These are favorite Almaty places for a day trip excursion for the city. Medeu ice ring, 15 km south of central almaty is at 1700 m high. It is an ice ring for speed skating and many soviet champions trained there. It functions from october to may.
Upper is Shymbulaq, at 2300 m, it is the most exciting skiing center in central Asia. In summer it is a good base camp for excursion in the mountain. You could climb the Abaï Peak which is 4150 m high. At the bottom of the valley there is an old weather station which looks like an Antartica scientist colony!