Mountains & WalksMountains & WalksPhoto: Nikita Mikhailovskiy, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
The route begins at Medeu, which you can reach by bus #12 or by car, and continues through the territory of Ile-Alatau National Park, where entry via QR code is required at the checkpoint. First comes an asphalt road through Kimasarsky Gorge, followed by a dirt track along a stream, and then an ascent along the ridge to the summit. The total distance is 8.6–9.7 km one way, taking 8–10 hours for the round trip. At around 2,500 meters elevation stands the famous "swing"—one of the most photographed spots in the mountains above Almaty, where sitting on it creates the illusion of soaring directly over a precipice.
The mountain was named after Dmitry Furmanov, the author of "Chapaev," which was required reading in every Soviet school. However, for Almaty, Furmanov is significant not for "Chapaev" but for events in 1920. He gained his experience as a commissar a year earlier in Vasily Chapaev's division on the Urals. It was this Chapaev that he would later write about in his most famous novel. From late 1919, Furmanov served as the authorized representative of the Revolutionary Military Council in Semirechye, and from August 1919 to September 1920, he was the head of the Political Department of the Turkestan Front. Almaty was then called Verny. On June 12–19, 1920, a revolt broke out there: part of the city garrison rebelled against local authorities. Furmanov played a key role in suppressing it, spending several days negotiating with the rebels and deliberately dragging out talks until loyal troops could reach the city. This episode formed the basis for his novel "The Revolt" (1925). For Almaty residents, this book means more than his far more famous "Chapaev." The neighboring gorge in the mountains above the city has been called Komissarovsky ever since—named after Furmanov's position. One of the peaks in its upper reaches was named Furmanovka by analogy.
Furmanov Peak is one of the most popular day hikes for Almaty residents, and it's easy to see why: it's a proper mountain with a genuine alpine feel, yet you can reach it from a bus stop without a car or guide. From the summit, you can see Talgar Peak—the highest point of the Zailiysky Alatau—and the entire Left Talgar massif. The route doesn't require alpine climbing equipment, but closer to the summit you encounter loose scree: on the final stretch, you need to watch your footing more carefully than on the approach. For many Almaty residents, this is one of the first mountains they climb independently. Then they return with friends or children to show them those very "swings" and the view that once amazed them.