THE FUN ISSUE!

HOW TO PLAN,
PACK & AFFORD THE

BIGGEST TRIP
OF YOUR LIFE

121

EPIC ROUTES,
BUDGET TIPS
& GEAR PICKS

UNBELAYVABLE!
SCARY TRUE TALES
FROM A CRAG
NEAR YOU

> BEACH CRAGGING

> HERO ROUTES
> VIRGIN ROCK

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CONTENTS
THE

ISSUE 330
6

BIG TRIP
ISSUE

13

FLASH

14

Virtual Discussion

THE APPROACH

15

Overheard

Editors Note

18

Unbelayvable!

Scary (and true) tales from a

crag near you.

The all-Honnold edition.

15

Archives

A tribute to Lycra.

80 THE

FLOW

20 LEAD NOW

BIG TRIPS ISSUE

Thirty-ve ights to nine countries. More than 68,000 photos and countless
hours of video. $20,000 raised for charity. Seven 5.14 sends. Paige
Claassen had one of the biggest years of travel in climbing history.

32 CHILE

South Patagonias Torres del Paine National Park holds the worlds southernmost rock climbing outside of Antarctica. Its infamous for harsh weather and
stout climbing, but Andrew Bascue found plenty of routes for the everyman.

42 SARDINIA

With super-sized helpings of moderate sport climbs, pristine beaches, and

the unrivaled Mediterranean sun, you wont suffer one bit on this island paradise and climber haven. By Dougald MacDonald

CLIMBING.COM

|1

Andes Mountain Range

Puyuhuapi,Aysn

If you love
adrenaline sports,
come to Chile.
If not...
come to Chile.

www.chile.travel

CONTENTS

ISSUE 330

THE

DONT FORGET

BIG TRIP
ISSUE

TAILOR YOUR PACKING

LIST WITH THIS HARDWON ADVICE FROM
THIS ISSUES INTREPID
CONTRIBUTORS

48 UTAH

Tennis ball.

Massage tired, sore, and

cramped muscles with
something that takes up
almost no space and
adds negligible weight.
Paige Claassen
Machete.

Moab. Just saying the word should give you goosebumps. Teaming up with
our friends at mountainproject.com, we bring you this primer on Americas
rock climbing epicenter. By J.P. Whitehead

A requirement for any

jungle adventure.
Mason Earle
Lighweight sleeping
bag or bag liner.

54 VENEZUELA

Even if youre not camping, you might sleep in

an airport or a hotel
where you dont want to
touch the sheets.
Paige Claassen
UNU Protective Battery Case.

When the pursuit of virgin rock led seven climbers to southern Venezuela,
they found what they came forrst ascents and a lifetime of untouched
bouldersbut they also learned lessons that theyll never forget.

62 BULGARIA

When traveling, there is

nothing more frustrating
then being left high and
dry, lost or confused
and then your cell phone
battery dies.
Jon Glassberg
Satellite phone.

In Torres del Paine its

the only way to stay in
touch for a weather forecast or emergency.
Andrew Bascue

Why Bulgaria? Tucked away in Eastern Europe, this Tennessee-size country

has escaped the imagination of the global climbing community. Until today.
Heidi Wirtz gives us nine reasons to go there now.

68 FRENCH POLYNESIA

French press.

Waking up after a night

in the jungle and seeing
that gigantic press gave
me hope for the day.
Gary Sorcher
[Ed. note: We like GSIs
Personal Java Press or
the MSR French press
adapter for the Reactor
stove.]

Four bold climbers came for new routes, beaches, and fresh sh. They got
rain, poison ivy, and moss instead. But they didnt let that put a stop to their
tropical climbing adventure. By Mason Earle

3 | NOVEMBER 2014

Unmarked streets are

common everywhere, as
are confusing roads and
signs, so this literally
keeps you on track.
Jon Glassberg
CLIMBING.COM

|3

ANDREW BURR

Garmin Nuvi GPS.

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CHOOSE WISELY

LEADING SINCE 1970

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most dangerous hike

5.10

s
Athlete Driven

FLASH
Andrea Batt
Unnammed
Moonstone Beach, Humboldt County, California

In Northern Californias
Humboldt County, isolated
outcroppings of rock dot the
regions 50 miles of coastline.
At 100 miles south of the
Oregon state line, the area
is more reminiscent of the
Pacic Northwests foggy,
craggy shores than the sunny
beaches one might picture
when thinking of the California
coast. Matching the shrouded
environment, the climbing
itself is a bit mysterious.
There are few names, grades,
or guidebooks for most of the
northern coast, and one must
be willing to explore without
any sort of tick list or agenda.
While some rudimentary
documentation exists online,
much of the allure lies in the
ambiguous nature of bouldering here. Moonstone Beach is
perhaps the most well-known
sector, warranting a solid entry
on Mountain Project and a few

pages in Northern California

Bouldering, by Chris Summit,
but youll still need to befriend
a resident to nd the goods.
Local and photographer Dean
Fleming says, To climb here,
you must have an intimate
relationship with the areas
coastline. Rising and falling
sand levels can drastically
change the problems, and certain climbs are only accessible
with specic tides and swells.
Within an hours drive of this
particular block, one can nd
polished schist and quartzite
crimpfests at Goat Rock State
Park, as well as limestone and
sandstone pocket-pulling at
Salt Point. Dont forget to stay
alert and vigilant: Locals have
seen many a black bear and
mountain lion in the region,
making this a true adventure
climbers destination.
DEAN FLEMING

FLASH

Gil Tenne
Cochise (6b/5.10c)
Valle dellOrco, Italy

Some have described Italys

sprawling trad climbing mecca
Valle dellOrco as little Yosemite (the area even has its own
El Capitan and Sentinel with
Caporal and Sergentcorporal
and sergeant, respectively),
but this moniker downplays the
grandeur of the area. Situated in
Gran Paradiso National Park in
Northern Italy, bordering France
to the west, the valley hosts
more than a hundred routes
spread across numerous granite
crags. Lines here climb through
blocky edges, zigzagging hand
cracks, and sharp quartz crystal
deposits. Although the rock and
style may resemble its California
counterpart, the scene is entirely unique. Winding roads take
visitors past ancient villages of
lichen-covered masonry houses
nestled under the impressive
granite cliffs that make up
the walls of the valley. Some
unknowing visitors might be dissuaded by the No Trespassing
signs on the roadside, but locals
will encourage you to just ignore
them. Very unlike its American
cousin, you wont nd crowds in
this valley, only quiet solitude.
While its famous for gear-protected multi-pitch routes, smaller
crags have recently experienced
a surge of development thanks
to new enthusiasm in the local
climbing community. Pictured
here, the Dado wall is one of
these renaissance cliffs. Cochise
is a welcome addition, with wandering crack climbing and a bit
of dicey face climbing in a neat
two-pitch package.
ANDREW BURR

FLASH

John Price
Central Pillar (WI4+)
Johnston Canyon, Alberta,
Canada

Cryophilia is dened as an
unnatural affinity for the cold.
It describes those who thrive
in subzero temps and derive
pleasure from numb extremities
and chattering teeth. (Many ice
climbers might be described as
suffering from this affliction.)
Cryophilia is also the name and
inspiration for alpine photographer Paul Zizkas series of night
ice climbing photographs shot
in the Canadian Rockies. Zizka
began shooting these unique
perspectives last winter in order
to bridge his two passions: alpine
experiences and astrophotography. I have always liked shots
that convey a sense of vulnerability, he says. Adding the
night element takes that even
further. With Canadian climber
John Price and a few other
friends, Zizka spent months
chasing clear skies and the
aurora borealis at three different
ice formations in Banff and Kootenay national parks, just west of
Calgary on the border of British
Columbia. Due to the large
amount of precipitation this area
receives each winter and the
below-zero temps, the Canadian
Rockies offer extensive ice and
mixed routes of exceptional quality. Trip opportunities range from
the easily accessible waterfalls
within the town of Banff to more
remote challenges higher up in
the parks. Its no surprise that
this photographic process proved
difficult at times, and long
exposures were necessary. Zizka
says, Retaining sharpness in the
climber was difficult, since John
had to hold completely still on
that very wet and very cold route
for long periods of time.
PAUL ZIZKA

scarpa.com/phantom-guide

You only get 26,320 days, more or less. How will you spend them?

THE

APPROACH
CONTRIBUTORS

ANDREW BASCUE

This New Jerseyite cut his teeth

climbing at the Gunks, worked and
climbed his way around the U.S.,
and then lived for four years in
Chile. Hes now based in Boulder,
Colorado, for what looks like the
long haul, and hes working on the
rst-ever guidebook for Torres del
Paine, Chile. Climbing has taken
me everywhere I was supposed to
go in life, whether I planned it or
not! Check out a sneak peek of his
guidebook on page 32.

Glory on the summit of

the Matterhorn

PAIGE CLAASSEN

EDITORS NOTE

Claassen has an impressive tick

list, including Grand Ol Opry
(5.14b/c), which she completed
while earning her marketing
degree at the University of Colorado, the rst ascent of Digital
Warfare (5.14a) in South Africa,
and most recently Just Do It,
Americas rst 5.14c. Perhaps
even more impressive is how
she spent her past yearon a
worldwide climbing trip raising
$20,000 for nonprots. She details the highlights on page 20.

RE: Out of Ofce

The work/play balance has been way out of whack at the
Climbing office in the past monthin a very good way.
Weve climbed in Wyomings Tetons and Wind River Range,
Arizonas Mount Lemmon, and Utahs Moab area. Weve also summited
a couple iconic European peaks: the 9,718-foot Zugspitze (Germanys
highest point) and Switzerlands 14,692-foot Matterhorn.
Its a minor miracle we got this issue out the door. But, as I told my
boss while grinning ear to ear, our absenteeism was actually tting preparation for this issueone stuffed with once-in-a-lifetime trips to some
of the worlds most fun, interesting, and far-ung climbing destinations.
Big-ticket travel isnt easy, but payoffs return in unquantiable ways.
On the summit of the Matterhorn after a particularly cold, windy, and
fast ascent, I looked up to see my own shadow inside a circular rainbow
(see above). I later learned that to Buddhists this rare alpine phenomenon, called Brocken spectre or simply glory, signies the observers
personal enlightenment. Im not Buddhist, but Ill take that any day.
High-ving my partner inside this optical illusion on top of one of the
worlds greatest summits is something Ill never forget.
I cant promise glory, but I can promise that creating lifelong climbing
memories on a big trip is entirely possible. Schedule an automatic $40
deposit per paycheck into a new account. By this time next year, youll
have a grand for a plane ticket. Solicit a partner and tell everyone about
your plans so youre accountable. Then take it one tiny step at a time.

Finding bargains

HIGHLIGHTS
FROM THE
JOURNEY

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: SHANNON DAVIS; COURTESY (2); ANDREW BURR (2)

BY SHANNON DAVIS

Travelling aint
cheap, so we asked
our correspondents to highlight ways to live frugally after
you pony up for that plane
ticket. Look for this symbol
throughout for budget advice.

MASON EARLE

Born in Concord, Massachusetts, Earle started climbing at

the age of 10, barefoot, with a
sling tied around his waist. I
moved West as soon as I was
legally able to do so, he says,
choosing Salt Lake City as a
home base and now, as a professional climber, using much
better equipment. He travels
incessantly in search of rst ascents. Read his dispatch from
French Polynesia on page 68.

Exploring local cuisine

Food and drink might be the second (or
rst?) thing on a climbers mind at all times.
In this issue, our contributors noshed boerewors (a sausage), plate-size mushrooms,
vodka, borscht, sh pie, sashimi, cabbage,
mate, steamed buns, mango, grilled lamb,
goat ribs, red wine, and more. Yum!

Reliving Washer Woman

In Search of Suds (p. 48) is
such a cool route!

Jamming
I cringe when I hear about my inner
child or why we climb, but the
trio of climbers covering untapped
Venezuelan boulders in Into the
Devils House (p. 54), eclipsed clich
in their descriptions of getting in sync
with the rock, the environment, and
each other. Also known as jamming.
CLIMBING.COM

| 13

THE APPROACH
VIRTUAL DISCUSSION
Since his rst article, our advice columnist, Answer Man, has stirred up controversy. Some think he provides fun, snarky
answers to common climber questions. Others just think hes a jerk. Heres a sampling of opinions from both sides. Browse the
Answer Man archives and weigh in yourself at climbing.com/answermanarchives.

COMMENTS
Is this supposed to be funny and farcical? Is it supposed to advise
and educate? Climbing advice is not an appropriate subject to mix
these things. These questions deserve real, forthright answers, and
the authors humor is not very funny in my opinion.
Crater - 09/10/2014 3:08:29

I fully agree with Crater. In addition to hunched backs, climbers

suffer from an inability to discern between sarcasm and a springloaded camming device. Dont confuse us with your highfalutin
word-wrangling. We want straight talk, ya hear?
Jaren Watson - 09/10/2014 4:48:06

I thought it was funny! Maybe because I think dry ropes and gear
marking are as obvious as the author? I dont think mixing advice and
humor is a bad idea. Its not like hes prompting some poor soul who
doesnt understand sarcasm to get himself killed by saying, Screw the
dry rope. Go with bungee cords and dental oss.
Kristin - 09/10/2014 3:38:42

I brought my sense of humor and enjoyed the article. I learned

something about why I should keep buying dry-treated ropes and
how to deal with tiny crashpads (kids) in the gym. Love it. Please
keep the good stuff coming.
Rick - 09/10/2014 4:52:43

Its a great format; I learned a couple things, and then I had a couple
laughs. Its a simple matter of taste I suppose, but I give it a thumbs-up.
Emily - 09/10/2014 4:22:04

KEEP IN TOUCH

Whats your
top climbing
destination
worldwide?

12
0

10
0

Have fun and stay injury-free

Break into the next grade level
Acquire or rene skills (example: start leading trad)
Climb a major big wall or alpine route
Send my project
Other
80

Whats your
climbing goal
this year?

@climbingmagazine

60

OBVIOUS LINES

@climbingmag

40

/climbingmagazine

I liked this article, and I found that it did answer the questions
asked. For the complainers, if you cant read through the sarcasm
and you get your panties in a bunch because of it, I do believe you
may need to seek medical assistance to forcefully remove your head
from your own ass.
Dave - 09/10/2014 6:01:19

20

letters@climbing.com

I cant tell if hes trying (and failing) to be funny, or really is just an

asshole.
Alex Brady 09/10/2014 5:43

Other
Yosemite
Red River Gorge
Patagonia
Mallorca
Himalaya
Dolomites
Fontainebleau
Kalymnos
El Potrero Chico
Grampians
South Africa
Hueco Tanks
80

60

40

20

OTHER
Thailand, Alaska, Chile, Wind River Range, Vietnam, Horseshoe Canyon Ranch, Peak District, Smith Rock, Acadia, Red Rock, Leavenworth,
Tetons, Tahoe, Moab, Rockies, Joshua Tree, New River Gorge, Peru, Eldorado Canyon, Alps, Lander, Gunks, Squamish, etc.

35 *Source: Climbing reader survey. Join at climbing.com/readerpanel.

14 | NOVEMBER 2014

OVERHEARD
Special All-Honnold Edition! On August 19, Alex Honnold
stopped by the Boulder Theater in Boulder, Colorado, for a
live Q&A. For those of you that missed it, weve highlighted
his best quips here. To watch the full event, visit
climbing.com/relativityofrisk.

Basically, no. I mean, Im from suburban California. I dont do cold.

Honnold, dismissing any potential of
moving on to alpinism or big
Himalayan exepeditions.

In the beginning, I over-emphasized the reward. I thought, If I do this, Im going to

get laid. And I still havent.
Honnold, on the thankless endeavor of free-soloing.

Its not that shocking, but it turns out that lawyers and free-soloing dont mix.
Whoda thunk?
Honnolds answer to those
wondering what happened with his
planned climb of the Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taiwan.

Every once in a while, I will watch a bunch of movies and eat a bunch of cookies.
Honnold, on losing motivation.

You must know what youre doing!

Honnolds mom, after seeing him on TV and the covers of magazines.

ARCHIVES

A Tribute to Lycra
Climbers of today can be a fashion-forward bunch, with button-down plaid shirts and tight jeans present at crags across the country. It wasnt
always this way. In the late 1980s, Lycra tights took our sport by storm. Climbers appreciated the stretchy material for the unrestricted movement
it provided, and they loved the loud, colorful patterns because, well, it was the 80s. The trend was at its peak when we released our April 1987
issue, in which nearly every climber pictured dons these performance leggings. Heres a small sampling.

This ad for One Sport

climbing shoes demonstrates the pure exibility of these second-skin
pants.

Ray Ringle looks surprisingly badass in bottoms

that resemble a coloring
book on Heat Wave
(5.12).

Brad Smith on Golden

Beaver Right (5.12c) in
tights that were once a
tablecloth from a maarun Italian restaurant.

Corrine LaBrune climbs

in full 80s style,
complete with oversized
sweater, on Latest Rage
(5.12b).

Jean-Baptiste Tribout
complements climber
tights (patterned
with biners, nuts, and
chalkbags) with a pinkcheckered harness.

Paul Van Betten looks

undeniably rad on Desert
Reality (5.11c) in this ad
for Rad Designs tights,
available in seven patterns.

COVER PHOTO
Jim Waugh ghts through the roof of Maadim (5.11b) in his yellow, gridded
power leggings.

CLIMBING.COM

| 15

THE APPROACH
OFF THE WALL

A Wedding Challenge
BY KEVIN CORRIGAN

WELL, THIS IS ADORABLE. Brian and Mandy Fabel threw out the usual wedding-day worries (food, owers, DJ) and replaced them with a long hike and
hand jams by giving themselves a challenge. The approach to their sacred
union would involve leaving their home in Lander, Wyoming, climbing the
Northeast Face (5.8+) of Pingora in the neighboring Wind River Range, having
a small ceremony on the summit, and then returning home. All under their
own power. Thats a 10-mile bike ride. A 25-mile hike. Nine pitches of climbing. And then the whole thing again in reverse. Perhaps they missed out on
seeing some distant relative drink too much and perform the chicken dance
with gusto, but we suspect their memories more than make up for it.
How did this idea come about?

Brian: On our second or third date, we went backcountry skiing with a

friend of ours and came up with this idea that it would be fun to bike from
Lander to climb something in the Wind River Range. We thought the idea
of a human-powered ascent was really cool, but we always came up with
an excuse not to do it. Then we went to a friends wedding and thought,
We like some aspects of weddings, and others we dont. We should just
totally do it our wayby nally doing that human-powered Pingora ascent
wed dreamed about. It was this cool metaphor with a long adventure
that tested us mentally and physically to romp to the top of a peak in the
mountains that are near and dear to us. And we invited our friend who
had the original idea with us, Jamie ODonnell, to ofciate.
So were you already engaged when you decided to do this?

Brian: No. We didnt do that the traditional way either.

What kind of planning went into it?

Mandy: Step one: Our friend Jamie got ordained on the Internet. Step
two: Logistics. We had a four-day window at the end of August where we
were waiting to see about the weather. We went on three training days in
the Winds. We needed to do a lot of hiking to get in shape to walk that
far. We previewed the route two weekends prior so wed be able to climb
it in the dark or if it was wet. We called that our pre-marital counseling.
Then the week of, we watched the weather and dialed in our nal itinerary,
adding videographer and photographer friends to record the ceremony.
Did you dress up for the ceremony?

Mandy: I didnt want people to see the photos and think that we
happened to climb Pingora and then said, Oh! Maybe we should get
married! So I had a wedding dress that I had gotten the week before at a
thrift store for $8.

another long day ahead of us. Two, we wanted to beat the thunderstorms.
And three, we didnt want to end up behind other parties. We actually
had the whole climb to ourselves the whole day, which was really lovely.
We got to the top smoothly. The only hiccup was that I dropped a No. 3
Camalot, which was a bummer, but we decided we can just ask for one in
our wedding registry. Yes, we have a registry. Were not totally nuts.
What was the ceremony like?

Mandy: We exchanged rings, and we said vows. Brian was actually still
writing his vows on the climb up. And Jamie did a great job ofciating.
Brian: I was like, Gosh, I didnt know we were doing vows!
Mandy: So we had the ceremony, and then drank some champagne. Not
very much because none of us had eaten enough to consume alcohol.
And then we descended. Three raps and then walk off the rest of the
way. We got back to camp about 2:00 p.m., sat and ate food, drank more
champagne, and geared up for our respective hikes. Our plan was to hike
until we got tired, or until dark, and then camp another night and nish in
the morning. So we set off.
Brian: I was very tired at that point. I wouldve been ne if we just had the
party and then retired for the evening and had a nice morning of sleeping
in with fresh coffee.
Mandy: But then it would have rained on us. And we did not take a stove,
so we couldnt have actually had coffee. We ended up powering through
and made it home, getting into bed at exactly 3:00 a.m. We really made
the most of our wedding day24 hours. Then we slept. We planned to
sleep for a long time, but we both woke up ravenous a few hours later.
Were your families disappointed they couldnt be there?

Mandy: We left the house on bicycles at 6:00 a.m. with all of our gear.
It was about 10 miles up Sinks Canyon, with a couple thousand feet of
elevation gain. It took us about an hour and a half. Then we stashed our
bikes in the trees and started walking at 8:30 a.m. We were hiking for 25
miles, and we would be doing it again the next day, so we kept a nice
leisurely pace. It was a just keep hiking sort of day. We arrived at the
base of Pingora at 7:00 p.m., ate food, and got to bed around 8:00. We
got up at 3:00 a.m. to do the approach and start the climb. One, we had

16 | NOVEMBER 2014

Brian: They would say, Oh, wish we could have been there, but I dont
want to do that trip.
Are you going to have any kind of get-together for everyone else,
or was that it?

Mandy: Were gonna do a big party next summer on the Fourth of July in
Lander. Everyones invited; you can put it in the article! Since no one was
invited to our rst wedding, were going for the other extreme and saying
that everyones invited to our party.

SAM LIGHTNER JR.

So tell us about the big day(s).

TESTED

Adventure Travel Gear

5 must-have products tested on 6 continents
BY JULIE ELLISON
POWER UP ANYWHERE

Goal Zero Sherpa 50

Solar Kit
Not many people can say
this, but I literally put my
life in the hands of this solar
setup, Jeremy Thomley said,
after using the Sherpa 50
to power his nebulizer for
daily breathing treatments
in the backcountry. (Turn
to p. 54 for the rest of
Jeremys story.) From
country-hopping in South
America to charging camera
batteries and iPhones in the
Venezuelan jungle every
day for three weeks, the
Sherpa 50 was an excellent
solution for portable
power in a lightweight and
compact package. The
one thing every country
has in common is the sun,
another tester said, to
know you can have power
anywhere you visit is
reassuring, whether youre
headed to the backcountry
or not. The kit, which
includes the Sherpa 50
battery pack and
the midsize
Nomad 13 solar
panels, weighs
in at just under
three pounds,
charges in full
sun in about
eight hours (or
from the wall in three),
and houses enough power
to charge a full-size laptop
once or a smartphone
seven times. $360;
goalzero.com
LIGHTWEIGHT, COMPACT
PHONE LENSES

Olloclip 4-in-1
Lenses

The best camera for

traveling climbers is already
in your pocket, and with
these tiny lenses, your
phone just got even better.
This lens kit is simple: You
get one adapter that slides
onto your phone, and four
lenses that quickly screw on
to the adapter. Transitioning
between lenses is seamless,
and the adapter goes off
and on easilywithout
any permanent attachment
pieces or adhesive. The
included lenses are sheye,
wide angle, and two
macros10x and 15x. This
setup almost makes me
feel silly for having a big
ol expensive DSLR, one
tester said. The quality
of the images rivals really
nice point-and-shoots, and
its less than a fraction of
the weight, so for travel, I
carry this all the time and
leave the DSLR behind.
Available for iPhone, iPad,
and Samsung Galaxy. $70;
olloclip.com

QUIVER-OF-ONE SHOE

Five Ten Guide

Tennie Canvas
A solid pair of approach
shoes is essential, Dougald
MacDonald said of his
weeks in Sardinia, Nepal,
and the backcountry of
Wyoming. Something
comfortable enough to
walk in all day on city
streets but can perform on
approaches and scrambles
when you go off trail,
meaning sticky rubber
and enough support to
protect your feet and
ankles in talus. Plus, they
should be light enough
that you can carry them
up a multi-pitch. The
Guide Tennie has long
been a testers favorite for
technical approaches and
easier alpine climbs, and
the canvas version is more
breathable for summer and
shoulder seasons. From
town to trail to talus, these
kicks are my go-to quiver of
one for traveling, another
tester said. $120;
veten.com

WEAR-EVERYWHERE
BOTTOMS

Icebreaker Escape
Pant
Versatility is the name of
the game when packing for
international travel. Wool is
ideal because its breathable,
soft next to skin, dries
quickly, and has excellent
anti-stink properties. These
pants up the ante with a
touch of Lycra that gives
them enough stretch for
climbing. Twelve hours
on planes and in airports
followed by a quick
bouldering session to shake
off the jet-lag, which then
turned into an evening out
having dinner and drinks late
into the nightEuro-style,
one tester said. These
pants were perfect
for all of it! Two
weeks and zero
washes later, the
pants were still
in prime shape
when the tester
wore them on
the way home,
too. Not to
mention they feel
more comfortable
than my coziest
yoga pants and look
almost as good as
my nice slacks.
Mens is the Escape;
womens is the

Swift. $100 (womens), $150

(mens); icebreaker.com
CAVERNOUS, CONVENIENT
HAULER

Marmot Long Hauler

Dufe (Large)
Every traveling climber
needs at least one
indestructible duffel that
can hold all your climbing
and camping gear and
withstand dragging and
dropping and the occasional
ride on a mule or a yak. With
mega-haulers, we also like
wheels to get us through
the airport chaos quicker.
Enter the Long Hauler, which
wasnt scathed by a roundthe-world trip: 35 ights
through nine countries. I
watched baggage handlers
from across the globe throw
this thing around and beat
the hell out of it over the
course of a year, one tester
said, and its ready for
round two! Thats thanks
to the 1680-denier ballistic
nylon and 1000-denier TPE
laminate outer material, as
well as sturdy stitching and
construction. It will hold
everything you need for a
month or more of travel: It
seems like a never-ending
chasm that will always t
one more jacket or pair
of climbing shoes. $139;
marmot.com

CLIMBING.COM

| 17

THE APPROACH
UNBELAYVABLE!

Scary (and true) tales from a crag near you

I saw a climber lose his nerve on a
trad route and bail. Which is ne.
But he swung over to a nearby sport
route, clipped a bolt, and proceeded as follows: Swing to the original
route, clean gear, swing back, lower
to the next bolt, clip it, yard back up
to the current bolt, clean the draw,
fall on the lower bolt, and repeat.
Submitted by Albert Kim,
via email

LESSON: Falls like this wear on your

rope and gear, and expose you to unnecessary risk. And if the rope runs sideways
to your pro, it could create a dangerous
angle. The easiest way to bail from a trad
route is by building an anchor out of nuts
(the cheapest to leave) and bail biners
(one locker, two opposite and opposite
non-lockers, or one non-locker with the
gate taped shut) then clean gear as you
descend or retrieve it later on rappel if

you can access the top. Another option is

to aid past the crux and nish the climb.
Check out climbing.com/aid101 for tips.

I saw a couple bail on a multipitch. Instead of rappelling

normallyone by one down both
strands of the ropethey set up a
curious simul-rap. He descended
one strand while she braced herself at the top as a meat anchor,
holding the brake line tight to
keep the rope in place. He made
it down, and then she descended
her strand while he meat-anchored her from the ground.
Submitted by Hailey Hosken,
via email

LESSON: Simul-rapping is an advanced

skill with a low margin of error. Simple
mistakes can be catastrophic. The safest

and simplest way to rappel is to center

the rope in the anchor at the midpoint,
then perform a basic, extended rappel
with a friction-hitch backup. See a video
tutorial at climbing.com/extendrappel.

I saw a climber lowering and

cleaning a sport route that started
under a long roof. He was clipped
to the belayers side of the rope to
stay close to the wall. When he unclipped the nal draw, it suddenly
introduced slack into the system,
sending him into a wild swing. He
was still clipped to the belayers
side of the rope, and it whipped his
belayer 40 feet across the ground.
The belayer earned a nice gash in
his head when he hit a rock. They
had to go to the hospital.
Submitted by Johnathan Sliski,
via email

LESSON: Clipping the belayers side of

the rope while lowering helps you stay
close to the wall, but unclipping the last
draw (especially under a roof) adds slack
and a big swing is hard to avoid. Its essential to go into the bolt directly, unclip
the belay side, and have the belayer take
in slack before cleaning the last draw.
This will keep your belayer stationary,
but make sure your line of swing is clear
and that youre high enough that you
wont deck. Have your belayer keep you
tight, take the swing, and nish lowering.
If the swing isnt safe, you can nish
lowering with the rst bolt clipped and
then retrieve it after, but rst make sure
there is plenty of rope to allow you to
reach the ground, and do NOT unclip
from the belay-side rope until youre on
the ground.
See something unbelayvable?
Email unbelayvable@climbing.com.

P R O M OT I O N

TH E B E TA

411 from our climbing partners

STERLING ROPE

Our new Nano IX (nine) is designed to

perform awlessly on sport routes, ice, or
mixed conditions, this 9.0mm triple threat is
certied as a single, half, and twin rope. Its
thermobalanced sheath and new core ensure
durable, consistent handling in all conditions.
www.sterlingrope.com

REEL ROCK
In its 9th year, REEL ROCK features a special
presentation of Valley Uprising: the riveting,
unforgettable tale of Yosemite climbing,
spanning half a century of struggle against the
laws of gravity and the laws of the land.
www.reelrocktour.com

Follow us on Facebook for your daily dose

of the Climbing life: News, Skills,
Funny Stuff, and Inspiration.
facebook.com/climbingmagazine

Photography: John Glassberg

The Womens
Essential Tank
Check out the Marmot
Momentum Collection at
marmot.com/momentum

Athlete: Paige Claassen

Location: Ultimate Power, 5.12d Waterval Boven, South Africa

marmot.com

THE

BIG TRIP
ISSUE

Going Global
Apply the passion and dedication it takes
to climb 5.14 to doing good around the
world, and you get one of the climbing
worlds greatest years of travelever. Here
is the story of Marmots Lead Now Tour.

By Paige
Claassen
Photos by
Jon Glassberg

o you think you could climb one 5.14

a month for a whole year? lmmaker Jon Glassberg asked me two
years ago as we sat around a classic
summer campre after a great day of
climbing. I had graduated from college a few months earlier with no concrete plansother than more
climbing and more campresand a vague idea of starting the marketing career college had groomed me for. My answer to Jons question was simpleuh, hell yes!but the very thought sparked a larger
idea that would eventually take me around the world, offering me the
chance to work and play in some of the worlds most beautiful settings.
We decided we would tackle a different climbing objective each
month (most commonly a 5.14 sport route), with the caveat that each
route needed to be in a different country. We aimed for smaller crags,
obscure objectives, and countries that dont necessarily top the list
of must-visit climbing destinations. I would spend my time tackling
climbs at my limit, and Jon would document the whole experience.
We saw it as an opportunity to challenge ourselves not only physically
through hard climbing, but also mentally and emotionally through difcult and sometimes unknown travel.
But I wanted to do more than just climb. Our itinerary included impoverished areas of the world, where children dont have the opportunities that I was blessed with growing up. We decided that we would also
produce video marketing content to promote and support local nonprot organizations in each country we visited, helping these groups
reach a larger audience and raise money in the process. We could tell a
story of travel, culture, and nonprot work in addition to the traditional
hard-send media. And thanks to the help of Marmot, our title sponsor,
we pulled it off ! The Lead Now Tour involved 35 ights to nine countries, shooting more than 68,000 photos, raising more than $20,000
for charities, seven 5.14 sendsand only ve bouts of food poisoning.
These are the highlightsand some hard-won advice.

20 | NOVEMBER 2014

Paige Claassen makes

the rst female ascent of Indias hardest
sport route Ganesh
(5.14a), Badami.

COURTESY

COURTESY

CLIMBING.COM

| 21

BIG TRIP ISSUE

TIP SHEET
General

Waterval Boven, South

Africa, offers hundreds
of diverse sandstone
routes, including this
5.12d Unlimited Power.

SOUTH AFRICA
It could be the worlds best rock climb!
This message about a newly bolted, unclimbed project on a remote buttress far from
everything was the latest addition to my inbox
from South African developer Andrew Pedley.
So we made Africa stop number one. After 40
hours of travel from the U.S. and ve hours
of droopy-eyed driving on the opposite side
of the road, were swapping drivers every 10
minutes. We cant stay awake. When we arrive
at the home of local developer Roger Nattrass,
were ready to crash. I dont even want food,
which is saying something, but fate (and Roger) demands we experience a safari. Like now.
A short Jeep ride into the backyard, and were
face to face with the giraffes that will watch
us muscle up the sandstone walls of Umgeni
over the coming days.
We arrive late on our rst day at the crag. A
herd of zebras had blocked the rough dirt road
leading to Wow Prow. Imagine a perfect wall of
rockdream holds, a perfect angle and style
awless. African sandstone reigns supreme.
Set in the boundless plains of South Africas

22 | NOVEMBER 2014

Check the baggage allowance for each flight

ahead of time, and then
understand that what
you encounter at the airport may be different
from the rules listed online. We had to leave a
large duffel full of climbing ropes, brand-new
shoes, clothes, etc., because Qatar Airways
wouldnt let us check
the bag for less than
$1,700.
Airport security in
each country (and even
at different airports
within a country) varies
greatly. Avoid trying to
carry on ropes, quickdraws, and chalk, which
will often be confiscated. Also avoid carrying on mace, particularly
in China. I forgot I had it
in my bag and was questioned for an hour in the
back room about how I
got through five countries with it.
If your cell phone contract is nearly up, consider unlocking your
smartphone and purchasing local SIM cards
in each country. We
found this was much
cheaper than purchasing
an international plan
with our home carriers.
If youre planning an
around-the-world trip,
look into AirTreks for
flights (airtreks.com), a
travel agency that will
help you plan complex
multi-stop international
itineraries, without the
restrictions of a typical
around the world
ticket. AirTreks requires
that you make at least
three stops internationally in at least two countries, not including your
start and end cities, but
it has no limitations on
direction of travel or duration of each stop.
Pretty much, AirTreks
was the make-it-or-

Free State, Wow Prow puts everything I have ever known about climbing aesthetics to shame. Heres your projie, Andrew says, pointing to
the line he bolted a few months ago. This delicately painted canvas of
seemingly featureless orange and gray patterns is the reason Im here.
Digital Warfare (5.14a) is just thata ngertip battle. I climb it twice
a day, every other day, before my tips eventually split from crimping the
lips of sharp pockets, which are blocked by pebbles lodged inside. We
take misery burns on the 5.12d warm-up before redpoint attempts
as Pedley and his army of strong, young locals set to work bolting
new lines. The number of available routes at Wow Prow triples over
the course of 10 days. These guys are relentless, and when we return
home each evening, they devour an absurd amount of meat (usually
boerewors, a type of sausage with beef, lamb, and pork) in true South
African style.
Just as our time at Wow Prow is coming to a close and my skin is
opening beyond repair, the battle ends: After seven days of effort, I
nally snag the two dynamic, nger-biting pocket cruxes of Digital
Warfare, before the frigid winter winds move in over the Free State.
Clipping the chains on this virgin stone sparks my interest to bolt a
line of my own. Pedley offers up one of his gems, but I later learn it is
just one prize in his quiver. Ive never met someone with such a keen
eye for stunning lines, and I hope to return next year and study as his
bolting apprentice. During our month in the country, I was also able to
claim the rst female ascent of the powerful and long (115 feet!) Rodan
(5.14a), also put up by Pedley at Waterval Boven.

Beta
GET THERE Drive 3.5 hours south of Johannesburg to the small settlement of Clocolan. STAY Camp at the Ben Nevis Cherry Farm (ben-nevis.co.za). Daily expenses
are cheap after breaking the bank on plane tickets. SEASON Find ideal conditions
in September/October and April/May. MORE For topos and more travel information, visit climbing.co.za/2013/07/wow-prow-topo.

Classen assists the next

generation of crushers
in South Africa

RUSSIA
TIP SHEET

Bikini! Bikini! Bikini!

Its midnight on Friday, and a dozen children run around screaming
this phrase. Empty bottles of vodka line the table, but the party seems
to be just starting. After a long period of confusion, we reluctantly put
on our bathing suits, and a gaggle of giggling Russians leads us outside
into a wooden hut. Zan, our new Russian father, pours boiling water
over hot rocks and dried birch branches, creating a suffocating air so
thick and hot that I cant breath. Without warning, he slaps scaldinghot birch branches on my back. Ten minutes of whipping later, Im
feeling dizzy and raw. Before I can get my bearings, a bucket of icy
rainwater is upon me. I stagger outside to hysterical laughter. Welcome to Russia, enjoy your relaxing experience in the banya!

break-it of our budget

on Marmots Lead Now
Tour, allowing us to purchase a total of 35
flights to 10 countries
all around the world for
$8,000 per person.
SOUTH AFRICA

Dont turn down an invite to a braai, the South

African version of a barbeque, but much more
involved. A multi-hour
event means friends are
guzzling wine while
many, many types of
meat cook over an open
fire. Delicious, and youre
sure to take part in fabulously entertaining conversations and learn
about the best lines in
the area.
If youre already visiting the world-renowned
bouldering area of Rocklands, toss your sport
gear into your suitcase
and make a stop at Waterval Boven on the
eastern side of the
country: easy access,
routes of all grades,
stunning scenery, and
baboons.
RUSSIA

A local Russian climber, who

goes by the nickname Emilio
Del Toro, climbs the granite
masterpiece Parquet (V5)
at Triangular Lake.

Consider a visit to Triangular Lake during the

white nights of June
and July when the sun
never sets, and you can

Just that morning, our rental car bumbled down a rough dirt road, deep in one
of the Svetogorsk forests. Despite Russias
grandeur, climbable rock is scarce, and
climbers from Moscow frequently make the
12+ hour trek to Triangular Lake, just for
the weekend. A few local climbers we met
just a few hours ago have arranged for us
to stay in the only structure within miles
of the areathe home of a local family. All
we know is they speak no English, theres
no electricity or running water, and theyve
offered to house us for three weeks. Amazing! As we pull up to the oversized cabin, a
f lood of 20 people rush from all doors and
balconies, welcoming us with big grins and
bear hugs. Through mostly hand gestures,
we learn that Zan, Olga, and Babushka
(grandmother) live a quiet life during the
week, tending to the garden, collecting
berries and mushrooms in the forest, and
tinkering with the house. On the weekends,
friends from the city drive in with new
stocks of food and vodka for two glorious
days of debauchery.
Each climbing day begins with pickles for
breakfast and a heaping plate of fried potatoes. We dont leave the picnic table until Babushka is satised that weve eaten enough.
She thinks my arms are too skinny and my
cheeks need to ll out. I, on the other hand,
am struggling more and more every day to
get off the ground. Fried noodles, cabbagetopped sh pie, borscht with mayonnaise,
buttery Karelia pies, and always more fried
potatoes await us at each meal.
We call Triangular Lake the land of V9
because it seems to be the entry-level grade
among the small community of climbers who
make the long drive here. Among the vast
granite playground hidden deep in the pine
forest, you wont nd many developed problems harder than V9, but you also wont nd
much to warm up on. Plenty of boulders await
discovery, just be prepared to dig through the
forest, as the moss, mushrooms, and pines
cover everything.

Beta
GET THERE The only way for foreigners to reach
Triangular Lake is with help from locals; youll
need detailed driving beta for the complex dirt
roads, plus a permit to get past security checkpoints near the border. I used Facebook to find locals and ask about everything. I suggest the
community Facebook page Bouldermania LietLahti. Its the gateway for proactive climbers and
travelers to access this crazy, remote area. MORE
The Russian climbing crew has recently developed
an app for Triangular Lake climbing. Its free in the
iTunes store (search for Triangular Lake), but its
all in Russian.

CLIMBING.COM

| 23

BIG TRIP ISSUE

ITALY
Its usually not like this.
Fog. Mist. Humidity. Still air. Day after day
the gray skies of the Italian Alps dampen our
spirits. Im in Italy visiting the CAMP headquarters and working on a new ultra-light
womens harness with the design team. My
climbing objective for the month is up in the
air because of the weather, until I stumble
across Art Attack (5.14b), and the blank-looking slab sucks me in. We see it from the car as
we drive on the country road to Val di Mello, a green and granite valley with big walls
and boulders alike. Since Simone Pedeferri
opened the 5.14b line in 2004, it hasnt seen
a repeat. We begin scraping lichen off the forgotten face.
Climbing wet granite isnt friendly on the
skin or condence. Projecting a 5.14b slab
in the mist is even worse. The already-nonexistent feet feel like slick clay, and my moist
skin wont stick to the rock. I dont believe in
myself or a change in the weather. But I keep
trying, because at the end of the month I dont
want to have any excuses.
I tie in and make my way up the slab.
Through the 5.12d section, into the smears,
moving toward the crux. After about 40 attempts, I still havent climbed into the crux,
but suddenly Im sticking the iron-cross
move, the down-campus, and the thumbdercling exit moves. I top out the slab, which
ascends what is supposedly Europes Largest
Boulder (its a huge freestanding stone, not
part of a bigger cliff ), and the second ascent
of Art Attack is done.

24 | NOVEMBER 2014

TIP SHEET
project literally all day
long. For cooler, crisper
sending temps, target
September.
Travelers and locals
alike must show a permit at two security
checkpoints to reach the
climbing area of Triangular Lake. Our Russian
friends taught us to say
hi (privet), which I
cheerfully said upon
handing our permits over
to the stern border
guard. A bout of laughter later, I learned privet
is a very casual Hey,
whats up?not the
best greeting for a Russian border guard. Instead, try ZDRAHStvooy-tyehyep, thats
why I chose privet.
ITALY

Pack for all styles of

climbing, as Val di Mello
hosts many great options for bouldering,
sport, and multi-pitch
climbing. If youre up for
a side trip, change of
scenery, or youre getting weathered out, its
also a convenient central location for other
crags in the region. The
Lecco Valley is one hour
south and boasts end-

Beta
GET THERE Fly into Milan and drive north on highway SS36 then east on SS38,
until Via del Molini takes you north to Val di Mello. STAY Plan to camp at Sasso Remenno (campingsassoremenno.com) or Campeggio Ground Jack (groundjack.it),
or rent a room in town, which is walking distance from the climbing. SEASON September and October are typically dependable months, although we hit unusually
rainy conditions during the September of our visit.

JAPAN
Arigatou gozaimasu!
The voice blares over the loudspeaker for the thousandth time. We sit
at the neighborhood conveyor-belt sushi restaurant, the one with the
animated eggplant logo. Fresh sushi is the most economical thing we
can eat here, at $10 for two people. Alternatively, we could pay $5 for
one apple at the market or $20 for a small bag of rice. We spend hours
mulling over the oddities in the grocery store. Brightly colored packages with giggling cartoon logos hide the contents inside. The crag snacks
are grim. Tiny dried sh. Processed crab products disguised as pastries.
Fermented soy beans. In the cookie and candy aisle, everything is green
tea avoredthat I can live with.
Navigating the culinary curiosities is one thing, but nding dry rock
to climb is an entirely different obstacle. Typhoon after typhoon sweeps
away our dreams of projects. A glorious bed of river-smoothed boulders
in the peaceful Shosenkyo Gorge, two hours due west of Tokyo, taunts
us. The swelling river swallowed my short-lived bouldering project, so
we set to work salvaging Jons. A partially drowned landing and ominous rapid underneath the topout make for an exciting adventure once
we nally reach the boulders. In the end, Jon comes away with the rst
ascent of Candy Crush, a remarkable V13 compression problem amidst
the ery autumn leaves.
Japans climbers are strong and focused. In climbing, as in other
walks of life, their approach is simple: Through self-discipline, strive
for mastery. The results are obvious, as even beginner climbers seem
to climb around the V8 level, quickly advancing to harder grades. Off
the rock, we notice a similar ideal of perfection: spotless handrails on

A typhoon rolls in over

the Pacic coast, creating big waves and
an exciting warm-up
at Jogasaki, Japan.

COURTESY

Paige Claassen scans

the next pitch on Val
di Mellos 700-meter
Qualido Wall in the
Italian Alps.

Sebastien Ratel - Beyond Good & Evil

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BIG TRIP ISSUE

a busy staircase in Tokyo, beautifully manicured medians on the highway, pastries that
shame even French croissants. When the
Japanese choose to do something, they do it
wellreally well. Unfortunately, my month
in Japan saw very little climbing, as typhoons
drenched nearly all the countrys rock. I succumbed to projecting pushups and squeezing
in a few training sessions in the Kofu City
climbing gym.

Beta
GET THERE Fly into Tokyo and drive 1.5 hours west to

Kofu City, the nearest town to Shosenkyo Gorge,

Ogawayama, and Mizugaki. STAY Japan is no cheap
endeavor, but a monthly apartment rental in Kofu City,
30 minutes from Shosenkyo, brought our cost down
significantly. Try contacting one of Tokyos climbing
gyms, like Caramba (caramba.jp), as a starting point.
Onsen, a Japanese spa, also offers beds for rent in
private rooms. EAT You could spend a fortune on fresh
fruits and vegetables, but sushi on a budget is no
problem (think: $10 total for two people).

Claassen tries an
open project near
Qingdao, China, as
smog adds a unique
shade to the sunset.

CHINA
We dont go to that sea cliff. You must drive
two hours through expensive tolls and hike
two hours through a military camp. Its
not good for foreigners. They have dogs.
The sea cliff was the whole inspiration for our
trip to eastern Chinahorizontal shelves of
sandstone with waves crashing into the base
below. But we cant get there. After three consecutive months of rain in Russia, Italy, and
Japan, we need to climb. My ngers feel weak,
and Ive lost my snap. I dream of hard routes,
long lines, powerful moves, and endurance
testpieces. But we need dry, accessible rock
to climb. With friends Ben Spannuth, Rich
Crowder, and my brother, Sam, visiting from
home, we make the executive decision to pull
the plug on climbing in Qingdao after a week
of driving and hiking around without nding any special objective. We book tickets to
Yangshuo, the mecca of limestone stalactites
in southeast Chinas Guangxi province, which
has grown signicantly in climbing popularity
over the past 10 years.
Yangshuos trendiness didnt match up with
the off the beaten path theme of our trip, but
if I couldnt rebuild tness, I couldnt climb
well, and this entire round-the-world trip relied on me climbing my very best. Our rst
week in Yangshuo, I took myself out of project mode and into training mode. I tried to
climb everything in sight, regardless of grade.
I ailed my way up routes I would have considered warm-ups in the past. I wasnt picky

26 | NOVEMBER 2014

TIP SHEET
less sport and multipitch options in a
warmer setting. Consider crossing the Swiss
border an hour north, or
drive a few hours east to
the Dolomites.
Beware of pizzocari,
buckwheat pasta
smothered in cheese
and then more cheese.
Best after a serious day
in the mountains, not
just a meager day of
sport climbing.
Milan is no different
from other busy cities.
Plan your drive to and
from the airport at lowtraffic hours, or prepare
to be stuck in your car
when you could be drinking affogatos (vanilla gelato topped with a shot

about conditions, reminding myself that just one more lap would pay
off next week after my skin recovered. I destroyed myself, but it was
some of the most fun climbing Ive ever done.
My tness returned quickly, so I added projects back into my routine. After nishing China Climb (5.14b), I decided to aim for a style
opposite to the slab project in Italy, and the Moon Hill arch presented
the steepest, most physical challenge I could imagine. After hanging
the draws on Sea of Tranquility (5.14a), which climbs the steepest part
of the arch, I swore never to get back on the painful, dead-horizontal
roof. But alas, the discomfort quickly slipped my mind, and I was back
to suss beta within the hour. On a miracle burn the next day, I wrestled
pythonsahem, I mean tufas and stalactitesall the way to the chains,
receiving beta from Ben on the exit moves that had resisted my efforts
the day before. I was back!

Beta
GET THERE Fly to Hong Kong, then take a cab to the town of Yangshuo. STAY The
Rockabond Inn (no website but check tripadvisor.com for info and reviews), owned
by local powerhouse climber Abond, is the place to stay for visiting climbersimpeccably clean and conveniently located downtown but off the noisy main road.
Abond and his partner Ting help climbers organize everything from taxis to the cliff
to new routes to explore and dining options after climbing. EAT Yangshuo is as
westernized as China gets. Expect eggs, toast, orange juice, and banana bread for
breakfast, or keep it traditional with steamed buns and greens. Either way, you
wont be roughing it.

Paige Claassen on a rare female ascent of the Americas first 5.14, To Bolt or Not to Be, at Smith Rock, OR - Photo: Rich Crowder

crux

big lockoff
reach

delicate feet

worst crimp
RF step thru

2 finger gaston

undercling

high stem RF
gaston

giant lockoff
smooth surf
match

SUPERNOVA

gaston
match

keep feet low

thumb
undercling

RF way out

1st 10 bolts beta

step thru
smear match

bump
thumb
undercling

A harness designed by a woman for women. The Supernova is the brainchild of athlete
Paige Claassen who worked with CAMP R&D for two years to merge the elements of fit
and features for elite female climbers. In the end, the Supernova is packed with exclusive
features like a specially contoured waist belt that cups to the female form, modified
edge-load construction to perfectly distribute the load, and our patented No-Twist belay
loop and Flat Link elastic connecting the waist belt and leg loops.

Available at specialty outdoor retailers nationwide.

camp-usa.com

BIG TRIP ISSUE

INDIA

TIP SHEET

It doesnt matter if you do something

big or small, but you have to do it as if it
matters.
Ruchira Gupta, Emmy Award winner and
founder of Apne Aap Womens Worldwide,
explains the approach her Indian NGO
takes to pull girls out of the sex-trade industry. Gupta is a symbol of tenacity in a world
where hope and a future are treasured gifts.
Im speaking with Gupta in her backyard in
Delhi, moments before she hops on a ight
to attend a conference in Nepal. She explains
how the women she helps give her strength
each daystrength to ght for the rights of
women in India, to live courageously, even to
battle breast cancer. Speaking with Gupta was
perhaps the most powerful experience of our
whole trip. Her message is simple. Find a way
to brighten the lives of those around you, and
pursue it with all your heart.
As we wander through the streets of Badami, the small village where were climbing,
I feel eyes from every direction. Curious eyes,
wondering why a girl wearing pants but not
wrist bangles is walking down the main dirt
road. Tourists arrive on buses, snap photos
within the gated temple, and leave. Jon and I
walk through the village at 4 a.m. each morning to climb for an hour before the sun comes
up. Locals Tuhin Satarkar, 18, and Sandeep
Maity, 20, have ngers of steel and the psych
of a thousand Indian monkeys. They act as
our guides, spouting proverbs of wisdom:
Find drinking water here. Buy a scarf to cover
up your shoulders; you cant walk through
town in your climbing clothes. You wont get
sick from the lassis (spiced yogurt drinks)
here, but over there is bad. The monkeys will
steal all your food and gear.
I ignore one crucial piece of advice. During an evening walk to the temple, I just have
to get a photo of the monkey with an oozing
shoulder wound, the one you really wouldnt
want to touch you. I snap my photo, turn my
back, and fall onto the brick oor, dropping
my camera with a shriek. Before I can think,
the monkey has leapt onto my back, grabbed
trash out of my pack, and scampered away.
Tuhin and Sandeep laugh, Not so cute anymore, are they? These cunning critters can
also run thousands of laps on your project.
Ganesh (5.14a) was the original inspiration

of hot espresso) instead.

ECUADOR

A road trip through Ecuador is a simple way to

explore the diverse landscape. Tick the beach,
jungle, alpine tundra,
volcanoes, plains, and
plenty of rock off your
checklist in a single day
by renting a car and
tackling the narrow but
easily navigable roads.
Just beware that local
drivers have no fear and
no rules when passing,
especially on windy
mountain roads!
Choose Ecuador if
youre looking for a
country to practice
Spanish. Most Ecuadorians speak very clear
Spanish and are patient
with learners.
Ecuador is a prime
February destination, a
rarity for good sport
climbing conditions.
Dont stress about
converting your cash:
Ecuador uses the U.S.
dollar, and prices are
significantly cheaper.
INDIA

Food poisoning in India

is tough to avoid. Take
plenty of antibiotics
with you, but as a
climber, be careful
which you choose. Commonly used Cipro can
weaken tendons.
Azithromycin is a good
alternative, or simply
charcoal pills (just dont
be alarmed when you
poop black).
Be respectful of the
local culture by sticking
to conservative attire
women should avoid
shorts and cover up
shoulders with a jacket
or scarf after a day of

A local Badami woman

washes her familys
clothes in the village
pond, which is covered in
green algae.

for our trip because I had seen a video of Gerome Pouvreau climbing
the immaculate sandstone bulges of Indias hardest sport climb while
trip planning. I knew I had to do this route. Yet sitting on the plane
between China and India, I began to question my objective. What was
I thinking, comparing myself to Gerome, one of the most accomplished
sport climbers in the world? Wed compared wingspans in a Facebook
thread, and he told me my +5 ape index would technically be long
enough for the opening span of Ganesh. But was I strong enough to
generate momentum with my foot matched next to my hands?
For six days, I rehearse the rst move, over and over and over. I cant
latch the half-pad edge that rests 5 10 above my last hold. I tell myself
its possibleI have one inch to spare, for goodness sake! We traveled
to India for this one route, and I cant even do the rst move. Finally,
my ngers stick. It is possible. After 50+ attempts, creeping closer and
closer each time, my body has nally committed the move to muscle
memory. The next day, I latch the rst move and dont let go until I
sit on a ledge full of monkeys at the top. A few days later, Tuhin follows suit, becoming the rst Indian to climb Ganesh. Witnessing this
impressive mark in Indian sport climbing history from the little ledge
below, looking out over the horizon that was about to welcome the sun,
I know that we took on the challenge as if it mattered, just as Gupta
instructed.

Beta
GET THERE/STAY Book a resort or hotel in Badami, and then fly into the regional
airport in Hubli, where your Badami accommodation will come pick you up. Badami
is about 1.5 hours from Hubli, and its a small village with very few options for travelers. The Heritage Resort (theheritage.co.in) is a bit pricey, but by far the cleanest
choice, with private huts and a spotless restaurant. No need to rent a car, as the
climbing is all within walking distance, or pay $1 for a rickshaw ride.

How to cheer for your climbing buddies around the world:

ITALY:

JAPAN:

RUSSIA:

SOUTH AFRICA:

CHINA:

INDIA:

ECUADOR:

Al duro!

Gamba!

Davai, davai, davai!

[pronounced dah-vie]

Lekker bru, that

send was hectic!

Jia You! [pronounced chai-yo!]

Chalo chalo!

Fuerte!

28 | NOVEMBER 2014

TIP SHEET
climbing, even if the
heat is sweltering.
The village of Badami
in southern India offers
a lifetime of rock. If you
can stand the heat (its
always hot), its worth
the trip to sport climb,
boulder, and place gear.
The Heritage Resort is a
comfortable accommodation option, with one
of the few clean restaurants in town (though
we still got sick).
Claassen had to work
Ganesh (5.14a) before
8 a.m. every day to avoid
Indias stiing heat.

TURKEY

Stock up on tasty and

inexpensive oranges,
pomegranate juice, and
dried herbs at the weekend markets on the road

one of the worlds most picturesque yet vacant

crags. I cant believe no one else is here to take
in the delicate, albeit razor-sharp crimps of
this stunning sea crag in perfectly pleasant
conditions. Only the crash of waves interrupts the still air as I top out Gangster (5.14a)
in the Cennet sector. With bloodied tips, we
trek back to an evening of cabbage salad and
bitter Turkish tea. I also managed an ascent
of Sarpedon (5.14a) in Geyikbayiri, but I miss
my moms Christmas cinnamon rolls.

Beta
GET THERE Fly into Antalya, where you can rent a car
or request a shuttle from your accommodation. STAY
Kadirs Tree Houses (kadirstreehouses.com) offer a
unique experience at Olympos, with actual tree house
bungalows for rent with breakfast, dinner, and Turkish tea provided each day. No car is necessary, just
walk 10 minutes to any crag or the beach. After a relaxing stay at Olympos, venture one hour north to
Geyikbayiri, where youll find the main climbing scene
with nearly 1,000 sport routes of every grade.

TURKEY
What are we supposed to do, lie here naked?
Im slowly learning to expect strange bathing experiences in different
countries, but this one tops the charts. Heather and Chris Weidner,
our friends and fellow climbers from back home in Boulder, Colorado,
have joined us for a month of climbing in Turkey. Heather has taken
quickly to the steep limestone climbing, but her opinion of the Turkish
bathhouse is yet to be determined. The Turkish bath, similar to ancient
Greek and Roman bathing practices, became popular during the Victorian era, with a focus on relaxation and cleansing. Im here for the
historical experience in the 21st century, but I dont dare inhale, for
I will certainly suffocate from soap suds. I struggle to relax, but Ive
never had a giant woman in a black two-piece scrub me downand
so vigorously! Im trying not to laugh, but 50+ naked women freely
waddle around the ceramic dome room. This is normal, this is how
people bathe here, Im learning to adapt to different cultures, yet Im
trapped with a middle schoolers mind: This scenario is comically absurd. These are the same women who wear headscarves and giant oral pants out on the street. In fact, Heather and I purchase a pair of our
own ower pants, available in one size ts all, which are sure to garner
snickers from the elderly women selling oranges in the market. I feel as
though Ive fallen back in time here, to a place where the simple things
in life deserve more time and attention to detail than the hustle and
bustle of the modern world.
We step out of the bathhouse and onto the busy streets of Antalya
before driving out to the countryside, where we are once again pulled
back in time. Ancient ruins surround us, and it looks like were in a
time machine that cant make up its mind on the decade. My mind
drifts to what I might have been doing 3,000 years ago had I lived
in the grand city of Aspendos. I imagine peering down on a theater
performance from the hill above, or selling oil and salt in the market
as many modern residents still do today, but certainly not climbing on
seaside cliffs.
Its Christmas Day and normally I would be with my family, playing
in the snow outside. Instead, Jon and I head to our projects at Olympos,

Claassen attempts
Hereja (5.14a), a
steep conglomerate
sport route in Las
Chilcas, Chile.

CLIMBING.COM

| 29

BIG TRIP ISSUE

TIP SHEET
between Antalya and
Geyikbayiri.
Rent a car and an
apartment in Antalya if
you want to have tons of
climbing options and
save a bit of money (but
do a good bit of driving),
or go for the more expensive climbers cottages in Geyikbayiri if
youll be sticking around
that area.
JAPAN
The rst ascent
of Middle Earth, a
30-meter 5.13+ at
13,000 feet in Cajas
National Park, Ecuador.

ECUADOR
Oh no, we never climb at Acantilado; its
much too cold.
The locals warn us against the frigid conditions at 13,000 feet. I pessimistically expected tropical climbing and short volcanic
rock in the equatorial jungle, but the Ecuadorian climbers I messaged with online were
so enthusiastic about the higher crags that
I couldnt contain my curiosity. When local
climber Christian Medina offers to take us to
sport climbs in the cold alpine valleys at well
over two miles above sea level, I dont care
what anyone says. Im going.
El Acantilado is a valley of vibrant green
pastures. Llamas and alpacas graze on the
steeply farmed hillsides, and Ecuadors highest mountain, the inactive Chimborazo volcano, sits as the valley mantelpiece. Yet despite the fairy tale setting, our group of three
enjoys the lengthy volcanic walls all to ourselves. I log Cinco Ocho as the best 5.13b Ive
ever climbed, but lockoffs on perfectly carved
edges for 30 meters at 13,000 feet dont come
without a struggle. Its hard just to breathe.
We venture south toward the city of Cuenca, with Christian as our road trip guide. He
explains the diversity of his small country,
which is roughly the size of Colorado. Different accents mark each region, tiny lambs, or
ovejitas, skip across the dirt roads, and gas
station snacks trump the buffet at your local
Whole Foods. From the sapphire-blue coastlines and craggy lagoons to the snow-dusted
peaks of the highlands and family-run farms

30 | NOVEMBER 2014

Fresh fruits and vegetables are practically

unaffordablewe saw
cantaloupe for $40! But
fresh sashimi is basically a budget meal.
Respect is important
in the Japanese culture.
Easily express gratitude
in any scenariofrom
the toll gates to grocery
store checkoutwith a
slight bow and a smile.
Arigatou!
Fall is typically ideal
for climbing, but plan for
rain. On bad weather
days, visit local shrines,
temples, cemeteries,
restaurantseven the
barber. Theyre all important pieces of Japanese culture. My
favorites included small
udon soup houses (I
learned slurping is the
appropriate way to cool
down your noodles) and
the Zenkoji temple in
Kofu City.
CHINA

Dont worry about accidentally eating dog in

China, as dog is a specialty meat served at a
higher price than other
offerings. Beef is a more
common and inexpensive offering.
Eggplant dishes are
divine, and sour fishhead
soup is well, interesting.
Use caution at the $1.20
stir-fry stands, which
are rumored to reuse the
oil disposed from other
restaurants.

scattered in between, Im falling in love with a country I knew nothing

about just a few days prior. And the best is yet to come.
Daniel Duran, who owns the local C Tres climbing gym in Cuenca,
tells us of an open project bolted by local developer Mickey Verduga
in the alpine tundra of Cajas National Park, where condors and giant
hummingbirds (the worlds largest, in fact) make their homes among
jagged cliffs, glacier-fed waterfalls, and plentiful straw grass at 13,000
feet. As we drive farther into the mountains, the clouds sink lower and
lower, weaving between the hills and towering rock formations. The air
grows colder with each turn. We park and walk up a short hill, and I
look back frequently, expecting either the Lorax or Gandalf to pop out
from around a shrub. Giant plumes of grass cover the oor beneath a
white wall littered with orange lichen. I immediately rope up and start
cleaning. Underneath the lichen and layers of volcanic dust are holds
of every shape and sizea climbers absolute dream.
Over the following week, this mystical alpine tundra becomes our
playground. We clean, climb, and try to bring our heart rates down to a
manageable level. Before our time in Ecuador ends, we are able to add
Middle Earth (5.13+) to the Cajas climbing scene.

Beta
GET THERE Fly into Quito for the cheapest tickets, Cuenca to be closer to the
climbing. Road-tripping is a great way to see the small country of Ecuador, from
the coast to the big mountains, rainforest, cities, and countryside. Car rentals are
relatively expensive ($50/day and up), but gas is cheap, as is the local cuisine
ceviche, tropical fruits, and empanadas are delicious and everywhere. Stay Use
Airbnb to find an apartment rental in Cuenca. MORE Dont miss climbing at El
Acantilado, one of the most scenic and serene areas Ive visited, with marvelous
volcanic sport lines. Learn more and reach out to locals for specific advice on the
Climbers of Ecuador Facebook page.

CHILE
Did you feel the tremors last night?
Each morning begins by assessing the previous nights earthquake.
At rst I thought we would be swallowed into giant openings that appeared in the city, but I quickly realize that part of a good nights sleep
in Santiago involves a swaying building. Even though its a bustling
metropolis of 6 million people, its not hard to get out, and fellow pro
climber Matias Meyerholz carts us around to his favorite climbing
spots. From conglomerate sport climbing at Las Chilcas to thoughtprovoking slab wrestling at El Arrayn, small pockets of climbing envelop the city. But Cajon del Maipo trumps them all, a narrow canyon
lled with mountain streams, huasos (Chilean horseman), and cotton
candy sunsets. Although we dont have much time to spend in Cajon
del Maipo, I immediately notice the diversity of climbing this valley
has to offer. Technical, smeary sport climbs, multi-pitch gear routes ascending orange and turquoise volcanic rock, and an enormous eld of
boulders just below El Volcn. The valley is truly a playground for rock
climbers, and gale-force winds whipping through branching corridors
provide essential friction. We learn quickly to bring a warm jacket despite the balmy conditions in Santiago.
But my favorite climbing experience in Chile actually occurs in the
gym. Nonprot VE Global supports children at social risk in Santiago
by planting volunteers who serve as mentors, educators, and advocates of social justice. The children in VE-supported (Voluntarios de
la Esperanza, or Volunteers of Hope) residential homes have suffered
abuse, neglect, and abandonment, but VE provides alternate activities
and role models for a more positive future. Climbing played a huge

role in my life as a kid, building self esteem and a strong work ethic,
so I was excited to take a few of VEs girls to the climbing gym in Santiagoand even more excited when I watched them smile and laugh
as they crushed.
Chile was best experienced by scoping out as many crags as possible,
rather than projecting at just one. We climbed a ton, but the rst female ascents of Geko (5.13c/d) and Por Belenos (5.13c/d), both at El
Arrayn, were two of my favorite ascents.

Beta

TIP SHEET

GET THERE/STAY Fly into Santiago and use Airbnb to

Fishing pills, or charcoal, can help ease diarrhea in a pinch and are
available at local pharmacies; just clutch at
your stomach and this
will be the first thing
youll be handed.
Taxis and rickshaws
are the most convenient
and relatively cheap
ways to get around; forget about driving a car in
the insanely busy
streets.
CHILE

The Chilean dialect is

very different, so try to
learn the differences before visiting. Beer is
chela not cerveza, and
dont mention taco
when youre hungry
youll get a traffic jam.
Local restaurants offer onces, or afternoon
tea, between 5 and 8
p.m., with tea, coffee,
pastries, and sandwiches. Only 30 percent
of Chileans do dinner,
but restaurants offer it
from 8 to 12 at night.

The La Mina sector in

Cajon del Maipo, Chile,
offers techy sport climbing, airy trad routes, and
phenomenal bouldering.

Nonprofits

and supporting their families.

crowdrise.com/
leadnowtourrussia

SOUTH AFRICA:

Room to Read increases

students access to reading
material in their native
languagea crucial goal in a
country where 80 percent of
students dont have a library
nearby. Rural schools suffer
from overcrowding and poor
infrastructure. crowdrise.
com/southafrica-roomtoread

ITALY:

Save the Children works to

end malnutrition by providing
home, school, and community
programs that change eating
practices, provide nutrientrich food, and promote
healthier choices by
influencing policy change.
crowdrise.com/
leadnowtouritaly

RUSSIA:

JAPAN:

Womens World Banking

assists low-income women in
getting access to microloans
that allow them to create
sustainable businesses.
Customers use loans
differently, but all have the
goal of making a decent living

When flash floods devastated

Colorados Front Range,
where many of our friends,
family, and favorite crags are,
we switched things up and
devoted October and
November to flood relief. The
American Red Cross supports

immediate rescue operations

by providing food, shelter,
rescue supplies, care, and
comfort to stranded flood
victims. crowdrise.com/
leadnowtourcolorado
CHINA:

Foothills United Way is

committed to longterm floodrelief efforts as a result of the
September 2013 floods in
Colorados Front Range.
Funds raised go to support
health and human services in
Boulder and Broomfield
counties in the years of flood
recovery ahead.
crowdrise.com/
leadnowtourcoloradoflood
INDIA:

Apne Aap is a grassroots

organization based in India

find an affordable apartment rental. Camping in Cajon

del Maipo is permitted, or stay in a refugio like Lo Valdes (refugiolovaldes.com) for convenient access to
climbing. A car is essential, but we found navigation
particularly difficult in Santiago compared to other cities. Bring a GPS.

BACK HOME
That day in the Chilean gym brought back
memories of my rst time climbing, and how
Ive felt every day since. We get to the top of
the wall and feel relief, accomplishment, and
pride. Whether we have climbing walls, soccer balls, or a library full of books, each of
us has that inner child who longs to live out
his or her dream. By sharing motivation and
encouragement, we can support one another
in our ambitions at home, on the road, in the
climbing gym, or at school or work. This is
what climbing teaches me, what my trip afrmed, and what Im grateful for every day.
Friends from home warned that after so
much travel, I would nd it difficult to feel content at home. In reality, exposure to so many
incredible sites around the worldfrom climbing to exotic animals to strange customs to new
friendsforced me to soak in all the details. Im
now much more observant and appreciative of
the subtleties that make my Colorado home
just another world-class destination.

that helps women and girls

get out of the sex-trafficking
industry. Founded by 22
women in prostitution, this
group helps females work
together to know what their
rights are and how to fight for
them. crowdrise.com/
leadnowtourindia
TURKEY:

CARE (Cooperative for

Assistance and Relief
Everywhere) is an
international humanitarian
agency that focuses on
getting women and children
out of poverty by tackling the
underlying causes through
community-based efforts.
These efforts include
improving basic education,
finding quality healthcare,
and increasing economic
opportunity so people can

become self-sufficient.
crowdrise.com/
leadnowturkey
ECUADOR:

Heifer International works

with communities, rural
organizations, and small
farmers to end hunger and
poverty and take care of the
planet. Through Heifers
passing on the gift mantra,
families who receive
livestock, seeds, or training
can pass it on to other
families in need. crowdrise.
com/leadnowtourecuador
CHILE:

VE Global recruits, trains, and

organizes international
volunteers to work with
Chilean at-risk youth. Learn
more at crowdrise.com/
leadnowtourchile.

A classic view from Lake

Pehoe of Cuernos del
Paine in Torres del Paine
National Park, in South
Patagonia, Chile.

32 | NOVEMBER 2014

THE

BIG TRIP
ISSUE

Everyday
Paine

KEITH LADZINSKI
COURTESY

By Andrew
Bascue

Uncovering South Patagonias

secret moderates

he wind was a phantom, raking across the Central

Tower and curling into the grooves of the heavily textured orange granite, haunting every move and chilling us to the bone. It ripped back on itself, building
speed through the gap between the North and Central
towers.
As the sun began to rise, rays etched an outline of the Central Tower
on the enormous east face of Cerro Escudo far across the valley. I could
imagine my position way down on the edge of the shadow. Little hairs
on my neck stood on end as I contemplated the vertical distance to
the summit. I belayed Andr Labarca up the third pitch of the Central
Towers ber-classic Bonington-Whillans (V 5.10, A1, 800m), wondering if we could climb 15 more pitches in this wind and survive the trip
back to the ground again. I mean, were just everyday climbers.

CLIMBING.COM

| 33

BIG TRIP ISSUE

CHILE

Tucked into a corner of Chilean Patagonia,

sandwiched between the border with Argentina and the Southern Patagonian Ice Field,
Torres del Paine National Park is the denition of isolation. Paine [pie-nay] is on the 51
south parallel, making it the worlds southernmost climbing area outside of Antarctica. The massif is a quiver of granite spires,
hemmed in by milky turquoise lakes fed by
rivers so clean you can drink right from them.
The trio of Paine towers was discovered
about 150 years ago, but word spread slowly. Alps-trained Europeans started putting
up lines in the late 1950s, and the towers
have had climbers licking their chops ever
since. The 3,000- to 4,000-foot walls are so
big and steep that most of the routes were
climbed with siege tactics and aid climbing
over weeks or months during short spurts of
climbable weather. First ascent parties tagged
their routes with names like Alfombra Majica
(Magic Carpet Ride, VI 5.10, A3+, 800m),
La Ballena de los Vientos (The Whale of the
Winds, VI 5.10b, A3, 900m), and Riders on
the Storm (VI 5.12d, A3, 1,100m) to help us
understand what they went through.
When you hear about Paine, chances are
youll hear how hard-as-nails Belgium climbers freed 30-pitch 5.12 routes or madmen
climbed A4+ big walls for a month in winterlike conditions. What most people dont know
is that you dont have to be a world-class alpinist to put Paine on your bucket list. You
dont even have to be a high-altitude climber
because the summits top out at 10,000 feet.
Beta trickles out slowly, and it seems like no
one talks about the host of shorter and easier
routes that can be done by moderately strong
climbers with decent mountain sense.
I was just such a climber when I arrived
in Puerto Natales, the jumping-off point
for Paine, with nothing but a backpack and
a dream to live abroad. I scored a job pretty
quickly when Baguales Brewpub hired me to
manage their restaurantthe best beer and
burger joint in town (if I do say so myself ).
I made a bunch of friends through my buddy
Chino Parada and moved into a house with
some other dudes in town. Local climber Andr Labarca and I became regular partners,
and soon I was helping him with his project
to develop routes on the nearby smaller conglomerate crags.
Of course, I dreamed of climbing in Paine
but always doubted I could. I had climbed
big walls in Yosemite and Zion but had never
done long alpine-style free climbs. Andr had
been making ascents in Paine for more than a
decade, and he thought Id make a great partner for some big routes. By the beginning of

34 | NOVEMBER 2014

PATAGONIA
TICK LIST
THE BEST
MODERATES IN
TORRES DEL PAINE
NATIONAL PARK
West Face, Aleta
de Tiburon/Sharks
Fin (III 5.8), 1,000,
standard rack

La Aleta is a gem. From

the very center of Valle
Frances it offers quality
rock and choose-yourown-adventure climbing that never gets
harder than 5.8. It is
the easiest and most
straightforward pure
rock climb in Paine.
Combine that with the
serene seclusion high in
the French Valley and
you will find a truly
classic alpine climb.
Approach from the
trail to Campamento
Brittanico and cross
several rivers to gain an
elevated, wooded plateau. Set up basecamp
on flat ground under a
canopy of lenga trees.
Hike toward the west
face and rope up at the
highest point of moraine against the wall.
The face has various
routespick your line
and start climbing.
Southeast Ridge,
El Gemelo Este/The
East Twin
(III 5.10-), 1,300,
standard rack

One of the last formations to be climbed in

Paine, the twin peaks
sit at the very back of
Valle Frances and are
only seen by climbers
who venture high into
the valley. El Gemelo
Este is the higher of the
two peaks, and the
Southeast Ridge offers
great climbing with
short cruxes. Gain the
ridge by three pitches
of low-angle climbing
on the right side of the
face, and then scramble
for three pitches to the
business of four vertical
pitches to the summit.

Torres del Paine

National Park
Puerto
Natales

Punta
Arenas

the next climbing season he had me convinced, and we came up with a

plan. At the end of one winter, we made a frigid approach to the base
of towers high in Valle Silencio where we cached a haulbag worth of
gear: rope, rack, sleeping bags, stove, fuel, etc. We lived right in town,
so we could go about our lives while we waited for the cherry weather
to come. The plan was to wait for an opening in the forecast, drive up
to the park, do the eight-hour approach, bivy at the base, blast up the
next morning, and then return home on day three to be back at work
after a three-day weekend and an enormous climb. In early January
2010 we spotted a 72-hour period of dry but windy weather coming in
on the forecast. Our moment had arrived.

We drove in from across the windswept pampas, and the sight of the
towers was terrifying. The sheer walls, the singular granite summits,
the wind, the last month of partying instead of training I kept my
mouth shut, but my stomach dropped. The next day at sunrise, partway up the Central Tower, I was struggling to believe our plan was going to work. I was still tired from the approach, and the haunting wind
hissed threats about the enormity of pitches left to climb and descend.
Looking back, I dont remember the details of the rst few pitches
aside from a funky traverse, bad rope drag, and a lost cam. The wind
and I squatted together on the ledge for half an hour, giving slack and
ghting the urge to pull down and yell to Andr that he should lower

Terrain of Paine
MODERATE ROUTES ARE SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE DIFFERENT VALLEYS OF THE PAINE MASSIF. SEE TICK LIST FOR SELECTED ROUTE DETAILS.

ANDREW BASCUE

Andr Labarca simulclimbing near the summit of Central Tower

with a little help from
the Patagonian wind.

Climbers in the Red

Dihedral pitches
of the BoningtonWhillans route on
Central Tower. The
original wooden
wedges are barely visible in the crack above
the climber in green.

36 | NOVEMBER 2014

CHILE

NICOLAS SECUL OJEDA

BIG TRIP ISSUE

and we should bail. Nothing made sense in my mind, and I struggled

to pull away from the sticky gloom in my head. A sickly feeling swelled
in my throat. The wind was right: I was wrong to be here. I felt weak.
The rope came tight; I cleaned up the belay and started moving.
When I arrived at the next anchor, Andr mentioned that I had followed the pitch muy rapido. I had no sense of time and hadnt noticed.
I looked up and for the rst time could see the route sweeping up the
wall above us. A big slab led to a roof that was topped by a sexy redorange corner. The wind was demonic, but the chill had been cut by
the morning sunlight. Andrs comment about climbing fast was like
an enormous eraser, wiping clean the chalkboard of my mind where I
had been scrawling self-defamations in overdramatic scribbles. Maybe
I could do this.
I took the rack and ran out the delicate slab above (images of a tiny
cam and a rusty pin still stick with me). Before I knew it, I was clipping xed pins in the roof and then pulling into the red-orange corner
above. The rope came tight, and I had climbed 60 meters out of mental
darkness and self-doubt.
The rst ascent of Central Tower had been more than 50 years ago
in January 1963. Chris Bonington, British mountaineering superstar,
was in his early 20s when he and Don Whillans, who would go on to
design the rst modern sit harness, tagged the summit after months
of battling wind and snow. It was a time when climbers wore woolen
knickers and hobnailed boots, an era when twisted nylon ropes were
state of the art. In the Red Dihedral pitches above the roof, I placed
perfect gold Camalots next to Boningtons two-inch wooden pitons
that still adorn the line.
One pitch higher, we stopped to refuel on a sunny ledge with a view
of vertical miles of orange granite and miles of glimmering glaciers.
We checked the topo, noting the difficulty of each coming pitch. There
were many remaining, but we kept telling each other, Facil, es todo
facil. (Its all easy from here.) Recharged, we swung leads from the
ledge to reach the shoulder of the tower by early afternoon.
In 1973, the same year Yosemite Valley rats were putting up sunny
lines like Mescalito and Tangerine Trip, a team of South Africans attacked the 4,000-foot virgin east face of Central Tower. At the time, it
was the largest pure rock route ever climbed. It took them months of
effort and thousands of feet of xed rope to arrive at the shoulder of the
tower. Whillans had advised them, Dont be deceived; when you think
you have gotten to the summit, you still have a few more hours to go.
From the shoulder, we simul-climbed through icy sections and long
runout slabs. We climbed up to the rst summit and were destroyed to
see another higher point to the west. The wind hissed Whillans words

The Bonington Cave

is the closest cave
bivy to the west faces
of the towers.

PATAGONIA
TICK LIST
Rap to the west into the
col between the twins;
you should find anchors
every 30 meters.
Approach as for Aleta
de Tiburon but stay in
the valley floor, working
over dry glaciers and
moraine for another
hour to the base of the
route.
Regular Route,
Cuerno Principal/
Main Horn (III 5.8),
1,500, standard rack

You will see Cuerno

Principal in almost every photo of the park
(see p. 32); the iconic
black horn towers over
azure lakes across the
valley from the glaciated east face of Paine
Grande. Though the
climbing is easy, the
circuitous route took
decades to be unlocked
and repelled some of
the best climbing suitors to visit Paine in the
early years.
Approach to Campamento Italiano and hike
directly uphill. At
treeline find a low-angle couloir on the right
side of the southwest
flank. Ascend this to
where the granite
meets the dark shale
band and traverse left
on fourth class terrain
to the north/northeast
aspect. Here, find your
way up somewhat loose
mid to lowfifth class
terrain for 800 feet to
the summit. Rappel or
downclimb the route.

COURTESY

Monzino Route,
Torre Norte/North
Tower (IV 5.10-),
1,200, standard rack

The Monzino was the

first ascent line on the
North Tower. Climbed in
1958, it is perhaps the
most traveled route in
all of Paine. Three
pitches of technical
climbing are separated
by lots of fourth class

in our ears. Simul-climbing with the wind

wringing tears from our eyes, we followed
historic footprints past a second false summit and then to the true top. Somehow this
average climber had managed to top out one
of the greatest rock climbing objectives in the
world. Id been digging deep to shed layers of
looming self-doubt, and the wind was lling
its place with something soul-nourishing.
For Andr it was a special moment. He had
completed the trifecta. Fifteen years earlier,
at 20, hed climbed both the North and South
towers in a single season. On top of Central
Tower, he had become one of the few to climb
all three spires.
Andr often told me his favorite quote:
Dont go to the mountain with intentions to
conquer her; allow her to conquer you. Conquer but not destroy you, I say. The wind was
picking up, and we could see low-pressure
clouds moving in from the west. We needed
to go down.
An hour into the descent, we got the
ropes stuck before we reached the shoulder.
I climbed back up twice to free them while
Andr collected a liter of water from melting
snowhuge bonus. Two raps later, we pulled
a rock down and badly damaged the tag line.
Stars twinkled overhead. The ropes apped
like sails in a gale as we fought our way down.
While on the slab pitch, still hundreds of
feet from the ground, the wind dragged the
climbing rope off into the night when we
pulled it. Forced to make short rappels with
shreds of the tag line, we xed many intermediate anchors to the base. We reached our
bivy after 26 hours in the wind with the gray
pall of a fresh storm obscuring the starry sunrise, tired but content.

Climbing the Bonington-Whillans taught

me a lot about reading the forecast. We had
nailed the window perfectly. After crashing
at our bivy for a few hours, we woke to light
snow and a very low cloud ceiling. Our opportunity had been very precise. We had approached in ne warm weather after a short
period of bad weather. If we had climbed a
day earlier, its likely that the snow from the
previous storm would have been melting and
sloughing off loose rocks and ice on us. If we
had been any later we would have gotten shut
down completely.
The wind was erce on the climb, but we
knew it would be from the forecast. What I
didnt know was how deeply the wind would
erode my psyche with its constant nagging
buffets and nay-saying whispers in my ears.
I should have visualized that before the climb
to have a better experience. We also should

CLIMBING.COM

| 37

BIG TRIP ISSUE

CHILE

terrain. The granite is

impeccable.
Approach to Campamento Japonese and
set up basecamp. Hike
into Valle Silencio via
the climbers trail.
When directly below
Col Bich (the saddle between the North and
Central towers), scramble up the talus to the
left of the snowy couloir, steering clear of the
smooth slabs. Continue
uphill to the base of the
North Tower and traverse right 200 yards
to an abrupt ridge.
Climb to the top of this
ridge and continue
along its crest until you
are forced into the couloir, then continue uphill
to the col between the
North and Central towers. Here, follow fixed
pins for two short
pitches (5.8 and 5.10-)
to the loose shoulder.
Work uphill, staying to
the left of the main
ridge and ascending a
few short 5.6 corners.
At the summit block,
climb runout 5.8 for 40
feet to old pins and
then to the top. Rap the
route, glissade the
snow couloir (also a debris funnel), or reverse
the talus approach.

Beta
GET THERE

Fly to Punta Arenas,

Chile. Make a reservation online for a transfer
from the airport to
Puerto Natales (go to
bussur.cl for rates and
schedule). Failing that,
youll need to pay for a
taxi ride to downtown
Punta Arenas and catch

Lush lenga forests line

the bottom of Paines
deeply carved valleys.
Approaches are long
but beautiful.

a bus from there. Spend

a night in Puerto Natales, and then catch a
bus to Torres del Paine
National Park. Tip: Hire
a van for the flexibility to
go to headquarters for
your permit and back to
the trailhead; this could
save you a day. Contact
Hernan Jofre at Antares
Patagonia to arrange
($280, antarespatagonia.com).

SEASON

The U.S. winter is

Chiles summer. December through February
are the best times to
climb. The days are
long, with as many as
18 hours of daylight.
March through May are
wet but slightly less
windy.
RED TAPE

You need a permit to

climb in Paine (free and

easy to obtain). Before

you travel, request permission from the Chilean Foreign Ministry at
difrol.cl. Youll get a response in two weeks via
email. Once you enter
the park, go to headquarters, or administracin, for a permit.
You need a copy of your
DIFROL permission,
passports, and proof of
rescue insurance for

each climber. Become a

member of the American Alpine Club (AAC)
and get automatic insurance; your AAC card
is proof enough. Beware
that if you do need a
rescue, the AAC insurance will only cover you
if you call them first.
Consider bringing a sat
phone for this reason.
STAY

While youre in the park,

youll be camping at
your basecamp. Some
paid campsites, however, offer hot showers,
warm meals, staple
foods, and beer. In
Puerto Natales there
are more than 100 hostels. Prices range from
as low as $7 per night
and up. Reserve a night
at Erratic Rock (erraticrock.com), the sister
hostel Base Camp, the

ANDREW BASCUE

PATAGONIA
TICK LIST

TARA REED

have known to make shorter rappels in the wind. When we lost the
rope, we not only lost the use of it, but we also left a piece of trash high
on an alpine wallit still bothers me.
Over the next year living in Puerto Natales, I became close friends
with another local, Toms Marucic. Toms dad Pepe was a local horseman who had worked closely with two decades of climbing expeditions
in Paine. Toms literally grew up in Torres del Paine National Park in
the shadow of the towersPepe homeschooled him in a tent at basecamp. Toms met most of the world-class climbers of the 1980s and
90s, and his training reects their style. The barn behind his house
has a wickedly steep wooden bouldering cave with large granite blocks
for free weights, and old tapes of Russian heavy metal blare from an
ancient stereo.
A year after climbing Central Tower, Andr and I teamed up with
Toms to climb the Aste Route (VI 5.10 A1) on South Tower. We bivied
in a tight little nook known as the Bonington Cave about three hours
from the base of the route. The week before the climb, Toms had left
his gear in his garage, and a tomcat had pissed all over his sleeping bag.
The cramped cave was suffocating with the stench, but we laughed and
joked and fell asleep with burning eyes. At 2 a.m. we woke up and set
out, picking our way through the moraine by the light of the moon.
We were on the route just as the rst orange rays began to light
the summits around us. As a team of three, we shared the loads and
passed the time at belays chatting and joking. The air moved around
us gently, like a kind hand giving us right-of-way to the top. We
reached the shoulder before noon and stripped down to base layers
under a blazing sun, laughing and gagging as little whiffs of cat piss
came off Toms clothes. The upper pitches were beautifully clean
orange cracks and steep, super-textured slabs. Exposure, teamwork,
weatherall perfect.
At the top, Toms led us up the yellow-orange summit block. The
view was amazing. The late afternoon sunlight glistened off the iceelds to the west, and Fitz Roy was clearly visible 100 miles to the
north. Toms had climbed his rst towera powerful moment after
growing up in the shadow of the mountain. Andr relived the summit
hed visited 15 years earlier, and Id just climbed all three towers in two
yearsnot too shabby for a guy who grew up in New Jersey doing 5.10s
for most of his climbing career. It was a long moment of pure happiness for all of us.
We rappelled in the dark, dozing for 20-second spells with a hand
on the rappel line, waiting for a partner to unweight the rope. At dawn,
four pitches from the ground, we snagged a rope in a chossy chimney and were left with just one. For the next rappel I made a garbage

Tin House Patagonia

(tinhousepatagonia.
com), Lili Patagonicos
(lilipatagonicos.com) or
Spacio Kau (kaulodge.
com). Spacio Kau is a
Climbing mag favorite;
its above a coffee shop/
gear shop/restaurant/
tour service. Each place
can help arrange your
transport to the park
and will hold a bag while
youre off climbing.

FOOD

Stock up in Puerto Natales before you head to

the national park. Youll
find supermarkets,
pharmacies, fruit
stands, and butchers.
Many stores sell gas
canisters and white gas
(bencina blanca). For replacement gear and
freeze-dried meals, go
to Alfgal. On the main
plaza (Plaza de Armas),

get a microbrew beer

and a burger at Baguales Brewpub (cervezabaguales.cl), a killer
pizza at Mesita Grande
(mesitagrande.cl), or
delicious sandwiches at
Masay. Base Camp has
great slow-cooked food
every evening. Visit
Spacio Kau for real coffee (not Nescafe).
GEAR

On the route you could

PATAGONIA
TICK LIST

Mate, a traditional
South American tea,
is a basecamp staple.

Taller del Sol,

North Tower (IV
5.10c), 1,200, doubles
to #4, one #5, two
60m ropes

A direct, sustained
crack and chimney system splits the north face
and deposits you at the
base of the summit
block. Its the best free
climb Ive ever done.
Bring a few large cams
and kiss your guns for
good luck at the base.
Excellent protection
throughout and bolted
anchors make for a
straightforward rappel.
Approach as for
Monzino until you reach
the base of the North
Tower. Locate the wide
crack on pitch four and
begin at the base of this
system. Beware that
Ultima Esperanza
(5.10+ A2) follows a
line just to the left, and
its easy to get off route
into this harder terrain.

This was the first technical climb done in

Paine way back in 1937.
It is a mountain route
with lots of scrambling
and a 100-foot pitch of
5.7 midway. You only

intermediate anchor in blown-out akes that

somehow held all three of us long enough to
re-thread the rope and get to a ledge below.
We touched down at the base in full daylight,
happy to change out of damp climbing shoes.
Finally at 8 a.m., we rolled back into the cave,
greeted by the lingering stench of Toms
sleeping bag.
A week later, Toms held an asado at his
house. We drank white wine from a honeydew
melon and feasted on lamb roasted on a spit
over an open re. A real Patagonian celebration. At the party, Andr showed us the original report by Italian Armando Aste, who in
1963 had made the rst ascent of South Tower
by the route that bears his name. The story
mentions a hanging bivy at the top of pitch
ve where he and his partners shared a can
of beer. All three of us recalled having seen
the rusted beer can stuffed into the back of

be in short sleeves at 1
p.m. then rappel in a
blizzard at 1 a.m.plan
your layers accordingly.
Opt for layers that block
the wind as much as
possible. Dont leave the
ground without a pair of
Windstopper gloves.
Wear socks under your
climbing shoes or shoes
with integrated gaiters.
For approaches, bring
shorts or zip-off pants,

a hat, and sunblock.

For climbs listed here,
bring a single set of
cams from #0 to #3,
nuts, multiple slings, a
60-meter rope, and
webbing or cordage to
replace older rappel anchors. If youre climbing
routes not listed here,
consider cams from
#00 to #6 with doubles
in the #0.3 to #3 range,
a double set of nuts

Regular Route,
Almirante Nieto (III
5.7), 2,500, nuts,
small cams, 60m rope

expect to lose a few to

beef up rappel stationsand extra slings,
webbing, or cordage for
anchors. For ropes, include at least two
60-meter ropes, 9.8mm
or fatter, with a burly
sheath. Dont pack a
worn rope, the granite
will tear it to pieces.
Trekking poles are
clutch for crossing
snow-dusted moraine.

BIG TRIP ISSUE

CHILE

a crack. On the descent, I had plucked a soft

iron piton from a crack and snagged a steel
carabiner from another pin. Photos of the expedition show Aste wearing a bandolier of the
same pins and biners. I was in awe. Having
those old pieces of iron in my home in Puerto
Natales kindled an interest to learn about
those that had passed before me.

PATAGONIA
TICK LIST

There is a rich history of climbing in

Paine, but I found it scattered across the
world in thousands of pages in journals and
magazines. Over the years I began to assemble a catalog of the routes. Turns out that
the majority of routes have never seen a second or third ascent. Topos are scribbled in
the margins of the climbers log at Torres del
Paine National Park headquarters. There are
topos without descriptions and descriptions
without a topo. Threads of stories dead-end.
I started to track down the leads, digitize the
topos, and assemble the timeline to paint a
full picture of the place I love so much.
When I started collecting beta, I found the
well-documented routes were mostly enormous aid climbs. Very little was documented
on routes that could be done free in a day.
Maps were printed for hikers. They didnt
show the climbers trails, bivies, or route locations. Details on permits, where to stay, how
to get around, and what gear is best werent
easy to nd. So I decided to create a guide.
Ive been researching it for years and will
publish Climb Paine: Routes, History, Potential in early 2015. Its part love letter, part
history, part guide for the everyman climber,
and its loaded with beta, maps, and topos.
Whether youre a hardman or just a normal
guy like me, I hope it inspires you to go experience it for yourself.

need a light mountain

rack, and the reward is
the best view of the
massif you can get.
Fun, fun, fun!
Approach to Campamento Torres and hike
up the trail toward the
Mirador Base de Las
Torres for 20 to 30
minutes. Find a climbers trail on the left
where the path crosses
a faint stream. Follow
vague but discernible
paths through low
bushes for five or so
minutes to a sandy
gully. Hike up the slope
to the left and aim toward the wide couloir
on the northeast aspect
of the mountain. Ascend this couloir to a
ridge and move right
uphill. Rope up at the
base of a low-angle wall
and follow the path of
least resistance to an
anchor just above a
short right-facing corner (sometimes there is
a fixed rope here). Hike
farther to a short
scramble in a narrow
couloir and continue to
the top, finding your
way over short rock
steps and open snowfields.
Descend the route the
same way you came up.

tinue. On the next page

in the row for Meteorogram, select GFS
Model (0-192h, 3hrly,
Global, pressure) and
then click Go. On the
following page, just click
Next. On the next page
click Default with
winds and Speed and
direction, leaving everything else as-is. At the
bottom of the page,
type in the access code

and click Get Meteorogram. Reading the forecast: Along the bottom
of the page is a time
scale for the hours from
present time and days of
the week. First look at
the bottom graph for
pressure; you are generally looking for pressure
of 1010 hPa or higher for
more than 24 hours
consecutively. Have a
look at the top graph to

FORECASTING

How to nail the fickle

weather windows
The most powerful tool
is NOAAs Global Forecast System. Go toready.arl.noaa.gov and
click on Meteorological
Tools. On the next page,
enter latitude and longitude coordinates -51
and -73.5, respectively,
and then click Con-

The South Towers

Aste Route takes the
ridge left of center.
The blank north
face is wide open
for potential, but its
blasted by the wind.

see if precipitation is
possible. Then look at
wind speed and direction. The best wind scenario is single-digit wind
speed coming from the
southwest or south.
Combined with forecast
graphs, forecast maps
are also useful in understanding the weather
that is on its way. You
can get maps at http://
tinyurl.com/n3c4hvx.

Click on any of the green

dots, then on the next
page click Loop next to
Precip/SLP to see the
forecast played out.
This map gives you
pressure and precipitation as it is forecast to
come your way.
Regardless of the best
forecasting tool, you will
experience wind and
weather in Paine. Augment any forecasts with

common sense. After a

storm you might have to
burn a day of nice
weather waiting for ice
and snow to slough off
the walls before starting
up. In 1992s American
Alpine Journal, Mikel Piola wrote, To succeed
in Patagonia, whether
one uses fixed ropes or
not, one needs moral
strength and the will to
climb in bad weather.

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A Perfect
Mediterranean
Feast
With super-sized helpings of moderate
sport climbs, pristine beaches, and
blissful coastal sunlight, you wont go
hungry in Sardinia.

42 | NOVEMBER 2014

By Dougald
MacDonald

THE

BIG TRIP
ISSUE

t the parking area above a quarter-moon cove,

near the seaside resort and climbing hub of Cala
Gonone, beachgoers unloaded coolers and umbrellas from their cars. A tour guide ordered his
charges to line up for the stairs down to the beach.
White limestone buttresses lined the coast and
the canyon heading inland from the sea. But where were those oliveskinned Italian gods and goddesses Id seen in photos of Sardinian
climbing, stretching between pockets on massive overhangs? The few
climbers in sight dangled from vertical 5.8 and 5.9 routes by the sea.
Sardinia was the rst of the Mediterranean sun rock destinations,
where vacationing Europeans headed south to escape rainy northern
cities. Climbing here dates back more than 70 years, and the rst sport
routes appeared in the 1990s. But these days many climbers ock to
newer Mediterranean hot spots like Kalymnos in Greece, Mallorca in
Spain, and Sicily in Italy.
Its not that Sardinia lacks impressive climbing. Friends were quick
to recommend the 470-foot Aguglia di Goloritz spire, the ve-pitch
sea cliffs by Cala Gonones Millennium Cave, and the roofs and overhangs of Isili. The famous Hotel Supramonte, a 10-pitch 5.13d thats
one of Italys hardest long routes, rises up just a few miles from Cala
Gonone. But even though we arrived in mid-May during perfect
climbing weather, sunbathers far outnumbered craggers.
Sardinias casual, uncrowded vibe suited our team of ve just ne.
For this group of old friends, eating, drinking, and relaxing in a semiexotic spot were at least as important as sending, and as we beelined
toward those easy sport climbs by the beach, I knew wed come to the
right place. With its varied crags and easily accessible boating and
hiking, a trip to Sardinia is like a traditional Italian dinner, with many
courses at the same setting. And as I was about to learn, you can still
stuff yourself with many small helpings.

PATITUCCIPHOTO
COURTESY

ANTIPASTO

With dozens of
sunbathers below,
a climber gets
high above the
Mediterranean
on the Aguglia di
Goloritz, Sardinia.

Swaying blooms of yellow ginestra bushes lined the road as we drove 90

minutes from the airport at Olbia to Cala Gonone. A modern highway
traverses Sardinia, an island the size of New Hampshire, but the smaller
roads twist through the mountainous terrain like a Coney Island roller
coaster. We hadnt seen the sea for an hour when a signpost for Cala
Gonone pointed through a tunnel in a mountain. On the far side, we
emerged into a vast bowl of limestone-studded hills, the ocean stretching across the horizon from rim to rim. A narrow road stair-stepped
down tornanti hairpins toward the orange tile roofs of the village.
Nearby Cala Fuili was the perfect climbing appetizer. A shore road
led a couple of miles from town to a long set of stairs down to a cobbled
beach. On the far side rose a 60-foot prow of limestone with 5.8 to 5.10
routes, the best of which was Spigolo Fuili (5.9), where plates of rm
but polished limestone and shallow cracks led up the left side of an
arte. Facing the rock, it was easy to forget where you were. But then
youd glance over your shoulder and be startled by the sea, less than 50
yards away, shining the dazzling blue of dreams and Disney cartoons.

CLIMBING.COM

| 43

BIG TRIP ISSUE

SARDINIA

At lunchtime we hiked up the twisting stony bed of the Codula Fuili,

the canyon leading inland from the sea. Hot sun bounced off the white
rock, but in early afternoon, a cooling sea breeze began owing up the
canyon. The calls of unfamiliar songbirds echoed from cliff to cliff, and
brilliantly colored lizards scurried over rocks. The walls of Codula Fuili
are incised with caves that hold some of Cala Gonones hardest sport
climbs, but we aimed for a short vertical wall tucked in the bushes,
where the footholds were sharper and grippier than they had been by
the beach.
Now this is the kind of rock I like, Robin said after sending a tricky
5.10a face. The kind that bites into your shoes like it has teeth.
On the way back through town, we stopped at a small deli and
stocked up on fresh Castelvetrano olives and marinated polpo (octopus) for antipasti. We set up a table on the patio outside the threebedroom apartment we had rented and sipped cocktails, watching the
fading sunlight play over the sea. Appetite whetted? S!

PRIMO PIATTO
We woke to the sound of patio furniture crashing outside the house. A
cold wind, the maestrale, had arrived overnight. A woman in town told
us it would last one, three, or six days. We wondered if we would nd a
place warm enough to climb.
We found the answer at Biddiriscottai, a seaside cave that promised

44 | NOVEMBER 2014

shelter from the wind and a mix of easy and testy routes. From a deadend road just north of the port, a path led along tidal shelves where
sheets of salt had encrusted potholes in the rock. Painted boulders
warned Nudi and Naturisti, but when we climbed up a broad sand
dune to the cave, we found only a lone bearded Sardinian who had
camped there overnighthe looked on curiously as we geared up and
then moved on.
Biddiriscottais centerpiece is a broad, at-ceiling cave about 50
feet high. A line of very fun 5.8 to 5.11 routes ascends the near-vertical wall in back, linking giant pockets and curving owstone and
tufas. Much harder routes lead out the ceilingsome of these require
downclimbing the slanting roof to reach the lip. Belayers stand in
deep, orange sand. Its like a giant playground.
It was easy to nd the most popular routesthey were the ones
with slippery, polished limestone and shiny, newer bolts. Rebolting
is a constant chore on the seaside climbs of Sardinia, where the salty,
humid sea air corrodes xed protection. Often, however, climbers
choose to develop new routes or entire new crags rather than x up
the old onesour guidebook showed at least three entire crags developed in the past three years. Less popular routes exhibited rusty relics
of bolts and pitons or tattered slings threaded through holes, like an
A4 pitch on El Cap.
Daves second route of the day ascended a well-worn wall of slippery owstone on the right side of the cave. The climbing wasnt difcult, but the nish required surmounting a short overhang on jugs

MAURIZIO OVIGLIA

Rahel Schelb on
Captain Shakespeare
(6c+/5.11c), in the
Biddiriscottai cave.

to reach a little cave. To clip the anchors, you had to reach back behind
you to the outer wall. The cave was much too small for standing up,
and as Dave contorted into various squats and tried to make the clip
without toppling out of the cave, his curses rained down to the beach.
I showed the guidebook to Karen, his wife, who was belaying. Dave!
she laughed. The route is Fuck.
You dont have to tell me!
The steeper walls of the cave held 5.10s to 5.12s, including a route
called Paolino (5.10c) that had the biggest holds youll ever nd on a
5.10+. Farther up the coast are many new routes, including the enormous Millennium Cave with multi-pitch lines and routes up to 5.14c.
But we were ready for some cold Ichnusa beers. (Ichnusa, an old
name for Sardinia, is derived from the Greek word for footthe island is supposed to resemble the shape of a footprint.) On the menu
that night was pizza, the staple of cost-conscious travelers in Italya
12-inch thin-crust pizza costs about half as much as a single main
course in Cala Gonones restaurants. I ordered a pie topped with bottarga, an ingredient Id never heard of. This turned out to be dried,
ground mullet roea fact I was happy to learn after Id wolfed down
the delicious pie.

CONTORNO

DOUGALD MACDONALD

Half days and rest days factored largely in our teams plans. It was a
climbing vacation afterall. One day we visited Ispignoli, a stunning
cave that you enter at the top, then wind downward along steep staircases around a 125-foot stalagmite, the second tallest in the world. I
nearly fell off the stairs scoping the column for climbing lines. At Tscali we hiked about an hour through a cedar forest and limestone gorge
to reach prehistoric ruins that line the sides of a huge collapsed cave,
like an upside-down bowl of limestone. Another cool hike goes into the
narrow Gola di Gorrupu gorge, home of Hotel Supramonte and other
multi-pitch testpiecessome of the best limestone in the area. Yellow
and orange euphorbia bushes lled the hillsides, giving the landscape

Robin McBeth climbing

through an herb garden
on Felicita (5c/5.9) at
SAtta Ruja, above the
town of Dorgali.

the feeling of autumn, even though it was still spring.

Outside of Cala Gonone, the locals spoke English haltingly, if at all,
and food and church replaced fashion and fun at the center of village
life. We saw no Americans during our eight-day trip, and the owner of
the Lemon House, a climbers guesthouse farther south in Sardinia, said
North Americans make up only six percent of his clientele. Wed just
spent a week in Rome unable to avoid American accents, but the Sards
couldnt recognize our originthey pegged us as British or even French.
Like the contorni, or side dishes, that accompany an Italian dinners main course, rest days added welcome variety and flavor. But
the Cala Gonone guidebook lists 25 separate climbing areas, most
with multiple cliffs and sectors, within about a 15-minute drive of
our apartment, and I craved more.
One morning I walked up to La Poltrona, the most prominent cliff
in Cala Gonone and one of the most popular. This 500-foot amphitheater of slabs, visible from anywhere in town, holds more than 80 routes,
up to six pitches high. But the maestrale had passed, and I wasnt attracted to slabbing in hot sun. Instead we drove toward Bonaca, a n
of limestone high over the sea, where the access road was so narrow
and exposed that one passenger preferred to walk. All day the bells of
sheep and goats browsing on nearby shrubs mingled with the jangle of
our carabiners.
Late one afternoon I drove with Robin and Chris, my wife, back through
the tunnel to Dorgali, the nearest large town, and we found our way to
the scruffy SAtta Ruja crag. The area felt pleasantly untraveled, with crisp
holds. Wildowers and rosemary protruded from pockets. A step into the
bushes yielded the aroma of crushed fennel. Each new climb made us hungry for more.

SECONDO PIATTO
We were ready for the main course: the famous Cala Luna beachside
crags, about two miles south of Cala Fuili along the coast. You can
walk to the beach by a rugged trail (1.5 hours), but our crew included
four longtime sailors, and there was
no doubt that wed be going by boat.
After a short round of negotiation by
the dockswe skipped the guy with
the sailor cap who shouted God bless
America! and whistled Yankee Doodle when I walked bywe piled our
gear into a small boat with an outboard motor and cast off across the
Gulf of Orosei.
Robin took the wheel as we sped
over small waves along the coast. Orange and gray cliffs, mostly unclimbed,
plunged hundreds of feet into the sea.
The Sardinian coastline is protected
from new home or resort construction, and this area is traversed only by
the Selvaggio Blu, a half-hiking/halfmountaineering coastal route that
takes up to a week to travel. After 45
minutes we turned toward Cala Goloritz, said to be one of Europes most
beautiful beaches. Boats are only allowed to land at certain spots, so we
hovered offshore to gape at the Agug-

CLIMBING.COM

| 45

SARDINIA

Cecilia Marchi, one of

the rst female climbers
in Sardinia, cranks on
the limestone at Buchi
Arta, Cala Gonone.

Beta
SEASON

Summer is hot and crowded.

Winter can be rainy. Spring
and fall are perfetto.
GETTING THERE

Fly direct from various European countries and rent a car

or take a car ferry to Olbia in
the north or Cagliari in the

lia di Goloritz, Sardinias most famous landmarkabout 10 three- to

ve-pitch routes, from 5.10 to 5.12, ascend the needle. Our group had
neither the time nor the motivation for these challenges, and I stared
wistfully back at the spire as Robin wheeled the boat around and headed back up the coast toward Cala Luna.
A steel pier lets you unload gear at the south end of the beach, but
the rules require you to leave boats offshore. Dave took the helm, anchored the boat a few hundred yards away, and dove in for a frigid
swimthe water here isnt warm enough for comfortable swimming
until midsummer. Cala Lunas best easy routes are left of the beach:
face climbs with small, incut holds, starting from a little perch about
200 feet above the sea. We ticked them all as shing and tourist boats
cruised by and seabirds wheeled in the breeze. You could easily imagine 50 shades of blue as the sun and shadow played over the sea.
Most of the team decided it was now beach time, but Chris and I
were still keen to climb, so we headed to the row of shallow caves that
line the north end of the beach, like the arched galleries of a fortress.
I chose a well-chalked route on the nearest cliff, said to be 5.11. As in
many areas, the easiest routes here arent necessarily the best. (The
routes in this sector are mostly 5.12 and 5.13.) The rst bolt wiggled
in its hole, and it was backing up a relic so rusted I could barely t a
biner into the hanger. The initial footholds were so polished and slippery that I greased off the pedestal at the base before grabbing the rst
handhold and tumbled backward into the sand, next to a blanket full
of sunbathers. Where was that cold maestrale wind when you needed
it? Chris braced my legs so I could clip both the derelict bolts and
start the route, and then I struggled up the 50-foot cliff, zigzagging
to clip bolts along three different routes and creating a sea anchor of
rope drag. An old woman shouted into her cell phone as I climbed. I
wondered if she was narrating the asco in front of her.
I belayed Chris up the routeslippery but fun!and then we
headed back toward the dock past a semi-wild pig aggressively begging for snacks from tourists. We had one more stop before returning
the boat to Cala Gonone. Halfway back to town, the mouths of two
caves faced the sea. Nosing our boat carefully inside the left cave, we
found a series of piersit looked like the villains secret lair in a James
Bond lm. This was Bue Marino, a cave system that extends far into
the coastal limestone. In late afternoon a guide opened a steel gate,
and we followed her along a catwalk for more than a kilometer, passing Neolithic petroglyphs and the water-lled Hall of Mirrors to reach
Seal Beach, where the endangered Mediterranean monk seal used to
come to raise pups. (Bue Marino is derived from the Sard words for
sea ox.) You also can hike to Bue Marino from Cala Fuili, following a
rugged path and ladders for about 45 minutes.
That night we had reservations at the Agriturismo Nuraghe Man-

south. Olbia is closer to Cala

Gonone; Cagliari has more
flights and sits closer to the
islands other climbing spots.

kets). There is also pleasant

free camping in the woods
along the road to Buchi Arta.

LODGING

Find several supermarkets in

the town center; beware the
midday closure, usually 1 to 3
p.m. A small deli on Via della
Pineta has delicious precooked dishes and is open
during lunch.

FOOD

Cala Gonone has many hotels, but try an apartment

finder like airbnb.com to find
a place where you can cook
at home instead of eating out
(save money and exploit mar-

GUIDEBOOKS

Maurizio Oviglias fifth edition of Pietra di Luna (50,

2011, English edition) is the
comprehensive guidebook for
Sardinia, by its most prolific
new-router. If youre only
climbing around Cala Gonone, Arrampicare a Cala Gonone (20, 2013, with
English beta) is cheaper and
slightly more up-to-date, but

it lacks the helpful star ratings of the Oviglia guide. Find

both at climb-europe.com.
BOATS

Many outfits by the port rent

boats (fit 5 to 6 adults). The
authors cost was 60 to
70 plus gas (about 30 for
a full day). Boat shuttles to
Cala Luna are about 25 per
person, round-trip.

MAURIZIO OVIGLIA

BIG TRIP ISSUE

GET TING SECONDS

GOT MORE THAN A WEEK TO CLIMB IN SARDINIA? LUCKY YOU.
BELOW ARE SOME OF SARDINIAS OTHER POPULAR AREAS. NONE
IS MORE THAN ABOUT THREE HOURS DRIVE FROM CALA GANONE.

Olbia

Supramonte

Cala
Gonone
Baunei

Isili
Iglesias
Liv Sansoz on Biddiriscottais Il Mio Migliore Amico
(7a/5.11d), which means
my best friend.

nu, a farm-to-table establishment along a single-track road that traverses the hillside below Bonaca, near the ruins of structures built by
prehistoric Nuragic people as much as 3,500 years ago. The secondo
piatto was goat ribs in a dark, savory sauce. We tried not to think of
the little guys wed heard at the nearby crag as we washed down the
meat with Cannonau, the local red wine.

MAURIZIO OVIGLIA, (LEFT) DOUGALD MACDONALD

DIGESTIVO
Chris and I wanted to sneak in a few pitches before heading to the
airport, so we drove twisting gravel roads to Buchi Arta, a recently
developed cliff band stacked with 5.10 and 5.11 routesone guidebook
said it was among Italys best new cliffs. But a construction crew had
blocked the road, sending us back the way we came. It felt like we
were leaving before wed really gotten started. We never saw some of
Cala Gonones best crags for moderate climbers, including Il Budinetto and Margheddie, let alone Goloritz and the other harder or
longer climbs. There was just too much to do. Yet my ngers throbbed
and my limbs felt limp, and secretly I was glad we couldnt climb that
morning. Somehow, despite climbing all week in moderation, I felt
completely sated, if not a bit stuffed. As we packed up to leave, the
apartment owners came by and offered us each a shot of homemade
mirto, a traditional Sardinian digestivo made from blueberry-like berries soaked in vodka and honey for 40 days. They spoke no English,
and none of us spoke much Italian, but the meaning of their toast was
crystal-clear: buon viaggioand come back soon.

Cagliari

Supramonte: The mountains

west and south of Cala Gonone are
home to cliffs up to 1,000 feet high,
including Monte Oddeu, Srtana,
and Gola di Gorrupu, and new routes
are established every year.
Depending on the route, a trad rack
may be useful or essential.

area, Jerzu, is high in the

mountainsa good destination in
warmer months. The Lemon House
in Lotzorai is a good central
basecamp; the British expat owners,
Peter and Anne Herold, have a wealth
of information on local climbing and
mountain biking (peteranne.it).

Baunei/Ogliastra: South of
Cala Gonone, accessed by a winding
mountain road or a roundabout trip
on the highway. In addition to
offering hiking access to the
Goloritz spire, this area holds the
wild seaside mini-wall of Punta
Giradili (routes up to 12 pitches).
Nearby Villagio Gallico is an excellent
crag within day-trip distance from
Cala Gonone. The main cragging

Isili: One of the big centers of

Sardinian sport climbing, these crags
in south central Sardinia are famous
for juggy, pocketed overhangs. Best
for climbs 5.11 and up.
Iglesias: Closest major climbing
center to Cagliari in the south of the
island. The main area, Domusnovas,
has more than 500 bolted routes at
all angles.

CLIMBING.COM

| 47

Americas
Epicenter
By
J.P. Whitehead

Get thee to Moab, the ultimate

climbing road trip destination.

WEST NEPHI
BOULDERS
23 problems

MARJUM CANYON
23 routes

HOUSE RANGE
7 routes

IBEX
89 routes

oing to Moab is mandatory. Thats all there is to it.

List this little town of 5,000 right alongside Washington, D.C., Disney World, and the Grand Canyon. But for climbers, of course, Moab trumps all.
As the desert opens up and spired cathedrals
of red rock sprout from the sand, your mouth will
naturally fall openstunned by the awesome alien landscape and an
immediate sense that you have arrived somewhere you were always
meant to be. Its an almost-holy playground.
You can nd climbs ranging from single-pitch sport at Potash Road
to hauntingly beautiful tower climbs on Moses and Zeus in Taylor
Canyon to big adventures on the Titan (at 900 feet its the largest freestanding tower in the country). Bring your rack, your friends racks,
and your friends friends racks for the endless sinker splitters at Indian Creek, and dont forget a pad or two for small stones throughout
the area: Big Bend has enough bouldering to keep you busy for a few
days, but recent development has opened boulderers eyes to new possibilities in and around Moab. The options may seem boggling, but
one things for sureyou will leave Moab with some of the best climbing memories of your life and a burning desire to return.

THE CAPE

FISHLAKE
NATIONAL FOREST

9 routes

8 routes

70

PAROWAN
19 routes

SHINOBE
10 routes

CEDAR CITY
232 routes

Cedar City

15

ZION NATIONAL PARK

227 routes

St. George
ST. GEORGE

Mesquite

Moab

48 |

NOVEMBER 2014

633 routes

THE

BIG TRIP
ISSUE

SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK

Price

MAPLE CANYON

15

DESOLATION
CANYON

PRICE CANYON

3 routes

14 routes

2 routes

444 routes

Mt Pleasant
TRIASSIC

JOES VALLEY
345 problems

56 problems

LEFT FORK

SAN RAFAEL SWELL

WESTWATER AREA

374 routes

10 routes

101 problems

70

Manti-La Sal National

Forest

Grand
Junction

GRAND JUNCTION AREA

1,537 routes

Richeld
GREEN RIVER

Arches National Park

5 routes

UNAWEEP CANYON

Moab

978 routes

MOAB AREA
CAPITOL REEF
NATIONAL PARK
125 routes

ESCALANTE CANYON

1,874 routes

70 routes

ISLAND IN THE SKY

29 routes

Canyonlands National
Park
JUNGLE, ON THE
AQUARIUS PLATEAU

HARTS DRAW

NATURITA AND
PARADOX VALLEY

30 routes

125 routes

52 routes

INDIAN CREEK

BURR TRAIL /
LONG CANYON

936 routes

125 routes

DELORES CANYON
2 routes

GRAND STAIRCASE
11 routes

BLANDING
14 routes

Canyons of the
Ancients National
Monument
LAKE POWELL
20 routes

Cortez

VALLEY OF THE
GODS / MEXICAN HAT
34 routes

Page

BLUFF
12 routes

POWERED BY
CLIMBING.COM

| 49

BIG TRIP ISSUE

UTAH

A PERFECT DAY
Choose Your Own
Moab Adventure
BY JULIE ELLISON
6:00 A.M. Wake up at Big Bend
Campground on the Colorado River.
6:05 A.M. Make a quick cup of coffee
to wake up and head west on Highway 128, then north on Highway 191.
7:07 A.M. Catch sunrise in Arches
National Park. Snap some Instagrams, then head south to town.
8:12 A.M. Breakfast!
A

Fast but filling? Chow down on

a huge burrito chased by an
iced chai at Wake and Bake
Caf.
Quick and light? Grab a quick
coffee and bagel at Sweet
Cravings Bakery + Bistro on the
north side of town.
Sit down? Try the hearty Quinoa Scramble at Peace Tree
Juice Caf or the decadent Coconut-Crusted French Toast
(hello, rest day!).

8:56 A.M. Climbing!

A

Low-commitment cragging?
Head south on 191 until you get
to UT 211, then take a right.
Sink your paws in one of the
1,000s of perfect splitters at
Indian Creek. Bring tape!
Full-value, scarefest summits?
Go north on 191, then left on
Hwy 313 to Canyonlands National Park for a scenic tour of
the White Rim Trail and a 5.10+
on Washer Woman Tower, or
head east on 128 for one of
Castle Valleys monoliths, 5.8
to 5.12, take your pick. Sack up
and get your lead head straight!
Rest day bouldering? Play
around on one of the beautifully
sculpted blocks across the
street from your campsite at
Big Bend on Highway 128.

6 P.M. Book it to Dead Horse Point on

Hwy 313 to see the most beautifulsunset view in the state.
7:30 P.M. Travel east on Hwy 128 to
Red Cliffs Lodge for a recovery steak
at an idyllic green setting next to a
river between towering red cliffs.
9:00 P.M. Head back to camp for revelry, deep sleep in soft sand, and the
chance to do it all again tomorrow!
50 | NOVEMBER 2014

Utahs Director of Outdoor

Recreation Brad Petersen
walks the talk on the
window pitch of In Search
of Suds (5.10+), Washer
Woman Tower.

ROUTES

Moab
Classics
The 10 best 4-star routes as

ranked by Mountain Project users

Regular Route (5.7 A1)
Trisstins Tower, Lockhart Basin
Wow! As far as clean desert aid routes go, its a
crown jewel. Its by far the thinnest seam I have ever
climbed. Not a single piece of xed gear on the
entire routeprops to the rst ascent team.
Spear of Destiny (5.9)
River Road
A really fun route with a cool summit. The route
requires full-body stemming with possible bodybridge sections. Spicy!

Supercrack of the Desert (5.10)

Indian Creek
Wear a long-sleeve shirt. Better yet, tape it down
around your wrists, so that when you show up at
work the next day you dont have to explain those
nasty scabs covering the insides of your wrists and
forearms.

Fine Jade (5.11a)

The Rectory, Castle Valley
Amazing. Thats the only word for it. We camped on
top, and the sunrise was life-changing.
Annunaki (5.11c+)
Indian Creek
If you are a strong sport climber or boulderer, this is
the route for you. The entire middle of the climb is
bouldery, powerful moves between good holds that
are formed by the cracks zigzags. However, there is
still a nal ngerlock move at the anchor.

In Search of Suds (5.10+)

Washer Woman Tower, Canyonlands
What a cool and unique route! The roof on the
third pitch was exhilarating and well-protected, and
the last pitch is spicy. Rapping through the arch is
truly a surreal experienceso good!

Sacred Ground (5.12b)

Castleton Tower, Castle Valley
Super sick! Deserves more attention than other
routes on the tower. Rock is unreal on the last pitch,
like pinching hardened wax. Do this stellar line!

Coyne Crack (5.12a)

Indian Creek
This crack is sometimes confused with Supercrack,
and I know of at least one leader who thought they
were starting Supercrack. He soon realized his error,
but found himself in this thin-hands crack with many
large cams dangling from his harness. He barely
completed the climb for an impressive ash. This
style, the ignorant ash, is even more coveted than
the onsight ash.

Stolen Chimney (5.10 or 5.9 A0)

Ancient Art, Fisher Towers
This is by far the most popular route in the Fisher
Towers. I had a dream in which I wrapped my arms
around the corkscrew summit, crushed it, and
watched it fall. I giggled about that dream when I
saw how solid that incredible last pitch really is.

METRICS

Excommunication (5.13a)
The Priest, Castle Valley
The crux pitch is devious and cryptic, but fair at the
grade. The second pitch is scary, as the arte is sharp
from calcite. Gets my vote for best route in Castle
Valley.

STYLE
Trad is the name of the game

QUALITY

Sport
165

Nearly 1,100 routes at 3 stars or higher

TR
19

DIFFICULTY
If youre solid at 5.10+, Moab offers tons
600

4 stars

450
300

3 stars

3
5.1

2
5.1

5.1
1

0
5.1

5.9

5.8

200

400

600

5.6

or

1 star

5.7

150

Trad
1,610

le
ss

2 stars

800

SEASON
Spring and fall see the most ticks

ANDREW BURR

Prime time

c
De

No
v

ct
O

p
Se

g
Au

l
Ju

n
Ju

ay
M

r
Ap

ar
M

Fe
b

Jan

Empty

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| 51

BIG TRIP ISSUE

UTAH

LOCALS KNOW

Where climbers:

Paul Creme tries hard

at the aptly named
Wall Street sector of
Potash Road.

[eat/drink]
Stop at Moab Coffee Roasters (moabcoffeeroasters.com) on your way through town for the best
espresso pull in town. Milts Stop and Eat, Moabs
oldest restaurant, dishes out grass-fed burgers,
hand-cut fries, and old-fashioned malt drinks in a
classic order at the window and eat outside setting

52 | NOVEMBER 2014

(miltsstopandeat.com). Looking to party before a

rest day? Try Eddie McStiffs, with great food and a
full bar (eddiemcstiffs.com). If youre looking for a
ritzier place to take your belayer post-session, the
Desert Bistro is owned and chefed by Karl Kelly, a
pioneer of southeast Utah climbing who has also
published several guides on the area. Oh, and beer.
Moab Brewery offers growlers of microbrews,
including the exceptional Black Raven Oatmeal
Stout (themoabbrewery.com). Pick up beer for
camp at the State Liquor Store on W 200 S; its the
only game in town. Or you could pack your own
from out of state, which is technically illegal (we
said could, not should).
[tank up]
Its the desert; water is precious. Youll go through
a lot of it just staying hydrated and cooking. Pack
a ve-gallon jug and rell at the spring on the right
side of 128 just after you turn east off 191. GearHeads
Mountaineering also has free ltered water.
[clean up]
The desert is dusty. For $5 one can nd showers at
Canyonlands Campark on South Main Street or
Lazy Lizard Hostel off Highway 191, among a host of
other possible showering spots. For the same price
as most showering options, however, we recommend
a trip to the Moab Aquatic Center, which includes a
swimming pool and weight room in addition to hot
showers (moabcity.org).

[gear up]
GearHeads Mountaineering and Pagan Mountaineering are both among the countrys best specialty
outdoor retailers. They cater to (and are run by)
Moab climbers. GearHeads offers an absurdly extensive gear selection, making their shop a great place to
nd everything from that #5 you swore you wouldnt
need, to hard-core mountaineering and backpacking
equipment. Stop into either establishment for specic route information, local guidebooks, or to simply
chat about adventures in the desert. The staffs of
both have a wealth of knowledge on the area.
[nd a guide]
For guided trips in the area, Moab Cliffs and
Canyons provides guides and classes for canyoneering, cragging, tower climbing, and desert hiking for
people of all ability levels. As the oldest vertical
guide service in the area, they know exactly where to
nd the goods without the crowds. Whether youre
looking for a crack climbing mentor, experience on
multi-pitch adventures, or a rope gun to get you up
that one tower, Cliffs and Canyons will bend to your
specic needs. (cliffsandcanyons.com)
[kill time]
Rest-day activity? Options range from mountain
biking some of the countrys nest trails, rafting the
Colorado River, petroglyph viewing in Arches National Park, to wine tasting in town. If you are bored
here, you are seriously missing something.

ANDREW BURR

[stay]
Its as if the menu of accommodations in the Moab
vicinity were all designed with the dirtbag in mind.
BLM land offers numerous rst-come campsites
on the banks of the Colorado River just minutes
from town. There are also several National Park
campgrounds with amenities like bathrooms and
electricity. If you prefer to stay in town, check out
Up The Creek Campground. There are tent sites,
showers, and its walking distance to downtown (rates
vary, moabupthecreek.com). The Access Fund acquired a plot of land at the base of Castleton Tower
and provides it for use as a free, climber-specic
campground (with toilets!). Camping in Indian Creek
is plentiful (though crowded on weekends) and free.
Random free desert camping certainly exists, though
specic gems are sacred to localsask nicely at a
local gear shop. If tents arent your thing, there are
more than enough hotels in the area, but the Inn at
the Canyons in Monticello, just outside of Indian
Creek, is managed by climbers, and offers discounts
depending on the season and availability. And they
have a pool. (monticellocanyonlandsinn.com)

Hale Melnick on the last

pitch of the iconic KorIngalls Route (5.9+) on
Castleton Tower.

My
Favorite
Place
Moab is a bottomless well of inspiration
BY ANDREW BURR
he Colorado Plateau is famous for its breathtaking desert vistas, winding unbridled rivers, the occasional big horn sheep
or bunny, the scent of sage (and pinyon and juniper) on the
breeze, the evening light that stretches out and licks the foothills of
the nearest mountains, and of course, the limitless potential of splitter cracks and legendary towers. Though the region is vast, one corner
speaks loudest to climbers and pulls at the heartstrings the greatest.
Moab.
Just saying the name will give most climbers goosebumps. From
the frightful to the benign, the short roadside ings to especially long
lactic acidlaced splitters, the sandstone around these parts comes in
all avors, and the best part is that each day you choose your own
adventure. Sweet, savory, spicyor a mix of all three.
As a professional climbing photographer who routinely maxes out
passport pages, Ive never been to a place with so much rock thats so
photogenic. And its in my own backyard! Pick a direction; any will
do. Head south and let Indian Creek teach you what a real hand jam
is, turn east to walk among the iconic towers of the Fishers and Castle
Valley, stroll to the west and crag along Wall Street or quest beyond
that and into the remote Island in the Sky, or swing to the north and
play alongside the countless Arches.
Wherever your cardinal instincts may lead you, rest assured that
youll climb sandstone; its everywhere. But, if you assume that all
sandstone is the sameoh, how wrong you are! Entrada, Navajo,
Kayenta, Wingate, Chinle, and Cutler all present different challenges
and sometimes require an acquired taste. Their moods shift with texture and temperature, and each reveals subtle characteristics with the
changing light of the day. Navajo is pale and sandy; Cutler, dark and
chossy. Then theres Wingate, the good stuff, that perfect ribbon of
amber chocolate that winds its way around the Canyonlands for what
seems like eternity.
Eternity. Thats why I return time and time again. The possibilities here are innite. The diversity of climbing and routes and days is
boundless. The way the light illuminates the landscape is ever- changing from day to day and season to season. There is not a more rewarding place to pursue perfection.

ANDREW BURR

Into the
Devils House
Photos by
Gustavo Moser

COURTESY

When the pursuit of virgin rock led seven

climbers to Venezuela, they found what
they came forfirst ascents and lifetimes
of untouched bouldersbut they also
learned lessons theyll never forget.

54 |

NOVEMBER 2014

THE

BIG TRIP
ISSUE

Full Circle
Gustavo Moser, 34 / Caracas, Venezuela and
Boulder, Colorado

COURTESY

Climbing is a discipline, a sport, a martial art, and as far as I know,

the best way to get in touch with your inner child. I always think back
to that important day in 1997, the day that I grabbed rock for the rst
time in my hometown of Caracas, Venezuela. Climbing reaches people
in many ways, and Im grateful it came to me the way it didno gyms,
no videos, no names, no brands, no magazines, and no shoes. It was
just a group of kids that wanted to play on some rocks. I fell in love
with climbing that day, and I could already see that the life of a climber was romantic, full of emotion and adventure. Life did its thing, and
I left Venezuela for many reasons. I was in love with a girl and ready
for an adventure.
When I came to the States in 2001, I brought my love for climbing,
and its given me some amazing experiences: the people and energy
of Hueco, the crispy days of Bishop, the endless possibilities of Utah,
and the superb rock of the Southeast. All these years spent playing in
the American landscape opened my eyes to the endless potential back
home in Venezuela. Eventually, a dream was born, a selsh experiment: Lets go get lost at Auyantepui, one of the largest tepuis or mesas in the country. Lets go to what the native Pemon call the House of
the Devil, located in the Gran Sabana of southeast Venezuela.
I quickly realized that I couldnt go up there with just anyone to get
the fun, peaceful, drama-free experience I craved. So Gustavo, tell me
about this expedition to Venezuela! people inquired. I would reply,
Well, I dont know, man. Anything could happen on this trip, including nothing. I came to understand that I dont know is a great way
to lter people. Comfort with I dont know requires commitment.
This technique brought the right people togetherthose who were
hoping to have the most beautiful experience of their lives putting up
rst ascents on virgin boulders, but who also knew that this was exploratory with very few guarantees. Eventually, I found seven people
who t the description.

Nikolas Wasylkowski powers

up the moderate Cosita
Bonita (V3), after Gustavo
Moser claimed the FA.

Welcome to Kamarata, said the pilot while landing our Cessna on

the gravel runway of a native settlement in the middle of La Gran
Sabana, the great plains of a vastly diverse country. To picture this
great savanna, imagine the Serengeti and then trade the giraffes and
elephants for 1,000-foot sandstone and quartzite walls in every direction. Amazing rock for the hard and the strong, and a majestic place

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where climbing seems to lose its importance. A tepui is a mesa or rock

plateau, a word created by the Pemon natives to describe these formations. Auyantepui stood right in front of us with a summit area the
size of a small city, about 257 square miles, rising 3,700 feet from the
savanna oor. We were there to nd and climb boulders.
At some point during the three-day hike in, I began to feel like a
kid again, with the freedom of thought, honesty, and go-with-the-ow
attitude that children have, but also with an adults ability to be aware
of it, to enjoy it and appreciate it. The team made it to the top of
Auyan on the sixth day after leaving Caracas. When we came up on
the southwest side of the tepui, 13 miles from Angel Falls, the worlds
tallest waterfall, we encountered a valley of jungle and rocks. It was
the perfect place to let our inner monkeys run free, with black, orange,
and white rock faces of all sizes and angles littering the beautifully
broken landscape.
We didnt even stop to comprehend the scope of climbing possibility, because we would have had to stop climbing to do so, which
was a waste of time. Wake up, take a deep breath, open your mind,
have some coffee, take another deep breath, and then let the child
inside take you in whatever direction his feet want to walk. It was
a formula that never failed. Find, clean, climb, and repeat as many
times as you want. First ascents every day, from V0 to Vhard. The
climbing was incredible, like all the areas I have ever visited placed on
one big plateau. Slopers, pockets, and pinches on both at and three-

Jeremy Thomley climbs high

on A Muerte (V3), on the
Alpha boulder, a committing
but stunning line put up by
Gary Sorcher.

56 | NOVEMBER 2014

dimensional walls made of friction-rich sandstone and nicely featured

quartzite. We started slow, gained momentum, and got bolder as the
days went by. Our pads were more like old friends than objects by the
end of the trip. I had never felt so far away from mankind and so close
to Mother Earth.
In the beginning, condence built slowly, and the learning curve
was steep, but we kept at it. After three weeks, we had tallied 33 rst
ascents. For me, it culminated with the discovery of and work put into
La Gran Maquina (V9)The Great Machinewhich features a split
hexagon with three at faces of horizontal roof climbing, a pocketed
45-degree section, and a highball nish over a bed of vegetation. It
looked like a huge geometric engine with pink quartziteone of the
best V9s Ive ever done.

The trips end was never part of the conversation; the present kept
owing. As our departure day approached, we wondered what was going on in the rest of the world. What we didnt know was that the other
side of Venezuela was being set ablazeliterally. The rumors reached
our ears as we descended. Things are getting complicated in the city,
said one of our Pemon friends. He meant Caracas, where we were
headed. One of the opposition party leaders had publicly expressed
his discontent with the current governments policies and was jailed

for it. When he asked his followers for help, people rallied. Protests
began a week prior to our return, and we landed in Puerto Ordaz to a
country in a state of emergency. Caracas and all the major cities had
full-blown rioting. The real world hit us swiftly, and our inner children
went dormant once again.
Our friends and families worried about the situation. We struggled
to nd information about how to make the nine-hour drive to Caracas
safely. There were military road blocks all the way. The situation was
unsafe. In Puerto Ordaz, we sent the Americans, Gary and Jeremy,
back to my home in Caracas right away to avoid tricky situations on
the road. Fellow Venezuelan Eduardo Rojas and I drove into Caracas
late that same day, and I have never seen my hometown in such a state.
Rubble everywhere, res burning, and national guard all over the city.
The protests continued the next morning, and we joined, once again
becoming part of the masses, part of humanity and its problems. Only
one night had passed since we left Kamarata, and already our days
on the tepui seemed far away. Students, who were basically the front
lines, were getting killedabout two a daywhile others were taken
to prison. In an effort to grab the peoples attention, barricades were
built all over the city to put an embargo on everyday life.
Its been several months since those days, and the momentum of the
protests has slowed. But deep problems remain. Venezuela represents
the dualities that govern the universe: Heaven and hell are right here
in the same place, and its up to us to choose where we t.

DOUGALD MACDONALD

Auyantepui, as seen
from Kamarata.

Like a Dream
Gary Sorcher, 25 / Burlington, Vermont
I have no idea why I climb, I said to the family from Bogota, Colombia, as we sat sipping ice-cold cervezas in a small hostel in Suesca. I was slowly making my way to Venezuela, spending a few days
climbing in Suesca, a small crag north of Bogota with a strong local
community. My partner and I were discussing the next days climbing
plans when the family walked in and started asking questions. Between my mediocre Spanish and their daughters near-perfect English, we were able to communicate about various aspects: our gear,
Is it scary?, Is it safe?, and other standard non-climber questions.
Instead of being impressed by my lengthy climbing travels, they were
just confused. Thinking something might be lost in translation, they
kept asking, But why do you rock climb? Why is this so important to
you? Despite a series of generic one-liners, they persisted. Finally, I
just had to laugh, shake my head, and admit to them and to myself, I
really dont have any idea.
And with any specicity, I dont. I cant explain how it took over
my life when I moved to Colorado from Connecticut at the age of 18.
I dont know at what point I went from nonchalantly checking out my
colleges bouldering gym to spending weeks at a time sleeping in my
car around the western U.S. and ying to South Americaall for rock
climbing. But if youre reading this right now, theres a good chance
you know exactly what I mean.
One common thread for everyone on the Auyantepui expedition
was that we all needed to remember, or even gure out in the rst
place, why trying to get to the top of a rock is such a huge part of
our lives. Even on the biggest highball we found, the amount of actual
climbing time was rarely longer than two minutes. If Im being honest,
none of us ew all the way to Caracas, drove eight hours, got in a bush
plane, walked for three days through jungle, savanna, and forest, then
spent 20 days in one of the most remote climbing areas in the world,
just to have two minutes attached to a rock face, however beautiful
and innite those moments might have been.
So, fair warning, if youre looking for a trip report detailing The
Great Venezuelan Adventure, mine isnt it. Of course, we did all the
things youre supposed to do on an exploratory bouldering mission to
a foreign country: We established new lines. We found projects way
too hard for our own abilities. We discovered a few lifetimes worth of
unexplored, untouched, unseen boulders waiting to be climbed. But
we also got ourselves mixed up in a dangerously volatile political situation. What it amounted to was one of the most profound and formative experiences of my life, shared with a team that shares an undying
passion for rock climbing.

The rst thing I was told about Venezuela, was that it was fairly likely
that I would be kidnapped and held for ransom. I say this as lightly
and openly as it was discussed with me when I got to Caracas. Gustavo
and his brothers laid it out simply for me. They told me what to do in
the event I should be taken, what not to do, and concluded with this
advice: Dont be a hero. It was a reality that one has to deal with,
living in and visiting Venezuela, they said. And to dwell on it is unproductive. Welcome to Caracastan, they said.
Days later, when I saw the full scope of the tepui for the rst time, I
was blown away. Being on top of Auyantepui is like being on another
The multi-part approach involves a ride
in a tiny Cessna.

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Caracas

Kamarata

Auyantepui

Protests erupt in Caracas.

58 | NOVEMBER 2014

planet. House-size boulders rise out of the jungle oor, and cliff walls
line the periphery with silver, orange, and black streaks. Canyons
and deep splits dominate the topography. We discovered the Gandalf
Boulder (named for a feature resembling his wizard hat) on one of
our rst days because it was close to our basecamp, which we called
El Oso, named after a rock formation that looks like a gummy bear.
We established a handful of lines on this rock, including my rst-ever
rst ascent: Como Un Sueno (V2). Putting it up was one of the most
incredible experiences I have ever had as a climber, and I truly believe
it is one of the best problems of its grade in the world. Everything
just clicked when Gustavo cleaned it, urged me to climb it, then Jeremy spotted and cheered me on as I climbed it rst go. Move through
pockets, jugs, pinches, crimps, and sidepulls on a slightly overhanging
face with a high topout, and it just went, como un suenolike a dream.
The Gandalf Boulder was the source of another dream-like experience when Leopoldo Moser spotted a line up the middle and called us
all over to check it out. He pointed out the start holds, and I saw the
whole thing instantly. We all took turns trying the problem that had
pinches, jugs, big moves, small crimps, high feet, and a kneebarall
in the rst half. We were exhausted, but our excitement kept us going;
it was the perfect representation of why we were there. We were working hard, trying new beta, supporting each other, and using creativity
to put together the movements on a beautiful rock face in an otherworldly setting. Gustavo liked to call this kind of moment, when everyone was smiling and working together, jamming. Gustavo nabbed
the rst ascent the next day, calling it The Beautiful Now (V6).

Our life on top was simple. We took our cues from the tepui. If it
rained, we rested. If it was damp, we explored and cleaned lines. If
conditions were prime, we projected. When the moon was bright, we
passed around warm rum and talked about the important stuff. When
it was dark, we slept, and when the sky brightened for the day, we
woke up. We discovered the rhythm of this place and jammed right
along with it. And then just like that, we were done. We started our
descent ready to re-immerse in the real world, but already nostalgic
for the experience we knew could never quite be replicated. As we left
camp, it already started to feel like it had just been a long dream.
It was a quick and jarring transition from drinking Cachiri and
feasting with the Pemon people to being thrown back into the streets
of Caracas, revolt in full effect. We stayed at Gustavos house in Caracas for two days, juggling all the uncertainties in our heads. Would
ights still be coming in and out of Venezuela? Could we safely navigate the streets? If we got stopped at a barricade or road block, which
way should we run? With some beta from people on the ground, Gustavos family helped us determine the best route to get through the
city. Jeremy and I left for the airport in the middle of the night to try to
avoid protests, barricades, and the worst of the violence. It was eerily
quiet at 4 a.m. on the highway that bisects the city. We looked out the
windows of our cab and tried to reconcile the ethereal landscape of
Auyantepui with the barricaded bridges and smoldering remains of a
re we were seeing now. We saw right in front of us the two contrasting sides to this country.
And after all of this, like waking up from a dream, do I know why
all of this happened? Do I nally know why I climb? Still not with
any real specicity, no. But I do know this: I saw the teenage girl from
the Colombian family at the crag in Suesca the next day with a local guide. Something in the way I talked about climbing resonated
with her, and she decided to nd out for herself what climbing was
all about. Im quite sure I will never see them again, but I would like
to think that Colombian teenager took her rst step down a path that

Eduardo Rojas climbs the

prow of the Submarine
boulder, which was close to
basecamp and home to many
easy, juggy warm-ups.

will lead her to some of the same amazing places I have seen, and introduce her to the same type of passionate people I have met.

Breathless
Jeremy Thomley, 32 / Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Unlike most of my expedition companions, my preparations for this
trip were unique, beginning almost a year before landing in Caracas.
You see, Im a 32-year-old climber and sculptor who also happens to
have cystic brosis, a disease where the mucus inside my lungs is really
thick and difficult to move. It can get infected and grow bacteria that
causes inammation and eventually blocks airways. My daily treatment regimen requires electricity, refrigeration, and extreme cleanliness, so I had to nd an alternative since all three of those things
would be hard to come by deep in the jungle of Venezuelathree days

of walking and a bush plane ride from the nearest hospital.

When Gustavo mentioned this trip, I could not say no. We all have
questionable futuressome more than othersso why not seize the
present? One concern for everyone was: Are there actually rocks up
there to climb? All I knew was that I was going on an amazing adventure with friends, so I didnt worry about the rocks. With so much
uncertainty in life, you have to take your pick of what to worry about. I
knew in the end it all came down to breathing for me, so I focused on
thatonly that.

Several months after the trip, pressed owers fall from the pages of
my beat-up journal, and I fumble to make sense of the markings in
it. Isolation is a funny beast. I have never been so directly tied to my
stream of consciousness; our minds were open, and ideas and revela-

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Gary Sorcher sticks a big
move on Carolina (V4),
another rst ascent by
Gustavo Moser.

tions oated on like a lucid dream. The spirit in this tepui was different. There was a hypnotic pull to the streaked rock, and our campsite
was situated as a great stone amphitheater to watch the days unfold.
We wanted to be worthy of this place, not just climb harder. In the local Pemon language, Auyantepui means the House of the Devil, and
it is mystical and sacred, but it wasnt pure evil. It was introspective.
The morning hours on top of the tepui were like experiencing the
creation of a world. Until the sun burned off the clouds, I questioned
if anything was out there at all. The lack of visibility only added to the
feeling of isolation. Our emotions were magnied; we felt everything,
and I think it helped us climb. We were in tune with the rhythm of
this place. We looked for hard ways up beautiful boulders but not to
conquer them. Imagination is what got us there, and imagination is
how we climbed. It was childlike; it was honest.
My mornings were spent plugged into the sun doing breathing
treatments and writing until it was time to eat. This was the rst time
in my life I didnt need a power outlet to run my nebulizer. I felt cleaner, more responsible somehow, having left no trace by pulling rays
from the sun to support my breathing addiction. I suppose that feeling
was freedom, and Ive never felt it stronger. After a cachapa breakfast
and some sugary coffee, we were off. Carrying our cameras, water, and
bouldering essentials, we attempted to keep up with Gustavo, whose
appetite for exploration was insatiable. Get to an area, drop gear, and
go to work guring out that days nds. We established early on that
if someone got hurt it would be a helicopter rescue. Spotting and pad
placement were crucial; we prioritized protecting each another. Eat
a simple lunch and get back to it. There were too many boulders to
obsess over anything in particular, but each of us had a project.

60 | NOVEMBER 2014

The diversity of this place really surprised me; I thought tepuis were
all mesas, like in Utah: vertical sides with a at top. This was more
like mountains on top of mountains next to crevasses falling hundreds
of feet. Navigating the landscape was difficult, and trails were mere
suggestions that could take you anywhere. Patches of thick vegetation sprang from eroded sandstone. Our goal when dealing with this
impassable labyrinth of trees and vines was not to disturb it. There
was so much rock out in the open that it was not necessary to cut any
vegetation. It was unclear how lasting our impact would be, considering (as far as we knew) no group had spent as much time up here. We
were told it was possible to nd new species of plants and animals.
Our bodies were haggard from sleeping on the ground, and hunger was bothersome, but, my god, the climbing was incredible! Many
boulders were so ethereal and untouched that we felt protective over
them. In the end we decided that every rock had at least one side you
could climb. While the other boys played on one side of the Gandalf
Boulder and worked The Beautiful Now, I worked on a Horse Pens 40
style problem called StarStuff. The open-handed crimps and difficult
topout were as sweet as any Southern sandstone. My favorite problem
was called Cachapa. With an interesting sit start to big moves then a
scary topout, nabbing the rst ascent was the best moment of my trip.
There is nothing more amazing than nding a rock, cleaning a
problem, and sending it. Auyantepui was without a doubt the most
creative place I have ever been. In this place we wanted to climb harder not because of the grade, but because we wanted to be part of that
rocks story. It was like every stone we had ever touched in our lives
up to this point had prepared us to clean, climb, and name these boulders. There were 33 rst ascents by the trips end, and I have pages
and pages of geeky beta with GPS coordinates in my journal. I have a
few undone projects, but really I gave it my allno regrets. Considering the stress, elevation, and heavy packs reducing my already-low 65
percent lung capacity, I was just happy to make it down the mountain
without incident. Although the three-day death march up there was
one of the hardest experiences of my life, Ive decided I would go back.
The sky-blue tepui changed too quickly to a crimson Caracas. We
returned to the city during political unrest and Gestapo-style retaliation. The people were hungry for change. I know I need to see Auyantepui again. We developed more than a world-class climbing area;
there was a purication. The isolation and harsh environment meant
no man lasted long as an island; we were required to care for each
other. Bonds were forged among brothers, and once-strangers became
like family. It made every feeling deeperthe hunger, despair, laughter, sorrow, and the victory. All of these were key to the recipe, crucial
factors that made us nd heaven in the house of the devil.

Beta
Get there Clearly venturing
through this area is not for
the faint of heart, but if you
are lured by the potential for
first ascents and true adventure, the authors recommend hiring Eduardo El
Chino Rojas with the guide
agency Montaeando Expediciones (montaneando
.com). They also credit an El

Pemon native Santos El Epocan Ugarte (ask for him in

Kamarata) for helping with
their journey. Eduardo will
coordinate everything you
need from the moment you
arrive at the Caracas airport.
For more beta, contact Gustavo Moser at gustavo@
gas-photo.com). Season
Target January and February. The rest of the year it
just rainsa lot.

THE

BIG TRIP
ISSUE

Back to Basics
9 reasons to travel back in time to an
Eastern European climbing paradise

By Heidi Wirtz
Photos by
Ruslan Vakrilov

am going to Bulgaria, I announced to any climber who would listen.

What? Why? was the common response.
For some reason, Bulgaria, tucked away in
Eastern Europe, has escaped the imagination and
hype of the global climbing community, but I was
intrigued by an extensive online guidebook and hundreds of inspiring
photos. The fact that it was relatively secret made it all the more tempting. I love delving into the unknown.
Bulgarians believe that when God created the world, he gave different elements to each country. Some received mountains and pastures.
Others took the coasts and seas. When it came to Bulgaria, there was
nothing left, so God took the best pieces from all of the other countries to build a paradise. While some might debate this lofty legend, I
can certainly vouch for the countrys rock climbingits in a class all
its own. There arent huge crags, but rather a smattering all over the
countrysideand its seriously good. They have amazing quality and
every type of climbing you could ever want, from deep water soloing
and sport climbing to bouldering and tradeven alpine rock.
As soon as I emerged from customs, I was greeted by Ruslan Rus
Vakrilov. For the next couple of weeks, he would be our photographer,
guidebook, translator, planner, and occasional cookessentially a lifesaver as far as making our trip amazing. Rus, a local hardman and professional photographer, was part of the original crew that developed
bouldering in Bulgaria, and hes put up a number of sport routes in the
past ve years. Despite his extreme modesty, he is a complete badass.
He also showed us unparalleled hospitality, always making sure everything was perfect. Every time we so much as bought a loaf of bread, Rus
was there to make sure it was the good one.
Over the next couple of weeks, we took only a few rest days as Rus
took us to a new crag nearly every day. Each was unique and spectacular
in its own way. The variety was astounding: high-quality slab climbing,
overhangs, technical faces, tufas, crimpers, pockets, limestone, sandstone, and giant caves. The only thing that stayed consistent were the
incredible views, colorful trees, wild apples and walnuts growing everywhere, and stiff grades.
Bulgaria exceeded our expectations. What we found was that despite
being one of the poorest countries in the European Union, Bulgaria is
rich with scenery, culture, peopleand rock. We all left with pumped
forearms, an aching to stay, and a promise to return. The following is
what convinced us.

62 | NOVEMBER 2014

Chris Weidner on Varna

(7b/5.12b) at Karlukovo.

CLIMBING.COM

| 63

BIG TRIP ISSUE

BULGARIA

PROHODNA CAVE

GOOD, CHEAP (SOMETIMES FREE) FOOD

As a climber of 35 years, I have traveled extensively around the world

exploring remote areas, and this is the coolest crag Ive ever seen. Period. Ive been to Tonsai Beach in Thailand, Wadi Rum in Jordan,
Yangshuo in China, and everywhere in between. This one takes the
cake. It feels like youre walking on the moon in this massive vault. Two
entrances form a tunnel through the rock, which is ordained with two
large skylights in the roof, locally known as the Eyes of God. Giant
stalagmites loom around every turn, and the sound of footsteps echoes
against the walls. Its surreal beyond words. Best of all, it features every kind of climbing, from balancey face moves to severe ceilings. Not
much for beginners, though: The classics are all in the range of 5.12
or harder. And theres still plenty of potential waiting to be developed.

One of our biggest concerns was food. We thought Bulgaria would be a

gruel-and-boiled-cabbage kind of place, but we found that you can eat
well and healthy for cheap. The cuisine is similar to Mediterranean; some
dishes differ by name only. Even pricier restaurants cost less than 10 for
three courses with more than enough wine. We loved the shopska salad, a
staple consisting of tomato, cucumber, onion, parsley, and cheese. Farmers markets are plentiful and offer another option for great, cheap food.
In fall, you can nd walnuts along the trails and apples in the trees. We
even found wild mushrooms the size of a Frisbee that the locals assured us
were edible and a delicacy. Thankfully, they were right. We sauteed them
in butter and garlic from the farmers market, ate them on fresh bread with
veggie soup made from more market offerings, and fed six for less than 5.

Heather Weidner on Rebraritsa

(7a/5.11d) at Ribaritsa.

64 |

NOVEMBER 2014

Chris Weidner on
Wickeda (7a/5.11d),
the rst route bolted in
Karlukovo 15 years ago.

UNIQUE, AFFORDABLE LODGING

The two main villages we stayed in were Zgorigrad and Teteven. Zgorigrad, surrounded by towers and cliffs, sits just above Vratsa, a picturesque townthe largest in the regionat the foothills of the Balkan
Mountains. You can nd big grocery stores and plenty of restaurants
here. Ninety percent of the crags in Bulgaria are within an hour of Vratsa
(many within 15 minutes), such as Malkata Dupka (Little Cave), which
has a short approach, a mountain spring, beautiful streaked limestone,
and exceptional sport routes. Teteven has less but is closer to Prohodna. In Zgorigrad, we stayed in a cute and modern two-bedroom cottage
at the end of a dirt road. It was only 35 a night. The second half of the
trip, we stayed in an adventure cabin in Teteven. It was located on a
river in a small canyon outside of town. It was beautiful, but far from
modern. We had to make a re to heat the hot water tank each day, but
I fell in love with its rustic appeal, big garden, and apple and pear trees.

HOSPITALITY
Bulgarians take the make yourself at home idea to a whole new
level. The landlords of the rental properties we stayed at treated us
more like dear old friends than tenants. Theyll offer you almost anything to make you feel welcome. One person even baked us a pie before bringing us to her place. And all the climbers we met really
went out of their way to show us around and give us great beta. The
level of hospitality we encountered simply doesnt exist in the U.S.

EASY AND ACCESSIBLE

You dont need a visa to visit Bulgaria, and you can stay for up to 30

The author on Nema

Power (7b/5.12b) at
Teteven.

days in one trip. Plus, it doesnt count toward your EU time, in case
you are trying to make an extended trip on the continent, which would
otherwise be limited to 90 days in a 180-day period. Many younger
Bulgarians speak English, though carrying a phrasebook (we like the
Lonely Planet Bulgarian phrasebook, $10) will come in handy at local restaurants, while renting cottages, and on public transportation.
The people are friendly and willing to help, so dont be afraid to ask.

FIRST ASCENT POTENTIAL

This place has some seriously untapped crags! If youre inspired to put
up sweet limestone sport routes, pack a drill and get on over there.
The locals are excited to have visitors at their crags, and theyll happily direct you toward beautiful rock thats just begging to be cleaned
and bolted. Just be sure to include them in your plans. You wouldnt
go and dig a pool in a strangers backyard without discussing it with
him rst, right? Nikolay Petkov (office@climbingguidebg.com), a
prominent developer in the area, can point you in the right direction.

AMAZING REST DAYS

While I wish I could climb every day, my body simply wont allow it, and
fortunately, Bulgaria provides plenty of alternatives. The country has
incredible hiking, like Switzerland without the crowds. The Rila mountain range is one of the highest in Europe, full of waterfalls, alpine lakes,
and wooden ladders that zigzag up hillsides and rock faces. Every town
has its own interesting local market with much more than produce. For
a culture x, hang out with monks at one of the many monasteries. Or
if you just want to relax, you can visit one of Bulgarias Black Sea beaches. From Soa, you can get anywhere in the country within a few hours.
Even just going for a drive to explore is a viable and rewarding option.

CLIMBING.COM

| 65

BIG TRIP ISSUE

BULGARIA
LOCAL COLOR
Bulgaria is a land of trees, and the fall colors are the best Ive seen around
the globe, putting even New England to shame. Visit in spring and summer to see the hillsides turn golden with an abundance of sunowers.

OLD WORLD FLAVOR

This place is a magical one. Its one of the most impressively beautiful
and charming places I have visited in all of Europe. The quaint houses
feature rust-colored rooftops, white-washed walls, trellises lled with
vines drooping with plump black grapes, teepees of hay, wood waiting
to be cut in the yard, gardens fading into the fall, cabbage in excess,
and livestock roaming the elds. There is not an espresso shop on every corner, but rather beat-up coffee vending machines placed strategically in key locations. In one anachronistic moment, a horse-drawn
carriage meandered past right before a BMW raced by. It was really
a treat to be in a place that still holds some of the Old World lifestyle.
People live off of the land. Sheepherders march their ocks down the
roads. Elderly locals converse on street benches. Sometimes it feels
timeless, yet you can still get a latte at a modern petrol station or fancy
restaurant if you so desire.

Karlukovo
Vratsa

BLACK
SEA

Soa

Heather Weidner on Varna

(7b/5.12b) at Karlukovo.

Beta
GET THERE

Fly into Sofia, the primary

international airport and
main hub of the country. A
rental car is a must for
climbers. They go from 15
a day, and gas is around
1.30 a liter. Street signs

seem to disappear (people

steal them for the scrap
metal), thus a good map
(sold at most gas stations) is
very helpful, and a GPS is a
lifesaver. Potholes, animals,
and bad drivers are all big
issues here, so be careful.
STAY

Many cottages, such as

those mentioned here,

require a Bulgarian speaker
to book, but booking.com
has good local options.
GEAR

Forget something? Check

out these two outstanding
shops in Sofia: Stenata
(stenata.com) and Ekipirovka
(ekipirovka.com).

GYMS

GUIDEBOOK

Need a partner,
recommendation, or beta?
One of these three local
gyms is a good source. Stop
in and askthey are very
friendly. Boulderland
(boulderland.eu), Climb NSA
(climbnsa.com), and Gravity
(gravitybg.com) are all
located in Sofia.

Intimate details of the

burgeoning scene are best
accessed through
climbingguidebg.com.
IMPORTANT CULTURAL
ODDITY

Shaking your head means yes,

and nodding means no. This
can be confusing.

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THE

BIG TRIP
ISSUE

The Honeymoons
(Not Quite) Over
By Mason Earle
Photos by
Andrew Burr

ate morning snowakes fall from the gray New England sky. Its calm but bitterly cold outside. The giant
old sugar maple stands like a leaess skeleton by my
window, new snow covering its towering branches.
Climbing warm rock in the sun is a distant memory as
I sit close to the wood stove and search the Internet for
inspiration, scrolling through endless pages. Its holiday season, and
the two ngers of Scotch next to my computer seem strangely appropriate this early in the day. Every potential climbing spot in the South
Pacic Ive found so far gives me hope for a few eeting seconds until
one more click reveals that its mostly a heaping pile of choss. In one
last vague attempt, I type French Polynesia cliffs into Google image
search. Time freezes when I spot a photo of incredible rock spires towering above a jungle island. Be still, my beating heart

68 | NOVEMBER 2014

Mason Earle gets high

above the South Pacic
on a new route on Motutakae in Ua Pou, part
of French Polynesia.

ANDREW
COURTESY
BURR FOR EDDIE BAUER

When four bold climbers got lichen,

poison ivy, and rain instead of the
bountiful new-routing, beaches, and fresh
fish they envisioned on the islands of
French Polynesia, they didnt let that put a
stop to their tropical climbing adventure.

CLIMBING.COM

| 69

BIG TRIP ISSUE

FRENCH POLYNESIA

FOUR MONTHS LATER, my A-Team (see below) and I are among

throngs of retirees and honeymooners boarding an Airbus A340 to
Tahiti, where well hop another ight to Nuku Hiva. From Nuku Hiva
well catch a boat ride to Ua Pou [pronounced wah-poe], which is located in the Marquesas Islands, a remote archipelago about 800 miles
northeast of Tahiti. Ua Pou is six miles wide, with several giant basalt
pillars rising out of the dense jungle. I imagine putting up rst ascents
on pristine virgin rock with nights spent in bungalows built on top of
the water and feasting on fresh-out-of-the-ocean sushi.

WOOHOO! IM CAPTAIN COOK! I scream into the wind.

Stoke is high as we speed across the nal 30 miles of open water toward Ua Pou. Packed onto a small shing boat, we cant see much of
the island due to dense fog, but we can denitely see an enormous dark
tower rising up above the cloudsPoumaka, the great warrior. Upon
our arrival, I explain to a few friendly locals that we were here to climb
the rock spires. We are directed to a guy named Manfred, who lives
with his wife at an off-the-grid jungle compound he built at the foot of
the spires. Manfred, at 70 years old, is a German expat who has been

Hakahau

THE A-TEAM
IT TAKES A SPECIAL
BREED TO SIGN UP
FOR A JUNGLE
SUFFERFEST

Poumaka

George Ullrich is a

modern-day explorer
and adventure climber
from northern England,
born and bred on the
runout cliffs of the
Lake District. When
gear placements and
holds cease to appear
and it starts to drizzle,
his cool head and
bomber crimps make
him a vital asset.
Bronson
Hovnanian has been

surfing his whole life,

and it just so happens
that hes also a master
of big wall climbing. If
we were headed to an
island, we needed a
waterman on our team
who could also crush
some stone.
Andrew Burr
seems to have an
insatiable appetite for
taking pictures of
people climbing dirty
choss, so naturally his
invite was a no-brainer.
Mason Earle is a
first ascent pioneer of
questionable rock,
blue-collar crack
climbing, and
everything vertical,
with a penchant for
pain and suffering.

70 | NOVEMBER 2014

Moutakae

The A-Team looks

back at Motutakae

BIG TRIP ISSUE

FRENCH POLYNESIA

living in French Polynesia for more than 30 years. He couldnt speak

French when he rst arrived, so he became a helicopter mechanic and
eventually a pilot. Now retired, he walks around his jungle operation
wearing a camouage one-piece suit, producing hydroelectric power,
banana moonshine, coffee, cacao, and avocadosthe essentials.
Manfred shows us to the start of the steep approach to our objective, Poumaka. We thank him for his hospitality and start heading up.

72 | NOVEMBER 2014

The forest is lled with rich aromas, and ripening fruit is just littered
across the ground. Oh neat! Wild cashews! I say as I pick one up
off the ground and begin prying off the sticky green shell. Its clearly
not ready to be eaten, so I discard it. Looking at my now-oily hands, I
remember that cashews are actually part of the same plant family as
poison ivy: anacardiaceae. Damn it. I wipe my hands off on my shorts
and try to forget about it.

Talk about a rappel

with a view.

Fruit and massive

avocados are an
essential part of any
island climbers rack.

The author nds

exactly what he ew
thousands of miles to
nd: climbable rock in
a tropical setting.

THREE RAINY AND MOSS-COVERED DAYS LATER, George

and I have only managed to climb two horrendous, runout, and overvegetated pitches of our chosen line on the 1,000-foot Poumaka. Seventy-ve percent of the rock is encased in lichen, and even worse, I
awoke one morning to nd severely itchy, cashew-induced dermatitis
covering 75 percent of my body. This was not the vacation I had en-

visioned. Our camp at the base of Poumaka had turned completely to

mud, and my tent was lled with woodchips because George spent
hours carving a wooden spoon. I mostly just itched. My heart was
sinking, and although we shared a hearty laugh at my new predicament, stoke quickly evaporated. Rain continued to fall, and we made
the call to bail on our inland objective in favor of trying to climb something on the sunny, dry coast. We heard rumors of a giant spire rising
directly out of the sea on the southern tip of the island.

BACK ON THE FISHING BOAT, our friendly skipper Cyril takes

us south along the western coast of Ua Pou. We spend a few hours
exploring some deep water soloing, and the magical, warm turquoise
water quickly heals our spirits. Cyril catches a sh and expertly knifes
up some sashimi. I feel like Captain Cook again.
We continue south, and a mighty tooth of rock appears. Known by
locals as Motutakae, this 800-foot tower of ivory-white basalt was rst
climbed by a group of visiting Germans with one of the locals from the
nearby village. They climbed a line up the fourth class north shoulder,
but the west face is a sheer wall. We spy a line right through the mid-

CLIMBING.COM

| 73

BIG TRIP ISSUE

FRENCH POLYNESIA

Earle traverses out on

one of the rst wet
pitches on Motutakae.

Beta
GET THERE:

Sailing there is possible from

the closest landmass of
Baja, but its a few thousand
miles away. Fly via Tahiti to
Nuku Hiva, the largest island
in the archipelago, on Air Tahiti, which is the only airline
that flies to Marquesas.
From Nuku Hiva airport, take
a cab up and over the island
to Taiohae, the main town
and port, where you can
catch a ride on a fishing boat
over to Ua Pou. Before leav-

74 | NOVEMBER 2014

ing Taiohae, make sure to

grab lunch at Henris. When
you get to the main village of
Hakahau, find Pension Pukuee (689 925 083), a bed
and breakfast thats operated by Jerome, our go-to
guide for the area. This village is the jumping-off point
for various climbing around
the island, and Jerome can
give you boat captain Cyrils
number, as well as introduce
you to people you can stay
with all over the island.
COST:

Be prepared to spend a lot of

money, especially for a dirtbag. Plane tickets just to get

to Tahiti start at about
$2,000, and then from
there, youll spend several
hundred to get to Marquesas. Cash is best for paying
for random boat rides and
tipping cabbies, and there
are ATMs on the island to get
the local currency, the CFP
Franc, but also plan on bringing stuff to trade: Approach
shoes, rain jackets, ropes,
and random expedition gear
are all things that are really
hard to find for the locals of
Ua Pou.

FOOD/CULTURE:

The folks on Ua Pou were

unbelievably friendly and
hospitable. They were very
excited to have climbers
come visit their small island.
We definitely saved some
money because we never
had to pay for fresh fruit,
which we ate in large quantities everyday, especially at
Manfredville (what Manfred
calls his compound). Even
though we brought loads of
food to the island, everyone
we stayed with insisted on
cooking for us, which seems
to be the local custom, and

we ate incredible meals.

There is enough fruit growing on the island to support
many times the population,
and the avocados are the
size of footballs. Imagine
fresh salad with perfect red
cubes of sashimi tuna,
tossed in coconut milk with
some octopus or goat on the
side. Plus, you can more or
less binge-drink coconut
watergreat for fighting off
dehydration after sweating
all day. As for the culture:
Think early 1990s island vibe
with overtones of native
Marquesan pride.

dle of the steepest headwall, and Cyril pulls

the boat up to a spit of rock. In between the
rise and fall of the massive swells, we leap to a
ledge and pass bags across with white knuckles, fearful that one slip will send crucial gear
to a watery grave. However, with some precision and a bit of luck, we keep all our gear out
of the abyss. We set up basecamp in the yard of
a friendly family in the village of Hakatao. By
some coincidence, our host is actually the local
dude who accompanied the Germans on the
rst ascent of Motutakae some 20 years ago.
We catch a ride each day to Motutakae in
a small plywood motorboat and spend three
days establishing our new route. The climbing is actually pretty damn good, with the
clean, white rock providing mostly natural
protection. The route follows intermittent
cracks, and when those zzle out, we face
climb, placing cams in pockets. Caves in the
cliff face offer incredible sheltered belays.
Marine life swims below us in full forcehundreds of tuna, manta rays, sharks, and even a
sea turtle. While following one of my leads,
George grabs a chalked-up jug I had just been
using to shake out, when it promptly cleaves
off a microwave-size block that lands directly
on his chest, narrowly missing Bronson at
the belay. The headwall culminates with a
40-meter overhanging hand crack with jugs
on either sidehero climbing at its very best.
Like gentleman mountaineers, we shake
hands on the summit and sign the register
left by the Germans. A quarter-mile to the
north is the island of Ua Pou. To the south lies
4,000 miles of uninterrupted ocean and then
Antarctica. Relaxing on the peak, we see what
seems like 1,000 birds circling overhead.

AS WE WAIT TO CHECK IN to our ight

back to Los Angeles, my brain spins from antibiotics quelling a malignant infection in my
hand, and I look around at the retirees and
honeymooners and realize we look a lot worse
for the wear. I imagine our French Polynesian
experience was vastly different from that of
the other folks in line. People come here for
black pearls and ahi tuna, not to fester in the
jungle. But in essence, I realize we all came
here for a somewhat similar reasonto nd
our own personal adventure. My team certainly found it, and the smiling faces around
us let me know that at least a few others
had probably found it in some form as well.
A friendly old lady asked what we had been
doing, and I told her we went rock climbing in the Marquesas. Oh, thats great! The
Marquesas are beautiful! she exclaimed. She
leaned in close to me, out of earshot from
her husband, and whispered, We went on a
NUDE cruise

George Ullrich ghts off

overwhelming vegetation at the base of the
groups original objective,
Poumaka.

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2,567



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31,519



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1. Outside County copies
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G. COPIES NOT
DISTRIBUTED

6,625

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27,535

63%



Average no. of copies each issue

during preceding 12 mos.

Single issue nearest

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H. TOTAL (Sum of
F and G)
J. PERCENT PAID
AND/OR REQUESTED
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22,938



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| 71

GUIDE ZONE

C LI M BI N G

BOLIVIA t CANADA t CHILE t CHINA

ECUADOR t FRANCE t NEPAL t PATAGONIA t PERU t RUSSIA t SWITZ

DEVILS TOWER

ALASKA t CASCADES t DESERT ROCK t ROCKIES t SIERRA t ARGENTINA

Guide Zone

THE FLOW
What Kind of Climbing Traveler Are You?
BY KEVIN CORRIGAN
CLIMBING, BY NATURE, is a sport that encourages travel. Crags are fairly static; the routes dont change. So its nice to go out and
experience new crags, new rock types, new holds, new landscapes, and new people. Not to mention, theres nothing better than taking a week off work to dedicate yourself to climbing as much as possible. Just as there are many different forms of climbing, there are
many different ways to travel and types of crags to visit. What kind of climbing traveler are you?
START HERE

In a car, tent,
or cave.

Will you be sacrificing comforts

and stretching your meager savings
to travel as long as possible?

And will you be taking

your adventure abroad?

Im not frugal
enough to go
abroad. Another
beer, please!

THE TEMPORARY
DIRTBAG
Youll do anything to
continue your life on
the road. Youve slept
in just about every
cave around Moab.
Sold blood plasma.
Eaten free relish and
ketchup packets for
breakfast. You could
live forever on $10, and
you rarely have more
than that. Its all worth
it to enable your pursuit
of fresh lines and new
boulders. At least, until
you run out of vacation
days (if you have a job).
80 | NOVEMBER 2014

WHERE WILL YOU BE

SLEEPING ON THIS TRIP?
Well, I already have
everything I need in
my van. The only
cost is gas.

Only through
climbing and travel
can we truly nd
ourselves.

I live on ramen noodles so

I can afford a hefty airline
ticketthen live in relative (but
blissful) poverty on my trip.

THE CULTURAL
AMBASSADOR
Sure, you could spend
summer in Yosemite,
but theres a big world
out there waiting to
be climbed! You crave
the adventure that only
comes from being immersed in foreign lands
and exotic cultures.
You might forget the
routes you sent, but
youll never forget the
time you bartered with
a shepherd in Bulgaria,
or tried sake from a
toothless welder in a
local Tokyo bar.

THE PARKING LOT KING

Technically what you
drive is a van, but
thats a crude way to
describe your mobile
home base. You own
the crag parking lot.
Camper top. Portable
white picket fence.
Lawn chairs. Kiddie
pool. The amount of
stuff you cram into
your small space defies
physics, yet the interior
always appears roomy.
Youre the envy of the
crag campground. The
downside is that youre
stuck on this continent.

In a hotel,
hostel,
apartment,
or palapa.

Will you ever see other people on this trip?

Meeting
people is part
of the fun of
traveling.

None.

THE OLD MOUNTAIN

HERMIT
You travel to get away
from it all. People.
Roads. Powerlines.
This isnt a vacation;
its an expedition.
You salivate at the
thought of carrying a
heavy pack on a long
approach deep into a
remote wilderness.
Your trips have objectives like Chiles Torres
Del Paine. Relaxing?
No. You can relax when
youre dead. Or back
at work sitting in an
ergonomic chair.

No. I seek
remoteness and
isolation.

How much pre-trip research

have you done?

THE SURROGATE
LOCAL
Venezuela? I found
the raddest apartment
on Airbnb. In fact, I was
speaking with the owners, and they gave me a
lot of good restaurant
recommendations. And
my sisters boyfriends
sister lives down
there. Shes actually a
climber, and she wants
to take us to this amazing secret crag. Her
boyfriend is a DJ, so
hes gonna get us into
this exclusive club, and
after that well go...

Whats your
preferred restday activity?
Completely
immerse myself
in all the culture this area
has to offer.
Completely
eat all the food
this area has
to offer.

All of
it.

THE WANDERING
GOURMAND
By day, youre an
all-business crusher.
By night, a black hole,
sucking down food and
booze with inescapable
gravity. When will you
ever return to Sardinia?
Better sample every
restaurant while you
can. And menu item.
And wine. In fact, make
it three. Most impressive is your uncanny
ability to wake up early,
hangover-free, chipper,
and ready to climb the
next morning.

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Jakob Schweighofer

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