Liming China Rock Climbing by Mike Dobie

by | Jun 13, 2019 | World's Best Rock Climbing Areas

Rent, Buy or Bundle Liming Rock here: https://rakkup.com/guidebooks/liming-china-rock-climbing/

Nestled in the corner of China’s most southwest province, Yunnan, is an area of geological and cultural contrasts. The jungles of southeast Asia meet the Tibetan plateau and the far reaches of Himalayan mountains loom. The distinct ethnic groups from these varied lands co-habitat in rural villages of a province where the Southern Silk road and less famous Tea Horse Trail once passed. The gypsy market that pops up in Liming throughout the month is reminiscent of the region’s early days of trading… but now the ladies in their colorful traditional clothes use their smartphones to buy goods in a way more futuristic than most cities of the west.

Ana Pautler on Wind of the Valley, possibly the best 5.10 in Liming. Photo Danial Harata
Ana Pautler on Wind of the Valley, possibly the best 5.10 in Liming. Photo Danial Harata_

For the last decade, climbers have made pilgrimages to the valley to ascend the towering red sandstone walls protruding from steep, vegetated hills above a small village. There over 280 routes in 31 different sectors, and while the area gained its fame for the trad climbing, recent focus has been on the sport walls. To access most of the climbing, you’ll need to hike 45 minutes from town up steep terrain, but there are a handful of roadside trad and sport walls to give your legs some reprieve. The town offers several guest houses and restaurants serving up delicious stir-fries with local ingredients and cheap prices, making it a traveling climber’s or dirtbag’s paradise. While winter temperatures hover around freezing at night, the guest houses provide heated blankets. Alternatively, spring (March, April May) and fall (late September, October, November) offer more comfortable temperatures, though occasional rain. A handful of areas that will also stay dry. Summer (June-early September) is the monsoon season and it is not recommend to visit.

A travelling climber on a 5.11d splitter photo Thomas Senf
A traveling climber on a 5.11d splitter photo Thomas Senf

Routes range from 5.7-5.13+ and while it is helpful to know how to jam before arriving in Liming, The Great Owl and Charlie the Unicorn are classic 5.9s that’ll help you learn the essential skills. Scar Face and Wind of the Valley are favorite 5.10s, and from  there, the route quality only goes up. People have said Back to the Primitive (5.11, A0 8 pitches) is reason to cross an ocean. While Akum Ra (5.11) is a favorite single pitch. Japanese Cowboy and Another World are fantastically steep 5.12s and if you’re still looking for a bigger challenge, Logan Barber’s test pieces Firewall (5.13d) and Honeycomb Dome (5.13d+) should keep you busy for a while. And that’s just the trad climbing.

Brandon Guttong on the First Free Ascent of Japanese Cowboy 5.12. Photo Garrett Bradley
Brandon Guttong on the First Free Ascent of Japanese Cowboy 5.12. Photo Garrett Bradley

If you’re interested in clipping bolts, the Faraway guesthouse owner provides rides through a valley above the softer sandstone to a completely different environment of dolomitic sandstone. The rock resembles La Mojarra in Columbia and 12mm bolts are used in super hard sandstone with horizontal breaks, corners, pockets, and crimps. The sport areas (El Dorado and Goat Rodeo) are still cleaning up, but with more traffic, these are bound to be classic destinations. The walls are just overhung enough to stay dry in the rain, helping round out the shoulder season options. Golden Eyebrow is a newly bolted 5.10 classic following a corner, Gold Rush (5.11) has sporty moves straight outta the gym,  Gold, Gold, Everythang Gold (5.12) delivers big holds at an angle sure to pump you out, and Tibetan Cowboys in a Disco (5.13a) combines endurance and technique with an angle steep enough to keep you barley on your toes. Mike Dobie first visited the area in 2010 and has spent the majority of the last decade focused on developing new routes in Liming. His original partner was a Chinese climber named Zhoulei, but countless others have contributed to the area’s development scrubbing routes, bolting and re-bolting anchors, building trails, and more recently bolting sport lines. Dobie views his work as a service project to the climbing community globally. It is an area of fantastic potential, amazing scenery, and memorable climbing. It is a journey to get there, but well worth the effort.

Chris Miller on pitch 4 of Souls Awakening. Photo Garrett Bradley
Chris Miller on pitch 4 of Souls Awakening. Photo Garrett Bradley

Rent, Buy or Bundle Liming Rock here: https://rakkup.com/guidebooks/liming-china-rock-climbing/

Columbia Valley Rock Climbing by Bruno-Pierre Couture

by | Apr 9, 2019 | World's Best Rock Climbing Areas

Columbia Valley Rock Climbing get together after work. Photo credit Jack Caldbick
Columbia Valley Rock Climbing get together after work. Photo credit Jack Caldbick

As climbers we are now privileged time players who can enjoy these natural jewels. The climbing pioneers who explore the mountains around here shared their mettled spirit, with which they climbed the summits of the region, to the generations who followed them. Now, the new generation is exploring the territory with new eyes, discovering and rediscovering its places and trying to transmit their knowledge to share their spirit of adventure, so that future generations can enjoy the jewels this valley has to offer.

Throughout the years the Columbia Valley was the scene of many clashes, starting with the formation of the valley itself. A titanic battle of the elements created over many years the Columbia River fault that now separates the intriguing Purcells range from the indomitable Rockies mountains. This trench is the scene of spectacular rock formations. On one side the granite; pure, solid and straight pierces the earth’s crust and vibrates in us the names of the “Bubagoos”, “Leaning towers”, “Sally Serana”. While in the East the more friable limestone creates unique silhouettes such as “Goodsir Mountains”, “Rockwall”, “Flow Peak”, “White Tail” ….

Buy Bruno’s Columbia Valley Rock Climbing Guidebook here: https://rakkup.com/guidebooks/british-columbia-columbia-valley-rock-climbing/

La vallée de la Columbia fût le lieux de bien des affrontements, à commencer par la formation de la vallée elle-même. Un combat titanesque des éléments à créer au cours de longues années la faille de la rivière Columbia qui sépare maintenant l’intrigante chaîne de montagnes des Purcells de l’indomptables chaînes des Rocheuses. Cette tranchée est le théâtre de formations rocheuses spectaculaires. D’un côté le granite; pure, solide et droit perce l’écorce terrestre et fait vibrer en nous les noms de «Bubagoos», «Leaning towers», «Sally Serana». Tandis qu’à l’Est le calcaire plus friable crée des silhouettes uniques telle que les «monts Goodsir», le «Rockwall», «Flow peak», «White Tail», etc. En tant que grimpeurs nous sommes maintenant de privilégiés acteurs du temps qui  pouvons jouir de ces bijoux naturels. Les pionniers de l’escalade qui sont passés par ici ont su partager leur esprit fougueux avec lequel ils ont gravit les sommets de la région aux générations qui les suivirent. Maintenant, la nouvelle génération explore avec un nouvel œil le territoire, elle découvre et redécouvre ses endroits et tente de transmettre leur savoir pour partager leur esprit d’aventure, afin que les générations futures puissent profiter des joyaux que cette vallée a à offrir.