Rock climbers lured to the karsts of Getu village
The rocks of a remote river valley in Guizhou provide not only fabulous scenery, but also challenges that climbers are finding too tempting to resist
KARSTS OF THOUSANDS
To the people who do it, rock climbing is more than just a sport. We are always looking for new places to explore, different cultures to learn about and beautiful landscapes to interact with. In 2011, outdoor equipment manufacturer Petzl held a festival in a small river valley in rural Guizhou to showcase what this diverse climbing area has to offer. Since then, climbers and travellers from all corners of the globe have been drawn there to experience it.
Southern China's karst landscape is known for its iconic scenes of misty mountains and rural life — scenes largely associated with the area surrounding Guilin, Guangxi, and well-known tourist destinations such as Yangshuo. But the limestone towers extend far out into the south and west, encompassing hundreds of villages, rich farmland and natural monuments.
Arriving in Getu village, we find ducks, cows and pigs roaming freely. The air is fresh and clean. The land is green and lush. Only the cockerel's calls and the occasional passing car break the soft sounds emanating from the fields.
Each day, we walk out from our guesthouse, our packs filled with ropes, karabiners and other essentials such as chocolate and cake. Our spirits high, the weight on our backs and the uphill approaches breeze by. Despite the odd loss of direction here and there, we are climbing each day on some of the most impressive crags in Asia.