This November, I had the honor and the pleasure of attending one of the coolest climbing festivals I've ever been to, the 2014 Yangshuo Climbing Festival, presented by Kailas. This was Kailas' fourth year heading up the festival, and it was set to be a big one. Myself and some other Kailas athletes from the US were invited to represent their international team at the festival, each of us representing some of our talents and sharing our passions for the multifaceted sport. This was my first trip to China, and I was thrilled to spend a few nights in Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Yangshuo!
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| From our first night out in Yangshuo. For a little town, the festival really brought in a buzzing crowd. |
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| The bus! Full of eager climbers and event staff. |
From the US, Amy and Miles, a big wall couple from California, taught rope access clinics to help introduce beginners to safe climbing practices. Brian Huang, of Boulder, CO and Brendan Mitchell, a fellow climber from Dallas, TX represented some of the youngest in our group, and rose the the challenge in the outdoor climbing clinics and bouldering competitions hosted during the festival. Brendan ended up placing third overall at the competition, giving the Chinese national team a run for their money! As for me, I was one of the four route setters in the bouldering competition. I have been route setting for about five years now and this was my first experience with international competition, and I was thrown right into the middle of it!
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| A view looking out from our place in Yangshuo. |
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| A look down into Yangshuo from Moon Hill as a storm comes through. |
The route setting was particularly fun and challenging in all new ways. With only a slight language barrier, the communication was pretty easy, which was a relief. The head route setter, Acheng, has over ten years of setting experience, the last four years being with the IFSC's World Cup circuits. He was thoughtful and creative with his movements, visualizing a bold competition for the climbers. Most of my days in Yangshuo were spent setting to prepare for the comp, and I must admit, I think we had a hell of a show. James Kassay, Kailas athlete from Australia and fellow Evolv athlete as well, took first place overall at the bouldering comp. But it wasn't without a tremendous effort against his stacked lineup of finalists. With unforgiving climbs, we really dragged it out of our competitors in order to get separation from such a talented group. It was exciting to see everyone perform well, and I really hope I get the opportunity to do more international route setting!
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| The route setters: Danny, myself, Acheng and Andy |
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| Johannes sticking the dyno in Qualifiers |
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| Three of the four walls used in the competition. |
But the festival wasn't the only spice in my visits to China. Those of you that know me have certainly seen my foodie side. I was so freaking excited for this trip because I am a huge fan of trying authentic foods, especially from such a famous location of culinary influences as China. I was eating everything they could offer, stuffed bamboo, toasted melon seed kernels, all sorts of soups and fish. Two of the most interesting foods, and actually some of the tastiest, were chicken feet and snails! I am now on the hunt to find these in the US.
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| Yangshuo outskirts |
This trip was certainly a highlight in my international adventures and will always hold a place in my heart as my first experience in the amazing country of China. I would not have had an experience such as this if it weren't for the generous help of my Kailas family. Their continued support of climbing community in areas all over the world shows how much they believe in climbers and want to enable us to continue to follow our passions. I'm proud to be a part of such a supportive family!
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| Some of the Kailas athletes from their China team. Such a rad crew! |
