Staircase of health in the Medeu tract

Location: This staircase is located 25 kilometers from Almaty, above the Medeu complex.

What’s interesting about it?

The Health Staircase is a popular place for those who want to breathe fresh mountain air and increase their stamina. You can climb directly from Medeu to the mudflow dam.

Every year, in the summer, there is a staircase race in which anyone can participate. In 2020, Yuri Ponomarev climbed and descended this health staircase 20 times in 6 hours and 42 minutes. He covered 16,840 steps during this time. In 2021, Chingiz Baykashev and Niyaz Zhanzakov spent 24 hours going up and down the stairs, with breaks for snacks. During this time, they covered the same distance as to the top of Everest, climbing and descending 82 times.

Why visit?

The Health Staircase is visited for sporting purposes and leisurely ascents and descents because not everyone can overcome all 842 steps without breaks. You can find “special” rest areas along the stairs. The reward for the climb is an incomparable view of the Medeu ice skating rink, the dam, the Trans-Ili Alatau, and the city, which opens from the observation deck.

When is the best time to visit?

This staircase is available for visitors to visit at any time of the year. The easiest way, of course, is to go up and down the health ladder in the summer; in winter, the ascent is more complicated due to the cold weather.