Kazakhstan Rock Climbing

Kazakhstan is the world's largest landlocked country by land area and the ninth largest country in the world. This massive area contains a variety of landscapes and climates. Some of the most stunning being the majestic Kazakh steppe, which occupies 1/3 of the country, and the rugged Tien Shan mountain range that lines the southern boarder. With plenty of climbing yet to be discovered, several lifetimes of adventure can be found here.

FYI… This is a Russian speaking country but I frequently meet english speaking locals while climbing. TNote: the following description is outdated and climbing ethics and safety techniques in Kazakhstan have hugely improved since this description. But! It is a reminder that sport climbing here is relatively new and it's pretty funny, so instead of removing it from this description, just know that it is outdated and things have modernized. Okay, back to it: There are very different climbing practices here. People are not shy about throwing an anchor on top of yours. I have seen 10 ropes put up on 4 TR anchors. I have had climbers fall and swing into me, knocking me off the wall. They rarely warn climbers before throwing a rope. A common way to belay is for the belayer to tie into the rope and simply walk backwards as the climber goes up and walk forwards to lower the climber. I have even seen someone tie a rope to a car bumper and drive back as the climber went up and drive forward to lower. People have told me that my 8 mm cordelette or Dynex slings are "too weak" for an anchor as they're using what looks like a 30 year old, 1" hemp rope. I don't mean to cast a negative light but you should know what to expect!

If you can read Russian (or, like me, just use the images) here is my friend Kirill Belotserkovskiy's website. steelinside.com/ If you run into him, and you'll if you climb in the area regularly, he speaks excellent english, has a wealth of knowledge and is a strong climber! He is also a guide if you need those services.

There are several guidebooks now in print that you can buy at local climbing gyms as well as many outdoor gear shops around Almaty. There are guidebooks for alpine routes and cragging. I'd suggest downloading Russian in Google Translate for offline use if you are not fluent in Russian technical terms as all guidebooks that I have seen are printed only in Russian. 

Being relatively new to the area, I have limited information on the history of the crags and route names. All the names that I use have been learned from the ex-pat community or made-up by me. Feel free to notify me if you have any corrections.