Visitor reviews of Shymbulak Ski Resort for Skiing, Accommodation and Snow

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Shymbulak Ratings

Overall: 3.4. Based on 17 votes and 7 reviews.

Rate this resort

Snowsure: 4.0

Occasionally gets enough snow for skiing
Is often closed due to a lack of snow
Occasionally suffers from a lack of snow
Rarely suffers from a lack of snow
Shymbulak is snowsure even in the poorest seasons

Variety of pistes: 3.1

The ski runs are featureless and unvaried
The ski runs are varied but not extensive enough for a week
Shymbulak has diverse and interesting pistes including forests and high alpine terrain

Off-piste: 3.0

No off-piste worth mentioning
Off piste is out-of-bounds
Some varied offpiste that stays fresh for one or two days
A vast array of off-piste routes that can stay untracked for several days

Scenery: 4.4

An ugly resort in a bland setting
Average mountain views and resort
A spectacular setting and a beautiful / historic resort town

Access: 4.7

At least one overnight stop
Requires a whole day
Requires more than half a day – you may have time for a few turns
Arrive by lunchtime and ski all afternoon
There is a main airport within an hour of Shymbulak

Public Transport: 4.3

There are no buses or taxis to Shymbulak
There are slow or infrequent buses / trains available
Getting to the resort is easy with frequent bus / train connections

Accommodation: 3.3

No places to stay in/near Shymbulak
A few places to stay in the resort
A wide variety of accommodation suitable to suit all budgets

Cheap Rooms: 2.1

No budget accommodation available
Just one or two hostels so book ahead
Several cheap hostels and pensions available

Luxury Hotels: 3.1

No luxury accommodation available
Just one or two luxury hotels so book ahead
Several up-market hotels in Shymbulak

Ski in/Ski out: 4.3

The ski area is located far from any accommodation
A free ski bus takes you to the ski area in a short trip
Ski-in ski-out accommodation is available

Childcare: 3.4

There are no child care facilities at Shymbulak
The resort has limited child-care facilities
the resort has excellent child-care facilities including at least one reasonably priced creche

Snowmaking: 3.6

Shymbulak relies entirely on natural snow
There are just a few snow cannons
There are snowmaking facilities on all pistes

Snow Grooming: 4.4

There are no snow groomers at Shymbulak
Occasionally some pistes are left ungroomed and in a poor state
All the runs at Shymbulak are groomed daily

Shelter: 4.0

There is nowhere to ski when it is windy or visibility is bad and lifts often shut
There are some trees for poor visibility but main lifts sometimes close
Shymbulak is mostly in forest where you can ski in flat-light and windy days, lifts rarely close

Nearby options: 2.5

If snow conditions are poor at Shymbulak, it will be poor everywhere nearby
There are good alternatives within an hours drive
Other locations on the same lift pass provide a rich variety of snowsure ski conditions

Regional rating: 3.9

Shymbulak usually has poor snow conditions compared to other resorts in region
Has average conditions for the region
Usually has the best snow conditions in the region

Lift Staff: 4.0

The staff at Shymbulak are rude or unhelpful
Lift staff at Shymbulak are pleasant, cheerful and eager to help

Crowds/Queues: 3.3

The resort is always busy and there are usually long lift queues
It is quiet apart from occasional weekends and school holidays
It is uncrowded and lift queues are very rare

Ski Schools: 3.7

No ski schools available
One or two ski schools but local language only
A few ski schools but book early for multi-lingual instructors
Plenty of ski schools and multi-lingual instructors available
Excellent ski schools with friendly multi-lingual ski instructors

Hire and Repairs: 3.7

Nothing can be sourced, not even ski-wax or ptex
There are some ski shops but rentals need to be booked in advance
Good quality ski equipment can be purchased or hired and overnight repairs are possible

Beginners: 3.9

Beginners can only watch others ski and snowboard
A few gentle slopes but beginners will get bored in less than a week
Vast areas of gentle terrain

Intermediates: 3.9

No intermediate terrain at Shymbulak
Intermediate skiers will get bored after a few days
Vast areas of cruising runs

Advanced: 3.4

Nothing for advanced skiers and snowboarders
Enough steep terrain for a few days with some good offpiste
Enough steep terrain and offpiste areas to entertain advanced skiers for at least a week

Snow Park: 3.0

Not even a kicker at Shymbulak
Average sized park quite well looked after
Huge park area and expertly crafted pipes, jumps and boardercross trails

Cross-country: 2.4

There is nowhere to go for cross-country skiing around Shymbulak
There are some cross country trails available
The area features many spectacular and well maintained cross-country trails

Luge/Toboggan: 2.0

No designated luge or toboggan runs
There are toboggan runs that open quite often
Shymbulak has long and well maintained luge / toboggan facilities suitable for all ages

Mountain Dining: 3.8

Nowhere to buy food by the pistes
Some places to eat up on the mountain but they are often busy and expensive
There is a variety of excellent mountain eateries right next to the slopes to suit all budgets

Eating: 3.4

Bring your own food, there isn't even a shop
There are a few places to eat in the resort but nothing special
A wide variety of places to eat and drink in the resort, from fast food to fancy restaurants

Apres-Ski: 3.5

Nothing to do, not even a bar
There are a few bars in the resort but nothing special
Clubs and bars stay open until very late and have a friendly atmosphere

Other Sports: 2.3

No sports facilities at all apart from ski lifts
Resort has just a small public swimming pool
Resort has all kinds of sports facilities, including a full-size swimming pool

Entertainment: 2.5

Besides the snow and walking there is nothing to do here
The non-skier will find things to do for few days but may become bored after a week
The resort area is a fascinating place to visit, regardless of winter sports

Winter Walks: 3.4

Very limited walking and no snowshoe trails
A couple of designated scenic walking/snowshoe trails
Extensive and diverse winter walking trails for all abilities

Ski Pass Value: 2.8

A 1 week ski pass is overpriced compared to the number of lifts available
The ski pass is averagely priced and covers a reasonable number of lifts
Ski passes are excellent value for money and cover a lot of lifts spanning a big area

Value (National): 2.8

Overall, Shymbulak is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the country and not worth the money
Overall represents average value for money
Overall offers the best value resort in the country

Value (Global): 2.3

Overall, Shymbulak is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the world
Overall it offers pretty average value for money compared to resorts from other countries
Internationally the resort offers excellent value for money

Show all 35 ratings

February 28, 2019
rd from

France

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

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

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

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

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

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