It is not necessary to go to America: there is an analogue of the Grand Canyon in Kazakhstan

The Grand Canyon, created by the Colorado River, attracts travelers and photographers with its grandiose dimensions, steep rocky slopes and picturesque desert landscapes. But in order to contemplate such beauty, it is not necessary to go to distant America. It turns out that something similar is in the near abroad, where Russian citizens can get without a visa and even without a passport. We are talking about the Charyn canyon, which is located 190 kilometers east of Alma-Ata in southern Kazakhstan.

This picturesque canyon with a length of more than 150 kilometers is formed by the Charyn River and is located on the territory of the Charyn National Park. This is a sparsely populated area, so nature has been preserved in its original form, not affected by the influence of civilization.

For thousands of years, the river has paved its way through semi-desert mountains, eroding them and forming a picturesque valley. The sheer cliffs of the canyon, reminiscent of a layer cake, reflect the history of accumulation of sedimentary rocks in this region. The lowest layers are represented by rocks of the Carboniferous period, about 330 million years old. The upper layers contain orange-gray clays interspersed with sandstone and gravel, which were formed during the Neogene, from 10 to 30 million years ago.

The height of the steep mountains of the canyon ranges from 150 to 300 meters, and individual rocks and towers reach a height of 370 meters above the river. Charyn Canyon imperceptibly deepens today. Water and wind continue their destructive activities, and centuries-old cliffs are powerless in front of them.

"Valley of Castles" is the most picturesque place of the Charyn Canyon with a length of about 2 kilometers. The width of the valley in this place ranges from 20 to 80 meters. This is the most popular place for tourists to reach by car. Here you can take walks along the hiking trails while enjoying fantastic views of the rocky slopes.

It is interesting that in the valley of the Charyn River, a relict species of plants of the Paleogene era - Sogdian ash. This species of ash, which survived the last glaciation, forms here a whole grove with an area of more than 1 hectare. Charyn ash grove is under state protection.

In the Charyn Canyon, many remains of the oldest representatives of the fauna were also found, and it is protected not only as a geological monument of nature, but also as a paleontological monument.

Getting to this little brother of the Grand Canyon is pretty easy. You need to leave Alma-Ata in the direction of Narynkol, and then, having overcome 195 kilometers, follow the sign "Charyn Canyon".