Shymbulak Resort Reviews
Visitor reviews for Shymbulak Ski Resort
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(NOTE: Reviews may be edited by our content team for the purposes of ensuring accurate and relevant information)
(NOTE: Reviews may be edited by our content team for the purposes of ensuring accurate and relevant information)
Latest
February 28, 2019
rd from
United Arab Emirates
rd from
United Arab Emirates
I went to Shymbulak hopeful to enjoy some good skiing, I was so disappointed. Here is a list of my experiences shorted to bullet points;
-resort ski rental equipment is out-dated and damaged
-check all equipment before renting as you will be charged if it breaks (most skis have been snapped and repaired, some even have screws in them)
-I rejected 5 pairs of skis before finally settling on a terrible pair and they were two different skis grouped together as a pair
-rental staff are terrible and extremely rude and not interested to help you
-rental system is confusing and disorganised
-no touring or off-piste skis available
-locker facility is great; you will need it
-rental and ski pass is cheap
-2 chairs open in 3rd week in Feb! After skiing from top to bottom over and over and over again it became boring
-despite lack of runs to ski there was a nice run reserved for race training, which is fair enough as the resort was very quiet mid-week.
-resort restaurants are very good. I tried many and the food was good in all of them
-resort toilets facilities are very clean but don’t try using the bathrooms in Medeo. They are down 4 (could be more) flights of concrete stairs hidden in a car park. Then there are only 2 dirty cubicles! If you can hold it for 40 minutes best wait till you get off the gondola.
-taxis, taxis, taxis......... OMG! Basically there aren’t any. You finish your days skiing then look for a taxi back to Almaty. No. If you are lucky you will find one, if not you need to wait in the cold, take the bus, or pay someone to take you back who is there with a car, I also tried calling my hotel to ask them to arrange a ‘city’ car. They did but it picked up someone else. Basically, no transport infrastructure in place other than the bus.
In short; I liked Shymbulak a lot and it has real potential as a ski destination for UAE residents alike when it offers a superior service and product. Damaged equipment, a lack of organisation, friendly staff and no way to get home are all deal breakers for me. I won’t go back unless it’s a private ski tour or climb which doesn’t require Shymbulak’s services.
Contrary to Shymbulak, the surrounding areas are fantastic for climbers. So much to offer. And, Almaty itself is a great city. I will be returning later this year; just a shame I won’t be skiing.
November 07, 2011
Mark Burnell from
Kazakhstan
Mark Burnell from
Kazakhstan
Chimbulak is very different now! A new gondola takes you from Medeu to the base of the mountain. Then you can ride two new combi lifts, combination chair lift and gondola cabins, to the top of the mountain. These are high speed lifts like Europe. The new lodge building at the bottom has three restaurants, lockers, ski rental, and Snow School. It's great!
November 09, 2009
john smith from
Canada
john smith from
Canada
The facilities at Chimbulak are bad.
Price is cheap: 5000 kzt is barely 34 USD. Extreme shop in Almaty on Dostyk is the best place for rentals if you don't have your own gear.
The snow early in the season leaves a bit to be desired but around Feb/March there are some great days. Only on those days will half the hill at Chimbulak be closed due to their inability to manage a mountain or fully understand avalanche control.
It's a good escape when you have to live here but until you get to the top it's a bit frustrating.
The beer is cold though.
October 08, 2009
Ascanio Martinotti from
Luxembourg
Ascanio Martinotti from
Luxembourg
Chimbulak is a great place. Where else in the world can you be on the slopes in 20' from the office? Of course, it's not the Alps, and the northern exposure means that sunlight in winter is poor. The cafe higher up from base lifts at Chimbulak has the best shashlyks in the area. For a romantic weekend, try the charming Tuyuk-Su Gates Hotel in Small Almaty Gorge, further up the road from base lifts at 2650mt elevation is perfect. You can take a cottage with fireplace and wake up in a perfect setting amidst the woods. Highly recommended.
February 09, 2008
Michael Simon from
Germany
Michael Simon from
Germany
It's great for a day or two to ski, but not really challenging for experienced skiers. I was there a couple of days ago using a day off during a business trip. It's very convenient with only approx 20 - 30 minutes away from the
city centre.
Lift and ski rentals prices have inflated quite heavily lately as I understand. 1 hours lift pass for 1300 KZT, day pass 5000 KZT, ski rental for a decent pair of ski's up to 50.000 KZT, hence more than you would pay in Switzerland or Austria. I was most pleasantly surprised about the very empty slopes when I was there last week, less than 200 people on the mountain.
In a nutshell, a great place to go skiing and take a break from the city.
January 28, 2006
Derek L from
Australia
Derek L from
Australia
I've just got back after being there for the last 2 months. It's a great place to ski but beware the temperatures get down to -25C. On a warm day it's a great place to ski with the quad chairlift and the main ones. The new quad is great but the old ones are a bit slow compared to what you would get in Europe.
I also recommend a place called Alatau, a lot smaller & cheaper than Chimbulak but great skiing.
For rental you can rent at Chimbulak or there is a good place in Almaty called "Extremal" where you can rent top of the range equipment for a good price.
I recommend skiing around Almaty, it's a great city with good food and good snow!
Derek
Brisbane, AUS
January 03, 2006
Christoph S. from
Germany
Christoph S. from
Germany