10/08/2024
• Adventurous people find each other •
Through a chance encounter a few months back at the local climbing centre, I bumped into Phillipe. Another Laowai sticking out like a sore thumb, naturally we said Hi. He turns out to be the local legend, trying for the past few years to create some sort of documented guide to the granite peaks of Qingdao, with the help of a handful of local climbers bolting new faces in 30 degrees all summer. (The peaks are closed half the year)
After stipping the car early because the road has washed away, a short hike and some minor bushwhacking to get to the chosen peak (“watch out for snakes, but no-ones ever been bitten so far”) we reached the rock and we chatted as the excitement and passion exploded out of the guys.
I had conversations I’ve never had before;
“none of these have had a free ascent yet, take your pick, we don’t how hard they are, be careful!”
“Qingdao 5.10 is like 5.11/5.12 because the local climbers are so strong they have no comparison and in China routes are never re-graded, the FFA person sets the grade and would be disrespectful to change it”
“You want to go bolt other crags, be my guest, nobody is doing it, the potential is endless and all unclimbed world class rock”
I only went up to meet them and have a potter on the rock, help with some photos for the guidebook, I can’t believe my luck of the opportunity for real exploration. I Lead out on a 5.11a that turned out to be much harder and couldn’t do the crux, then left the top rope in to have a climb on 2 un-named and unclimbed lines next to it. Finding a route, breaking holds, cleaning choss, trying, falling and trying a new way, a freedom I’ve never had in climbing before. what a morning!
This feeling has been missing in the metropolis of China lately. Yearning for the green mountains of home and the right to roam we thankfully have in the UK.
It only took me a year to find these guys, being such a small community, but now I have, very excited for the adventures to come 🤯😝