Great Rock Climbing Sites All Over China

Great Rock Climbing Sites All Over China
Jul 20, 2013 By Andrea Scarlatelli , eChinacities.com

In recent years, China has seen interest in rock climbing surge, and its facilities—of both the indoor man-made variety as well as the outdoor Mother Nature variety—have grown to meet a large portion of the need. It’s not hard to see why rock climbing appeals to the inner daredevil of so many China expats: the cost is minimal (compared to back home), it's a fun and challenging way to get in shape, and it’s a great way to meet new friends who share a similar interest. Read on for a guide to some great outdoor rock climbing sites in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Guilin, Chengdu, and Kunming – and start fueling that adrenaline rush today!  

Beijing

1) Baihe Valley Miyun area (白河谷密云附近)
This is by far the most famous (and developed) mountain climbing area in Beijing, and for good reason. With over one hundred different routes, including ones with bolted anchors, this is the perfect spot for climbers with a wide range of skill levels. Most of the good climbing spots start at or around Jiangjiafen Village (蒋家坟村), which unfortunately is quite a trek from downtown Beijing. Unless you want to hire a car for the day (which will likely cost more than the actual climbing), the best way to get there is to hop on bus No. 980 (around 10 RMB) at the Dongzhimen Long Distance Bus Station and take it to Miyun Gulou (密云鼓楼), then hire a car to Jiangjiafen Village. The area (like most of those on this list) is free and unsupervised, so be sure to climb with someone who knows what they’re doing.

2) Equipment
For everything having to do with climbing, check out the “G View Adventure Equipment” shop in Xizhimen. They come highly recommended by Beijing’s biggest rock climbing club (see below) because of their wide array of gear options and brand name items like La Sportiva and Climb X.

Add: Rm 1708, Maples International Tower B, 32 Xizhimen Bei Lu, Haidian District, Beijing
地址:北京市海淀区西直门北大街32号,枫蓝国际写字楼B座1708室
Tel: 6836 5520
Website: http://www.emg.com.cn

3) Rock Climbing Clubs
An organized, friendly, and experienced group, the “Beijing Climbing Club” gears itself towards anyone who wants to enjoy the thrills of rock climbing. They offer courses for beginners or those who are just looking to improve their skills and organize regular outings to different areas outside of Beijing. All their guides are certified, so there is a constant emphasis on safety and responsibility that is reassuring for rock climbers of all levels: http://beijingclimbingclub.com


Guangzhou

1) Baiyun Mountain (白云山)
The only climbing spot inside the Guangzhou city limits, Baiyun Mountain consist of three granite rock peaks that host a total of eighteen bolted climbing routes. Keep in mind that these routes are not for beginners, so pass on this location unless you have a lot of experience. To get there, take metro line 3 to Baiyun Mountain station (白云山站). Once you’re inside the park (via the South Gate), take the cable car to the top of the mountain and follow signs towards the “Pearl House” (明珠楼方). You’ll see the peak once you hit the tennis courts.

2) Equipment
For climbers in Guangzhou, Decathlon is a great place to pick up basic equipment. Or for more professional gear, check out the offerings at the Mountain Gear website, which ships internationally and has pretty much anything you could possibly need: http://www.mountaingear.com/webstore.

Add: Decathlon, Huangcun Dadao-Huanchang Lu intersection, southeast of Guangzhou Olympic Center, Guangzhou 
地址:广州奥林匹克体育中心东南黄村大道与环场路交汇处,迪卡侬东圃店
Tel:  208 216 9990
Opening hours: 10:00-20:30 (Sun-Thu); 10:00-21:30 (Fri-Sat)
Website: www.decathlon.com

Guilin/Yangshuo

1) Moon Hill (月亮山)
By far the most popular place to go rock climbing in China whether you’re a local or a tourist is the Guilin/Yangshuo area. Moon Hill is one of the highlights, an arch that became the first official climbing spot in Yangshuo in 1990. To get there, you’ll have to enter the Moon Hill Scenic Area (which costs 25 RMB) and follow the main path all the way to the arch, which takes about 30 minutes.

Add: Moon Hill Scenic Area, 321 National Road, Yangshuo County, Guilin
地址:桂林市阳朔县321国道,月亮山景区

2) White Mountain (白山)
With around 35 different routes and near constant sunshine due to its southerly direction, White Mountain is a favorite for more experienced climbers. It’s also an easy taxi ride away from the city center, which only adds to its popularity. The average length of a route is around 30 meters long, so make sure your stamina is up for the journey.

Add: Baishan Dicun, Yangshuo County, Guilin
地址:桂林市阳朔县白山底村

3) Equipment
Due to its rather isolated location, no major sporting goods stores have popped up (yet) offering much in the way of rock climbing gear. However, the Back Country website ships internationally and has an endless selection of any climbing gear you may need: http://www.backcountry.com.

4) Rock Climbing Clubs
The “Karst Climber Rock Climbing Company is less a group than a business, but it is a great way to meet people who also love rock climbing and they organize some amazing trips around the Guilin/Yangshuo area (which is perfect if the whole “unsupervised” thing freaks you out). They offer courses, guided climbs, and group trips for anyone at any climbing level: http://www.karstclimber.com.

Chengdu

1) “Scream of the Crane” Mountain (鹤鸣山)
The most famous climbing mountain around Chengdu is this weirdly named peak found in Dayi County (大邑县), about an hour and a half away from the city center. There are currently 23 bolted routes with about another 10 currently in the works. Be warned: this one’s also for serious climbers only, as the difficulty for each route is quite high. A bus can take you to Dayi from Chengdu’s Chadianzi Bus Station (around 40 RMB). Then it’s only a few kilometers from there to Daping Village (大坪村). You’ll then see signs directing you about 300 meters to the climbing area.

2) Equipment
Your best bet climbing gear in Chengdu is the Youth Climbing Outdoor Sports Equipment store. They have all the accessories you might need, as well as gear for pretty much every other adrenaline fueling sport you can imagine.

3) Rock Climbing Clubs
The Chengdu University of Technology has a reputation for hosting a fairly active climbing club. Check them out at their website to get in contact with people who share a similar love of climbing: http://www.chinatefl.com/sichuan/teach/cdlg.htm#3

Qingdao

1.) Laoshan Mountain (崂山)
With over forty square kilometers of mountains, Qingdao has exploded in popularity with rock climbers in recent years. There are currently 150 bolted routes with lots more in the works. Laoshan Mountain is a common starting point during the official climbing season of March through November. But if plain old rock climbing doesn’t do it for you, you can always try ice climbing in the winter (seriously!). It costs 50 RMB to enter the mountain area. To get there, take bus No. 110 from Taidong (胎动) to Beijiushui (北九水).

2) Equipment
In Qingdao, Decathlon once again comes to the rescue, providing a solid choice for all sorts of harnesses, shoes and more.

Add: 188 Liaoyang Xi Lu, Shibei District, Qingdao
地址:青岛市市北区辽阳西路188号,迪卡侬 (福辽立交桥下) 
Tel: 532 8561 7788
Website: www.decathlon.com

3) Rock Climbing Clubs
The Qingdao Rock Climbers is an organization that can schedule group climbs with any number of people. Their season normally runs from around April until November. Their website provides exact information on how different packages are priced, with the bonus being that all equipment is provided at no extra cost: http://www.qdclimbguide.com/main.asp.

Others

While this article covers the main places where rock climbing facilities and support are available in China, there are also some great additional online resources, which list many others. Happy climbing!

Climb Dali: http://www.climbdali.com/html/ClimbingChina
Rock Climbing: http://www.rockclimbing.com/routes/Asia/China
Indoor Climbing: http://www.indoorclimbing.com/china.html

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Keywords: Best rock climbing sites in China Rock climbing in China

1 Comments

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Guest14876650

Any sites in Nanjing?

Sep 09, 2017 21:29 Report Abuse