Somewhere in the flat steppe, the rock-addicted may find a relief: Tamgaly-Tas, some of the sights in Almaty's surrounding, besides a Buddha-rock painting and a yearly folk-music festival boast some diverse rocky outcrops. The climbing varies from slabs, face to some cracks. Protection is as diverse — there are mostly modern sport routes, although there are also some trad routes. In some places there are still old bolts with homemade hangers, which should be avoided. Wearing a helmet is recommended, as the rock tends to shed flakes even where it looks quite solid. Tamgaly-Tas is comfortable when the weather is good, but hell (or Hoth) in the wrong conditions. The season runs from March to mid-May, and then again from mid-September to November. Summer is considered too hot to climb, and there are clouds of bloodthirsty insects. The air tends to be still, so it's lovely in the sun in cooler weather, but absolutely stifling when the weather's warm. Conversely, humidity is low, so the shade is comfortable in warmer weather. Luckily, there are areas facing every direction, so you can always find somewhere in the shade or sun to climb. Almost all the recent development has been done by Kirill Belotserkovsky, who has bolted or rebolted almost a hundred routes.

Drive from Almaty to Qapshagai (43.889201, 77.070354), continue North over the dam and Ili river for 8 km. At the interchange (43.928013, 77.143952) turn North (left) towards Bakhbaty. After 15 km (44.095517, 77.065609) turn West (left) onto a dirt road (there is a small sign). Take the system of parallel paths to the west towards the river valley and follow it upstream until you spot the rocks. This route is normally fine with a 2WD if you drive carefully There are several other paths to the river, for example by turning off the highway earlier (44.027847, 77.093741). These might be better for a 2WD. It seems that despite the state of the roads, many tourists seem to manage with 2WDs.