Getu-valley

The Great Arch

This place is amazing. So far, I like this maybe better than Yangshuo. The tourism hasn’t ruined to genuineness of people, there are less people (though not right now J) and the landscape is amazing.  On the way here, you could see people harvesting on the sides of the roads, chickens running across the street, people gathered around an enormous slaughtered pig, girls washing their hair in a bucket, old men sitting idle on the side of the road…

The first week was great – just a handful of Western climbers and local people so it was really great to chill out and climb some awesome climbs (though I think many will get better – many of them are still dirty as the traffic hasn’t been big here and some might not have been climbed at all after they’ve been put up!). I have managed to push my onsight and flash grade a bit higher and am really glad for that (and am also more consistent with onsighting grades I before might have had trouble with).

The last couple of people more and more people have arrived and I have met more international climbers here than ever before – and many of them who climb 9a’s. I don’t even recognize all the “famous” climbers as I don’t follow that much climbing news or even if I have heard a name I might not recognize the face… I was glad I got the opportunity to chat with Steve McClure about the route he put up in Baihe with John Dunne many years ago (as we were really curious how they found that piece of rock so far away from everything…!) and he was delighted that people had been trying that this year. Then yesterday, rappelling down from a 7c+ multipitch who else but Lynn Hill was behind, just finishing third pitch – a woman that I admire and it was great to see her climb. She looked like she was climbing a ladder, so easy she made it look. Here you realize how many great climbers there are in the world and how much work and effort they put into climbing – like Daniel Dulac and his self-made drill with a “chalkbag” for battery and a button to start the drill, to be able to drill hard climbs from ground up.

A great place, though now completely different from week ago. 

Michaël Fuselier sending hard stuff (this one was 8b+ I think?) with photographers shooting...

Logan getting to the anchor of the 3rd pitch on a 5-pitch 7c+ 'Ni Hao, Wo Ke Pa!"

View from above

Logan rapping down

Best pancakes in Getu-valley, 1 rmb