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MisterE
Social climber
Across Town From Easy Street
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Topic Author's Original Post - Feb 3, 2010 - 10:38pm PT
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Looks absolutely spectacular! Now about that permitting...
Link
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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I have traveled extensively in China and seen so much untouched rock that it boggles the mind. but I never thought to see something like this, a untouched Yosemite. Wow, very impressive. I know where I am going to try and head next trip...
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Gene
Social climber
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Wow! That dome is amazing.
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Holy Shizz!
Those streaks are so beautiful!
Thanks for posting that Erik.
Hard to travel that far and spend that much for the stuff we have in California though......
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enjoimx
Big Wall climber
SLO Cal
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Oh my, its like Royal Arches and North Dome went through a hole in the earth, got turned inside out, and ended up in China!
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Just thought I would see if I could add a little bit.
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MisterE
Social climber
Across Town From Easy Street
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 3, 2010 - 11:46pm PT
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I belay in Mandarin? ;)
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Just a couple more "local" shots.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Just remember, bolts are verboten!
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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It is called The Via Two By Six
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Yeah, but they have a ban on power tools, so everything had to be enhanced by hand while on stance.
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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It would be fun to climb there.
But I would think that it might be awhile before the Chinese would let climbers into that area.
I had seen a picture of the Divine Bell and thought it was an interesting view of Liberty Cap in the Valley.
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LuckyPink
climber
the last bivy
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we are not alone in our appreciation of this area... the russians and kazaks have strong climbing communities. Travel in the Altai, as a border area of 4 countries is heavily overseen by border patrols in the lower villages. Never the less, Kazakstan wants to increase climber visits through its border into the region. I entered the region through Kazakstan a few years ago to climb Belukha.. and carried on through the area (vagueness here for NSA evesdropping lol). Beluhka is northwest of Keketuohai, but accessible with a lot of work. The whole region is full of climbing opportunities and there is a huge international climbers' interest in the area.
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MisterE
Social climber
Across Town From Easy Street
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 4, 2010 - 05:39pm PT
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Riley, from the article:
The area is populated by Kazakhs, who are building the park infrastructure and visitor access. They are unlikely to allow rock climbing, unless sanctioned by higher authority in Beijing or Urumqi.
That means someone has to go through the initial process evidently. It may be quite complicated.
Climbing illegally there might not be the best idea - I'm just guessing...
Edit: Meh on the via ferrata clutter!
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LuckyPink
climber
the last bivy
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the chinese are VERY strict about access to these areas because a) you are an american, b)you have to travel through their country for a long way before you get there and that is the part they don't like, and c)there is politcal hostility between the 4 countries whose borders come together in the Altai region.
yes it's like tibet, difficult but not impossible , but also not reliable. just because you have a permit today does not mean you have one tomorrow. There is also a pretty good language barrier.
There is a real struggle here for natural resources, territory, politcal structure by widely differing cultures. China is expansionist and all the others resent that greatly. There is a heavy bureacratic, militaristic presence by all involved.
AND there are plenty of Kazak and russian climbers interested
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Short story:
I have a friend who lives in a high-rise in Shanghai. He lives in a very large building amongst many other very large building. But it is a very nice place, with a nice balcony overlooking the river and city.
One day there was something going on and the Chinese authorities said no one could be on their balcony during a set period of time. My friend is a standard American issue sort and ignored the ban. Within a few minutes there was a knock on his door and he was asked, politely, to come back into his apartment.
It is in this neighborhood.
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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Thats Pu Dong City, the new financial capital of the world, new part of Shanghai. If he hadn't been a foreigner he probably would have got in trouble.
I agree with Radical's post above, when you travel if you're pretty chill about things, lowkey and respectful. You can cruise just about anywhere. To the Chinese, how you dress is pretty important. It really helps to be able to whip on a pair of black slacks and jacket, and shiny black shoes. Even if you're scruffy and you put that on, you're a foreigner in a suit and people respect you, becasue that is how their managers dress. Most times you get preferential treatment.
I don't think I'd wear a suit to meet with the Kazakhs however.
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Mtnmun
Trad climber
Top of the Mountain Mun
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It's this kind of post that really fires the soul. There was an ice climbing article in Climbing I think, about a newly discovered area in China, a few years ago. They were putting up new routes like crazy. I contacted the author and got some good beta. That is a trip I would love to make.
Fatty. embassador to Yosemite, should contact his state department repubs and shortcut this process. Climb on Bro's!
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MisterE
Social climber
Across Town From Easy Street
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 4, 2010 - 08:49pm PT
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Studly, can you tell us more about the Kazakhs, and what sort of apparel would be appropriate?
Thanks, Erik
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micronut
Trad climber
fresno, ca
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Erik,
I spent a month in Kazakhstan a couple years ago adopting our son. Hit me an e-mail if you want any specific intel.
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LuckyPink
climber
the last bivy
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Kazaks are muslim. They occupy a large region that does not conform to political boundaries. They do not like the Chinese, who do not like them. They can be considered an indigeneous culture. The Chinese occupy the region. The area is so remote, that it is difficult for the chinese to maintain political and military control. Travelers are suspects first. The chinese require laison officers for travelers from the chinese side. The chinese culture does not support an individualistic value of personal experience or exploration, therefore that type of activity is suspect.
It's a beautiful place with real people living real lives. But it is not like Nepal, which is the easiest country in the Himal in which to travel due to the culture, widespread English speakers, previous British rule and a tourism based economy. Yes it is like what is happening in Tibet. (Tibet, Mongolia, Bhutan, and Nepal.and beyond.. a colonization that has outdone the British.)
Nice that you posted your find. I agree, when we are heading to another little known area it's best to look into it beyond the first flush.
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BooDawg
Social climber
Paradise Island
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I am SO NOT impressed with the Yosemite comparison!! It looks like there are a couple of crags that are perhaps the size of Tahquitz, Suicide, or possibly Fairview. Admittedly, I've been out of touch for a third of a century, but I'll bet one can still find untouched domes and cliffs way better than what's in these pix within three days' walk in the Sierra backcountry, less in the Basin & Ranges... Any takers? $6000 + KOA to SFO airfare...
If you want to travel to China, fine! Go for it! But if you want to maximize excellent climbing opportunities, even for doing new routes, why go through all the hassle & expense involved in going to China??
Well, I guess George Mallory got it right, after all...
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mojede
Trad climber
Butte, America
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Feb 18, 2010 - 11:08am PT
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That last link's photos bear strong resemblance to terrain and topography in Montana, perhaps Utah as well. Remarkable on what we see of a country when we get in to its interiors:-)
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Feb 18, 2010 - 11:14am PT
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The Yosemite comparison fires up the imagination quite a bit.
I really hate to punch a hole in your boat but rumor has it there's
no Deli or Mt Room there, yet.
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Mark Not-circlehead
Boulder climber
Martinez, CA
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Sep 13, 2010 - 08:06pm PT
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SO does that mean their gonna serve noodles at the deli?
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Sep 13, 2010 - 08:33pm PT
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There's plenty of "Yosemite style" granite all up and down the Baltoro in Pakistan, and in the Hushe valley (for starters), and you don't have to hassle the Chineese Gov't for permits and such. The stuff is untouched because the climbers there are heading up for the alpine targets. I saw dome after spire after crag after cliff... Stacks of climbing to be done!
But yeah, the area is kinda in a mess just now...
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corniss chopper
Mountain climber
san jose, ca
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Sep 13, 2010 - 09:13pm PT
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An Altai Range climbing local invites you to dinner.
Did someone say we're having guests for dinner?
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Sep 13, 2010 - 09:22pm PT
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I've been to China twice and didn't find it that friendly or enjoyable. The climbing looks super slaby which is not my game- I'll pass.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Sep 13, 2010 - 09:33pm PT
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Y'all should be googling for STEEP granite with cracks. One T-meadows will do.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Sep 14, 2010 - 01:21am PT
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Not to worry, I've got a translator / rope gun right here;
She's ready for anything!
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Sep 14, 2010 - 10:49am PT
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Steep granite with cracks please...and a shot of the hacienda! LOL
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NotIt
Trad climber
SF, CA
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Sep 14, 2010 - 02:14pm PT
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I'm still sitting on my photos of what I'm sure will come to be known as one of the world's greatest limestone crags - until the day I finish school and can head over there for 4 months and have a crack at development.
As was said earlier in the thread, if you travel around China - I mean beyond (though sometimes quite adjacent to) the Lonely Planet type guidebooks, there is so much rock over there that it defies the imagination.
My case in point: I arrived to a small town via a Tibetan horseman guide, delirious about what I'd been seeing for the past four hours. For miles, we'd been skirting the base of a humongous limestone formation. I mean, like, jaw-dropping size. Incredibly, there was a Taiwainese guy in the town who spoke english, which freed me from the shackles of my 100 word mandarin, and 0 word tibetan, vocabulary and guidebook pointing level of communication. He relayed my questions about climbing the formation, which were met with incredulity.
"Climb it? Of course you can climb it. There is a long trail up the other side."
"No, I mean climb up THIS (the GIF*#KINGGANTIC unbroken swath of limestone visible from town) side!"
[relays the question to the townsfolk]
[townsfolk laughing and looking at me skeptically]
"no, no one has done such a thing"
It's out there guys, and the food over there is insane. I'm counting down, and will post pictures when the time is right.
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mooser
Trad climber
seattle
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Sep 14, 2010 - 02:25pm PT
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I want to go to there...
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