The Tien Shan mountains are called the 'Heavenly Mountains' — and from the shores of Big Almaty Lake, it is easy to see why. The peaks around the lake rise above 4,000 metres, and snow dusts them even in summer. The lake itself sits at 2,511 metres — higher than the summit of many mountains in Europe.
The brilliant turquoise colour of the water is caused by glacial flour — a powder of very finely ground rock washed into the lake by meltwater from the glaciers higher up. When sunlight hits these tiny particles, it bounces back as a vivid blue-green that looks almost artificial.
The lake is a reservoir — it provides drinking water for the city of Almaty below. Because of this, visitors can walk around it and enjoy the views, but swimming is not allowed. The whole area is inside a national nature reserve.
Snow leopards live in the rocky mountains around the lake, though they are very secretive and almost never seen by people. The slopes are also home to ibex — wild goats with long curved horns — and flocks of birds of prey that circle the peaks.