Route at a glance
- Difficulty
- easy
- Distance
- about 5.7 km each way
- Ascent
- about 370 m
- Time
- about 2 hours each way
- Start
- the car park at the Warm Springs sanatorium
- Good for
- beginners, children aged 6–7 and up, anyone who wants to see the mountains in a day
The route
Right from the car park, the trail drops steeply to a suspension bridge over the Alamedin. The bridge sways a little — hold the handrails and cross one at a time.
From there the trail runs across a broad slope of grasses and shrubs. Peaks over 4,000 metres stay in view the whole way, so you'll want to take photos at every step.
Eventually you reach the point where the Salyk stream flows into the Alamedin. A small grove grows here, known as the "Quiet Backwater". It's the best place for a break: shade, the sound of water and lovely views.
After the grove the trail turns sharply right and a short climb begins. A little further and the waterfall, about 12 metres high, is in front of you.
The waterfall in winter
Come here twice. In summer the waterfall is surrounded by greenery; in winter it freezes into a cascade of ice. The gorge usually gets little snow, so the route is passable in winter too. The key is footwear with a non-slip sole.
Tips
- Trekking poles help a lot on the descent to the bridge and on the final climb to the waterfall.
- Start early: at weekends the trail gets busy by lunchtime.
- You can return on a loop — about 11.5 km and 3.5 hours of walking in total.
- After the hike, the Warm Springs pool is the perfect place to finish.