Yangshuo Part 2

I have come to the end of a productive trip to Yangshuo. I didn’t manage to send the entire line of my mega project up the guts of Lei Pi Shan but I had an amazing time finding, equipping and trying it. It was the route I spent longest on this year and although I could do it in two overlapping sections I didn’t have what it took to link it all. I climbed clean to the half way anchors grading that hard 29 (8a/+) but I would always fall entering the final V8/9 (?) boulder problem at almost 40m! I named the route ‘Storm Born’ keeping in theme with the crag. The entire line will be 32/33 and an absolute classic! Cheers to Derek for the photos.

The first crux and easiest of Storm Born is the crux of the route Papercut (7c+) which i put up in 2006. Photo Derek Cheng.

The second crux of Storm Born almost half way up the Lei Pi Shan cliff. Photo Derek Cheng.

Compressing on bad holds about to snatch a slopey jug in the final boulder
before a sustained 5m end sequence to the chains. Photo Derek Cheng.

Staring up at Lei Pi Shan, my favourite crag in Yangshuo. Photo JJ Obrien.

A back injury in the last two weeks and a year of climbing catching up with my body meant I had to take a step back and so I climbed some classics I hadn’t done as well as a couple of easier first ascents. The new crag called Dragon City, which will be in the next guidebook, had a lot of potential and I found a nice thin vertical face on which I equipped and freed ‘City of Dreams’ at 27/8 (7c/+) on my second last day. Thanks to JJ for taking some cool shots! Check out his stylish climbing blog at jjobrienclimbing.blogspot.com.au

Thin face in the crux of City of Dreams 27/8? Photo JJ Obrien

Not a lot of holds on this wall! Photo JJ Obrien.

The initial slab of 'City of Dreams'. Photo JJ Obrien.

I am now back in Perth and have had almost a week off. Its Christmas time catching up with the family and my body is slowly healing. Climbing plans are already forming for next year. Plans I need to work a job around!