An Expedition to Kolsay Lakes
Early in July, a group of botanists from Almaty travelled to the Kolsay Lakes National Park to document rare alpine plants. Their main goal was to reach an isolated ridge above the second lake, where endemic flowers were known to bloom. The expedition members spent the first evening checking their measuring equipment and organizing plant presses inside their tents. The next morning they set out at dawn. The team ______ along the narrow canyon path for almost three hours when a sudden rockfall blocked the way ahead. Luckily, nobody was hurt, but the guides quickly realized that continuing along the original route was too dangerous. Consequently, the team unpacked their topographical maps, consulted local forest rangers and selected an alternative trail along the forested slopes.