–4.0 mi	1 200–1 220 m3,940–4,000 ft	4–5 h up9–10 h round tripor stay overnight	3 300–3 380 m10,830–11,090 ft
Adygene valleyHard	7 km4.3 mi	No data yet	3–4 h up	No data yet

Park map figures are measured on the park’s own map, built on OpenStreetMap data. Times are walking times without long stops.

Broken Heart rock
Easy
Distance, one way
1.2 km0.7 mi
Ascent
180–255 m590–840 ft
Time
On the way to Tepshi
Highest point
2 377–2 415 m7,800–7,920 ft
A rock split by a natural crack, with a wide view over the Ala-Archa valley. The shortest of the five.
Distance from Alplager in km. Park map altitudes, straight lines between known points.
No guide needed: the trail is marked.
Open on the map
Sources: Park map (OpenStreetMap), Orexca, Eurasia.Travel
Tepshi plateau
Easy
Distance, one way
1.8–2 km1.1–1.2 mi
Ascent
260–420 m850–1,380 ft
Time
3–4 h round trip
Highest point
2 458–2 580 m8,060–8,460 ft
A side plateau above the main valley, a short, easy walk on from Broken Heart rock.
Distance from Alplager in km. Park map altitudes, straight lines between known points.
No guide needed: the trail is marked.
Open on the map
Sources: Park map (OpenStreetMap), Orexca, Eurasia.Travel
Ak-Sai waterfall
Moderate
Distance, one way
3.9–5 km2.4–3.1 mi
Ascent
700 m2,300 ft
Time
2–3 h up4–6 h round trip
Highest point
2 665–2 860 m8,740–9,380 ft
The waterfall in the Ak-Sai side valley. The trail passes Broken Heart and Tepshi, then keeps climbing.
Distance from Alplager in km. Park map altitudes, straight lines between known points.
No guide needed: the trail is marked.
Open on the map
Sources: Park map (OpenStreetMap), Explore Travel Oasis, Backpack Adventures, Eurasia.Travel
Racek hut
Hard
Distance, one way
5.6–6.4 km3.5–4.0 mi
Ascent
1 200–1 220 m3,940–4,000 ft
Time
4–5 h up9–10 h round tripor stay overnight
Highest point
3 300–3 380 m10,830–11,090 ft
A climbers' hut in the upper Ak-Sai valley. From the waterfall it is about 500 m more climbing and 2–4 more hours.
Distance from Alplager in km. Park map altitudes, straight lines between known points.
A guide is recommended. The glaciers beyond the hut need a guide and equipment.
Open on the map
Sources: Park map (OpenStreetMap), Explore Travel Oasis, Backpack Adventures, Eurasia.Travel, AsiaMixTravel
Adygene valley
Hard
Distance, one way
7 km4.3 mi
Ascent
No data yet
Time
3–4 h up
Highest point
No data yet
A separate side valley. The path starts about 300 m before Alplager and climbs steeply to the Adygene glacier.
The park map has no altitude data for this trail yet.
No guide needed for the trail itself, but it is steep and long.
Sources: Backpack Adventures