Traditional Climbing

My first rock climb after a 20 year hiatus was 5 years ago in Yangshuo; Tommy Ouyang put me on the Miracle at Wine Bottle and I struggled up on top-rope. Shaking from fatigue I was re-hooked when I got back down. I discovered ‘sport’ climbing: it was safer, physically more challenging, and much more social. Not the rugged mountain climbing I’d grown up with but I could get on climbs I would not have looked at before. The psychological aspects of sport climbing are not as gripping, the cost of failing usually not as severe. Everyone is stronger and climbs are more difficult. Good formula!

Once I started bolting new routes three years ago, climbing returned to its roots for me. I’ve even stopped dropping important stuff like drill bits and hammers! This fall I lead a new line on the Camel’s Neck, ‘Bedouins’ on trad gear that followed an obvious crack system and went at 5.10b – right at my limit. Exploiting a crag’s weaknesses is become a familiar game again and climbing on trad gear here makes everything more serious, everything turns fluid and uncertain. I stay focused longer, know my strength and equipment better, and I realize my mistakes can have dire consequences. My relationships to my partners deepen, interdependence becomes absolute, trust develops.

Traditionally protected routes in Yangshuo do not see a lot of ascents in a year: the Middle Finger is almost never climbed although it is an obvious and readily accessible crag. After climbing in the US last summer in areas that have only traditionally protected routes I realize the game is still alive and well in other places; sport climbing hasn’t completely taken over and Yangshuo would benefit greatly from a bigger group of trad climbers putting up new lines, even if they are subsequently bolted for sport climbs. With all the possibilities for new lines on untapped crags within 10 minutes of town we’ll never run out of projects.