Climber supports Kazakh anti-ski resort petition

Famous mountaineer Reinhold Messner says no Ile-Alatau mega resort

One of the world ‘s most famous mountaineers, the first climber to conquer all 14 "eight-thousanders", famous traveler and writer, Reinhold Messner supported the Petition against construction of ski resort and other infrastructure on the territory of Ile-Alatau National Park (about the Park:, about the petition)

 Prior to signing the petition he had carefully studied the construction plans, assessed the arguments "for" and "against" the project. The materials were provided by activists of "Protect Kok Zhailau!" movement on a personal meeting on January 24 in Berlin.

 Messner had come to Kazakhstan and knows the Tien Shan Mountains system well. Mаny outstanding Kazakh climbers are his friends. As a famous traveler and writer, Messner repeatedly stresses in his books that human intervention into mountain ecosystems leads to dangerous results. He has created five Mountain museums (Messner Mountain Museums) in five cities of the South Tyrol (http://www.messner-mountain-museum.it/), where visitors can learn the history of mountain climbing as well as see the beauty and fragile ecology of mountain systems.

Messner believes that Kazakhstan can successfully use its unspoilt natural landscape for the development of "soft" , sustainable , responsible ecotourism.

Green campaigners have vowed to fight on in Kazakhstan even after  a recent court setback. Their cause – Kok-Zhailyau -rising gently to flat meadows right above the center of Almaty, concealed from the city by a small, soft ridge, to the south of Almaty city, is one of the most accessible and favorite places of Almaty citizens and guests.

But if the government has its way, it could be a massive mass tourism ski resort including lifts with the capacity to accommodate 10 150 skiers at one time, and 77 prepared ski slopes with a defined total slope length of 63 kilometers.

The planners Ecosign Mountain Resort have formed a consortium and along with their sub-contractors Horwath, ARUP, Engineerisk, CaspiEcology and KPMG have also designed a detailed master plan for a resort village at 2 200 meters elevation at the top of the Kok Zhailau Creek,.

The village would include 3 956 hotel beds which are intended to be publicly available for rental to visiting guests and another 1 212 hot beds in the apartment zone directly below the village. The Master Plan proposes a total 5 736 beds, the majority of which are hotel beds.

Kok-Zhailyau Gorge belongs to Ile-Alatau State National Natural Park and at the moment, , just hundreds of people come here with their families to stay for a few hours or for several days. For hundreds of years locals have enjoyed the place as a prized summer pasture – "zhailyau" in Kazakh. Currently, Kok-Zhailyau is the only place near Almaty that is off-limits for cars. The atmosphere of this place is apparently very special and warm – people who never met before greet each other and talk. The place has its own traditions.

The flora of Small Almaty Gorge is represented by 811 plant species, including 17 species listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan, 11 endemic species. Malus sieversii, the wild apples that are sole ancestor of most cultivars of apples are found in the Gorge. The species are now considered vulnerable to extinction. The building of such a ski resort will cut down the trees inevitably.

The protesters argue that there is no necessity for yet another ski resort in Kazakhstan and that the area is extremely sensitive. They say that Almaty is already one of the world’s most polluted cities – the project will only increase the pollution. And they vow to fight on.

Valere Tjolle

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