China - Beautiful, mysterious and unfailingly generous

I rolled into Yangshuo late at night. Exhausted and sniffling from a cold acquired from the past twenty-four hours spent in air-con'ed trains and buses though relieved nonetheless to have made it on schedule. I did nurse some anxiety that I would miss one my connections and would be stuck with spending the night in one of the uninspiring Chinese towns that I had passed through enroute. So far though the journey had been fairly straightforward. The train from Hanoi to Nanning had been surprisingly plush and I shared a large private compartment with a German dude intent on eschewing all air travel as he returned home to Germany from living in Japan the last few years. He'd be the last foreigner I'd see for the rest of the journey. From Nanning to Guilin and then finally to Yangshuo I was the lone non-Chinese far and wide. Unlike, say Thailand which is rather well-designed for tourist consumption, China's entry into the global tourism market feels relatively nascent. English thus is hard to find, whether in public signage, or with employees manning transport hubs. Fortunately any anxieties came to naught as I found friendly faces, helping hands and just enough of a smattering of English to ensure that I was safely deposited from one motorized vehicle to the next. I even struck up a brief friendship with a young student who was keen on practicing her English. She was exceedingly sweet, to the point of making sure that I tasted all of the many snacks that she brought as well as asking me a million questions about my life and travels. Yeah I didn't get to nap much :) 

West Street, Yangshuo at night

 For the past several years I had been devouring media on the explosion of this karst-covered corner of South-West China into the world climbing scene and had heard plenty from friends about the supreme cliffs and the king lines that dotted this rich and beautiful landscape. Nothing, and I mean nothing though would prepare me though for the tourist insanity that was the town of Yangshuo. Take the throngs of wide-eyed tourists at any given time of day at Times Square, add impossibly loud bars (with stripper poles to boot) and myriad souvenir shops, sprinkle in street hawkers, noodle stations and performing animals (and humans), then throw them all together into the cacophonous soup that is the West Street of Yangshuo on any given evening. And that's where I found myself, luggage in tow, with an instant headache, trying to locate my climber's hostel that night. Took a series of phone calls but I eventually managed to locate my bearings as well as my friend Carolina who was just returning from post-climbing dinner with friends. Once I had found thrown my luggage in, we grabbed beers and headed to the roof so that I could be suitably awed with the sights around. Quite impressed I sure was. The Chinese love for lighting up landscapes in glowing neon meant that we could see clear across town, karst peaks in every direction, and the impressive Li river quietly making its way on one side. I learnt that Yangshuo was not so small indeed and has a local population of about 300,000 which swells up depending on the height of the tourist season. I shuddered on hearing that being March, we were still a few months shy of high season. Sharing good vibes with friends old and new that night on the rooftop I felt glad to be there and part of it all. This place held promise to serve as the highlight of my Asia adventures and I was quite ready to experience the culture and the incredible climbing for the next couple of months. 

One of the bridges on the Li river

Bamboo boating on the Li

Learning the djembe from Sonam, my Tibetan friend (with an Indian name)

Post-stir fry food coma!

Ice cream and funny faces!

Morning brought overcast skies and cool temps that quickly overwhelmed my mild sickness and fatigue. This place promised the best climbing conditions yet in Asia and I couldn't wait. The first order of the day was to find breakfast and I followed Peter and Sam to the 'muslim noodle place' - a restaurant that specializes in hand-made noodles, served in soups, or served dry with meat and veggies. They stretch and tease the noodles out of dough right out of order and the operation does remind you of a pizza tossing performance. At about 1.80 usd for a bowl that includes a fried egg it was about as tasty and cheap as food can get. The next order was to rent a bike. All the crags are a bit outside town and biking is a perfect way to commute. . After getting the logistics sorted out we headed to meet everybody else…..at the local McDonalds! Ironic as it was to meet at an American fast food place it did serve as a central meeting place for climbers to rendezvous in the morning and then head out for the day (after unlimited coffee refills, the real reason why climbers convened here). It was so nice to reconnect with friends that I had met along destinations before. Some of them who I had been traveling with all the way back Tonsai! Here's to connecting with friends old and new! Michel, Sandra, Ally, Jordan, Darcy, Olé, Dan, Josh, David, Martin, Viri, Ben, Tim, Joe, Peter, Sam, Elyna, Ayden, Thea, Juraj (Yuri), Haagen, Sabrina and many many more! 

Morning meetup at McDs

Mr Wang, the hand-tossed noodle maestro

Those yum yum noodles post-production!

Keep the noodles coming!

A gang of about ten of us headed out to Lei Pi Shan, one of the signature crags that hosts some of the harder routes in the area. With a dozen or more high-quality routes in the 5.13-14 grade up a beautiful gently hanging 50 meter face, it is an excellent place to find some good climbs to project. The ambience is a bit sullied though by its location right next to the highway. To add to the traffic sounds were also fireworks going off at random times during the day. Apparently no Chinese celebration is replete without fireworks and I have to say that it made me wish for a similar tradition growing up back home! I quickly realized that the grades here may not allow for much easy pickings as Singularity, a 12a/b took me about 3 tries (yikes!) to red point. It is a great route though and I was happy to complete. The camaraderie at the crag was contagious with friends old and new attempting their projects. After a dinner somewhere of rice and veggies I was happy to pass out completely spent. 

Trying to figure out some move at Lei Pi Shan

Beers by the Li river post-climbing

I was sick the first week in Yangshuo but managed to climb most days. The first few days were spent sampling quality routes at White Mountain and Moon Hill amongst others. Both these crags are stunning. White Mountain is massive overhanging wall of bullet limestone towering over rice farms and  lesser karats. Highly concentrated, it holds some beautiful 6s, a high number of 7s and then 8s all the way up to a 9a, famously bolted by Chris S and sent by Ethan P. None of the climbs are gimmes but I managed to claw my way some 6s and a beautiful 7b called Phoenix that I red pointed on a later day. Every rose has its thorn and White Mountain does face the sun so one has to be careful on which days to visit as it can be fairly unbearable on a warm day with the sun beating down. I came back a few times on cooler days to try some other climbs but didn't realize  any of the harder lines.

White Mountain the magnificient

Biking around the crags

Moon Hill on the other hand is a completely different kind of mountain - a high arch on top of a hill that offers the most sublime views around and that one climbs about one thousand man made steps to gain.. Climbing in this surreal environment is a privilege and I doubt that a similar sporting endeavor at a comparable locale would be allowed in the US (take the Delicate Arch in Utah for example). In fact Moon Hill is a tourist attraction in its own right and well, the local Chinese tourists spent about an equal amount of time gazing wide-eyed at us as they did taking in the views around. We could hear the rapid camera clicks as we were climbing,  and lowering down both Peter and I were asked numerous times for pictures (and even autographs!) Flattering but we knew better. Anyway I managed to send my hardest flash to-date with a 7c called Moon Walker. Peter yelled ironclad beta and I thanked Jailhouse training yet again for helping find knee bars . In fact with knee bars the climb is probably more like 12c. Extremely steep, it passes two caves in the roof of the arch before finally ending at the 3rd. I tried hard, rested where I could, yelled at the crux and managed to clip the chains with my last reserves of energy. I wish I could channel this kind of focus and effort more often when I climb. The ability to try hard is what ultimately separates the pros from the joes. Lowering down I was completely spent and it was a good couple of hours before I tried my next climb. Peter stylishly cruised the climb right after. On a separate day I would come back to on-sight the mega-classic 12c Over The Moon. 

Haagen flashing Over The Moon at Moon Hill

Enjoying the shot of whiskey on the rest on Over the Moon

Life in Yanghsuo felt like a universe in parallel. A small tourist getaway in the Chinese scheme of things, it was massive and dense compared to the other climbing locales I had visited yet. And while the town had allegedly been 'discovered' by Westerners a few decades back, today it burgeons with Chinese visitors today who overwhelm the few Westerners around. The 2nd most visited place in the country (after the Great Wall in Beijing), the Chinese come here for short escapes from their hard-working lives, take in the sights, shop, eat, and party hard. And while they can be loud and crass, they are also warm and extroverted and eager to make friends. We were enthusiastically invited into gatherings while visiting restaurants and clubs. Frequent accommodations were made for our lack of knowledge of the local tongue while asking for directions, ordering food, buying supplies etc etc. Any pre-conceived notions about the Chinese personality were quickly dispelled. As somebody with tan skin and 'exotic' features I was often the object of more curiosity than my white companions. To my amusement they had a tough time guessing my race and would confuse me for being Latino, Persian, and even African sometimes! Sad in a way as Indians are very under-represented in both the general backpacking, as well as the climbing circuits. 

Unfortunately right as I was getting settled into the environment and finding my climbing rhythm. The rains came pouring down about 2 weeks into my stay. What were occasional downpours became daily and nightly affairs. The first few days of rain we were able to climb at some crags that were steep enough to provide shelter and stay dry. Later, everything became gradually wet. I had selected a couple of projects that I had to sadly abandon as crucial holds had become wet. Tufas especially would become wet first and then would hold on to the water the longest. Tired of wet rock, wet laundry and being cooped indoors, I decided to shift course and head early towards Getu He, a remote climbing village made famous by the Petzl Roc Trip a couple of years back. 

Wet approach to wet crags. Olé likes it though!

Don't pee everywhere in China

Reminiscing my little staycation pre-travel!

About 5 months have flown by since I started this trip (I left San Francisco about Dec 6th). But since I quit PayPal in early November, I should be noting a half-year anniversary if I calculate my journey to have commenced when I quit work to dove headlong into this gap year. Apart from hectic exit arrangements which spiced the tranquility of my final few days, the month of November was perhaps my most rewarding month in San Francisco yet. With time from the office freed up I really did relish the brief staycation life. I trained intensely at the rock gym but also surfed and danced heaps (can you tell I've been hanging around Aussies?), not only to relax but also as bonus cross-training! With all these physical activities I think I was probably the fittest I remember being in a while. Spending time with friends took on a new meaning as I realized that I was not going to see them for some time. Some of the most fun moments included a surf weekend in Santa Cruz with the boys, a couple of salsa events (esp the Habana D'Primera show at Yoshi's), cooking with friends (esp a Japanese cookout at home) and a trip to OR to climb at Smith Rock and see a friend in Eugene (great town!).

Tenemos una rueda de casino

Sushi prep!

Beautiful Smith Rock - a marvel of park management too. 

Hike to the base - forgot which wall this is.  

Can you spot the climber?

Goodbye dinner - at my favorite Cambodian restaurat

I miss El Rio and I miss that hat!

Vietnam - Bia Hoi and Phó, Hell NO to the Thit Cho!

The idea of visiting the colorful country of Vietnam was borne literally out of a bowl of soup. I was introduced to Vietnamese food about 11 years ago while living in Charlotte, NC. After evening tennis, Sanjib and I would head out to the local Vietnamese restaurant to tuck in phó, fresh spring rolls and shrimp and chicken pancakes. Phó is literally noodle soup in a tasty broth along with pieces of meat, herbs, fresh greens and bean sprouts on the side that you gradually add to the hot broth. Charlotte has a surprising large Vietnamese community and the rest of us benefitted. The mains were six-seven dollars a plate and we would be out of the door in about ten dollars. This was comfort food for me - cheap, tasty and healthy, that I was happy eating often.

Butterfly Valley - fantastic locale, great climbing!

Of course the main reason I wanted to visit was to explore the surreal landscape of karts islands in Ha Long Bay which offered endless deep water soloing (DWS) potential. It also fit in quite well with my Asia trip, neatly placed enroute to China from the South.

The crew enroute toTiger Island - my Birthday Day!

A seventeen hour bus ride from Thakhekh found Sandra, Michel, Olé and I semi-asleep in Hanoi at 4:30 in the morning. I never understand why these long bus rides deposit you at your destination at these crazy ungodly hours. It'd be wee convenience if they left a little later thereby timing arrival at a decent hour when taxis could be found and we could check into our hotel. Instead we had to kill a few pre-dawn hours curbside in a zombie-like state before the first rays of light found us a cab that brought us to the old city. We promptly checked in and passed out in the first hotel we found.

Coke-drinking rogue simian at Monkey Island

Sandra and Michel left for Ha Long Bay the same day while Olé and I decided to bum around town and savor the pleasures of a big city after the wilderness of the climber's camp in Thakhekh. The first thing to jar us into city consciousness was the traffic in Hanoi - esta loco! Narrow streets and a volley of scooters shooting in from every direction. Felt like real-life Frogger! I heard somebody joke that the safest and least-nerve wracking way to cross streets might be to blindfold oneself and let the riders navigate around you! It took us a while to get accustomed and yes, the scooters are good at avoiding pedestrians, swerving around you at the last minute. (Two things about my Delhi upbringing that I'm always grateful for when traveling in these exotic lands - ability to maintain calm in wild traffic, and of course,  a strong tummy that can tolerate most cuisines. Five months into this trip and I've generally managed to avoid the dreaded traveller's diarrhea. I can't get Delhi belly coz I already got one.! excuse the bad joke).

Cat Ba!

Ended up spending about 4 days in Hanoi. I was content to chill, sightsee a bit every day, sample delicacies that were washed down with delicious Vietnamese coffee - really strong dark coffee with a spoonful of condensed milk in the morning, and beer at night. Crazy contradiction here - for the price of one coffee (1 usd) you could buy four mugs of Bia Hoi, the local draught beer. at .25 usd each! Why drink anything else at all? The beer at approx 3.2 % was hardly choice IPA but still amazing at that price. 

All grins kayaking around the Ha Long Bay emerald waters

Jenna, my friend in Hanoi, was kind enough schlep me around the city in the evenings, introduce me to her great circle of local friends while also sampling some of the nightlife. We both love salsa and found a venue one evening. There were only two couples dancing and we later had a little chat with the DJ - a Cuban émigré who though I was a fellow countryman! He recognized my Cuban vueltas and figured that I was brown enough to look Cuban. I was flattered but felt sorry to disappoint! 

From the top of the multi-pitch at Tiger
 Island - maybe the best views I've ever enjoyed on my birthday!?

The island of Cat Ba is situated a few miles offshore in Ha Long Bay. Arriving from Hanoi took only a few hours between a bus and a ferry ride. First impressions were a bit underwhelming. There is no visible beach but a mile long stretch of shops and tall drab hotels lining the esplanade. I had only misled myself into thinking that this was going to be more like Tonsai (where the lack of modern construction is quite pleasing). Additionally, it was cold! Low clouds, no sun and temps in the 40s (with wind-chill) the day we arrived. We rented a scooter and went for a little exploratory ride along the island. Once you make it past the concrete ugliness, Cat Ba is gorgeous. It's densely lush with tropical forests and the road loops around these hills that stretch for a distance.  However the beauty of the place was somewhat lost on us that first day as we froze our butts and hurried back so we could grab dinner and snuggle under our duvets. Like a total chump I had left the few bits of warm clothing I had back in Hanoi and I was dreading the cold over my stay. Fortunately, next day Olé lent me his extra jacket. It also got warmer and the sun peeked out occasionally over the next week and all was good with the world :) 

In fact the weather stayed downright perfect for climbing over our short stay (about 8 days) in Cat Ba., nicely complementing the excellent climbing. Climbing in Cat Ba is almost all at this farm called Butterfly Valley, a 20-30 minute scooter ride from the tourist area in Cat Ba. Olé and I were equally motivated and climbed almost every day. We'd be the first people at the crag in the morning and usually the last ones to leave. There are maybe 40-50 odd routes at this place, offering a superb mix of face, overhangs, slabs and tufas (mandatory in Asia!). The best routes fall in the 5.12 range, with some nice 5.11s and a few 5.13s thrown in for good measure. Being a short trip we were happy with onsights and quick red points though I did try two hard climbs. The first was a short and beautiful 5.12D face route with one long delicate deadpoint of pinches (but Olé masterfully onsighted!) The other one was a 5.13A -  a long and interesting one with a bouldery,  thuggy crux. I didn't send but did enjoy my short session working on them.

Gunning for some fun 12a at Butterfly Valley

The food in Cat Ba was not extraordinary but I do wish I had sampled more sea food. They keep the fishes, and other sea creatures live in tubs at the entrance of the restaurant until a recipe calls for them. The displayed freshness intended to entice customers initially had the opposite effect on us poor squeamish tourists1 We braved up eventually and had excellent sea food hot pots, calamari (the best I've ever had anywhere), and also a bbq that featured clams and oysters. Thit Cho refers to dog meat which is not as commonplace as is alleged but is certainly considered a delicacy in Vietnam. While I can't fault others for their indulgences, most foreigners will stay clear of this exotic meat. I love dogs myself and steered a wide path around any place serving them as food! 

Cost of hotel room, USD 10, view from room, magnifico.

I was also lucky to celebrate my birthday with friends that I had met prior on the trip. Spent the day on this multi-pitch climb above Tiger Island. The climb was easy and fun and also came with stunning vistas across Ha Long Bay. The height afforded us a birds eye view of karts cliffs in all directions, hidden lagoons and blue waters as far as the eye could see. Followed the climbing with a seafood feast with Allie, Jenna, Josh and Jordan, and then a bit of drinking and dancing in one of the local bars. Couldn't have come up with a better plan for my 35th.

I left Vietnam the day after for China. But not before spending a few hours enroute back in Hanoi where I was overjoyed to run into Michelle, my dear friend back from San Francisco who happened to be there for work. We shared a beer at a patio bar and caught up on news from back home. I boarded my night train ride to Nanning full of high spirits and anticipation for new adventures in China!

Ole, thanks for some of these great shots!

A Slice of Paradise in Lao

 The trip is coming along swimmingly. Rock climbing offers unexpected rewards, such as visiting beautiful locales in the off-season. Cool, dry weather makes for prime climbing conditions and spring and fall seasons are usually preferred that luckily also avoid the summer holiday rush from mainstream tourists. Winter can be a good time to visit too, esp to major climbing destinations in Asia. I'm currently in Cat Ba - a beautiful island in Ha Long Bay off the coast of Vietnam. We have a large, comfortable sea-facing hotel room right in the middle of market, at the bargain basement rate of USD 10 per night. And I only pay half since I share the room with my Ole, my climbing partner. I arrived in Cat Ba about a week ago after about 6 weeks in Thailand (with a week's break in Burma), and another 3 weeks in Lao. The climbing in Cat Ba - or Butterfly Valley to be specific - is incredible - sculpted geometry on a gently overhanging wall, offering varied movements and a couple of dozen pitches in the 5.12 to 5.13 range, plenty of action for me!

Thailand was fantastic - 2 weeks of climbing and fitness training, tasty curries, delicious shakes and of course swimming and beautiful sunsets at the island of Tonsai. Next I headed back to Bangkok and proceeded to Burma for a quick week long jaunt with my photographer friend Emily www.emilypolar.com). Returning to Thailand I proceeded to Chiang Mai for what was going to be a short stop but ended up spending 3 weeks, throwing myself into a mix of activities and spending time with good friends around. Highlights in Chiang Mai were a massage course (Thai massage anyone?), some lovely day trips to Lampang, Chiang Dao, and of course the wonderfully creative, fresh and aromatic cuisine that the North of Thailand is rightly famous for. If Thailand is the kitchen of the world, then Chiang Mai is certainly the kitchen table! I even did a cooking course, spending a day at an organic farm outside the city and cooking up some favorites (including mango sticky rice, an all time favorite). 

The beautiful landscape towards Thakhek- limestone and endless climbing potnetial

Because of bureaucratic snafus with my Thai visa my Tonsai visit was going to be cut short to only about two weeks and hence I had some time to kill before I moved on north to Vietnam and China. While on the island I heard rumors of this magical climbing destination in Laos that had been developed recently over the last couple of years. Laos was an easy detour in my itinerary up north and research revealed that the climbing Thakhek was indeed quite promising. I immediately started planning and bought air tickets to arrive at The Green Climbers Home the first week of January. The climbing is away from the city in the middle of literally nowhere. The Green Climbers Home however is situated within walking distance of all the developed climbing, seemed a very convenient place to eat, sleep and meet other climbers. HOWEVER in a tragic turn of events a rogue firework over New Year's Eve ravaged the Climbers Home, destroying accommodations and possessions inside - fortunately nobody was hurt. My plans were thrown in a tailspin though that lead to a quick toss of my plane ticket but spontaneous action that took me to Burma first and then Chiang Mai after. I was quite entranced however with descriptions and pictures of Thakhek that I figured I'd try to go anyway, albeit a bit later when the camp had had a chance to recover from the tragedy.

The beautiful  campsite at Green Climber's Home

I arrived in Thakhek pretty easily with a couple of buses, an easy border crossing and then finally a tuk tuk into the Climber's Camp. I"ve become good at chilling on buses - in fact I almost look forward to them if it's comfortable ride (good seats, smooth roads) and i enjoy the downtime and often can make fast progress on whatever I'm reading on my beloved Kindle.

The steeps!

The Climber's Camp has a story book setting. - nestled by towering cliffs, lush forests and a serene river that emerges from a cave system from the other side of the mountain. The  devastation to the camp by the fire was immeidately apparent with the charred foundations of the burnt huts and other debris that was still being cleaned. That was soon forgotten though with Tanja's (camp owner) welcoming words and hugs from my friends Sandra and Michel who had arrived the night before. A tent had been reserved for me and I soon threw my bags in and joined my friends for a tour of the area, a cool Beeralao in hand! It was ridiculous how close the climbing was to camp. All the crags are about 5-15 minutes of easy walking. There is endless limestone around and so far only the most accessible cliffs have been bolted. Of course the potential for more is staggering. The jewel of the area is a massive roof about 20 meters above the ground that juts out about the same distance horizontally. followed by a massive headwall about 40 meters high in itself. The roof sector runs about maybe 100 yards and contains a large number of high quality of routes.

Chill time by the river

Dinner, ciggies, and Beerlao (still impressed by how much Euros smoke - and they all climb well!)!

After a month of negligible climbing I felt rather weak at the onset but regained my fitness in a few days and by the 2nd week found a couple of really fun and long climbs to project. I was doing climbs up to 12B easily (onsight, flash or quick red point) and was looking for something a bit harder. Found two really cool lines to work on. Small World and Vice-Asshole for President (shitty name, great climb) both long and steep 12Ds that felt really hard at the beginning but fell to red point in about 4-5 attempts each. The last time I climbed at this level was about 5 years ago when I was climbing heaps having redpointed a few 5.12Ds at JailHouse in California. Since then my outdoor climbing had been sporadic and I hadn't found the level of psyche or fitness until now. It felt good to be climbing at the same level again! Can't wait for new levels.

My favorite climb of the trip though was a 12C called Melon Monk in the Cave area  - a beautiful line that consists of upside down scoops and water-sculpted holds in the most aesthetic setting imaginable - right at the entrance of the river that emerges from the limestone caves.

Melon Monk 5.12C

While not working on projects in the Roof, we were enjoying climbing in some of the other interesting sectors around - The World Trip sector (with tall vertical lines with crimps, pinches, and long delicious tuffs, as we'll as the White Wall - really long 30-40 meter climbs on slightly overhung to slabby terrain, but of course on really good rock. I had a nice group of friends to climb with - and then towards the end of the trip fell into a great routine of starting really early in the morning pre-breakfast at around 6:30 to 7 am. This meant that we had plenty of time to rest between multiple attempts on our projects. High-volume days are fun, but projecting hard routes (and occasionally) sending them is quite rewarding as well.

There are beautiful technical faces too. 

We found a really nice lifestyle. Climbing 2 days on, 1 day off. After climbing we'd go for a quick run to a beautiful swimming hole and dip in, then run back fully refreshed. Evenings were long and languid - chit-chating with other climbers, discussing the day's exploits and making plans for the next day, over beer and Lao-German-Thai food, expertly prepared by the friendly staff.

Ueli running a lap on Big Smile 5.13C

I really enjoyed the warm, old-world hospitality at Green Climber's Home. Ueli and Tanja run a wonderful camp. They are a German couple who discovered climbing in Lao on a climbing trip through Asia, and on a lark, decided to open this climber's camp and set roots in this beautiful place. They opened in early 2011 and within a year suffered the horrific fire that razed their camp to the ground. After losing all their possessions they didn't mourn for long but set to rebuild right away. When I arrived they had the kitchen fully operational, and the camp at capacity at about 20 climbers. Reconstruction for new facilities had begun already - the update is that it has since finished and they have a spanking new restaurant and dorm accommodations back in play! 

One of the many cave and river systems

They really do treat guests like family. Food and drinks are dispensed on a honor system - you keep an account of what you consume and then settle at the end of your stay. Fairly extraordinary in this time and day! Busy as they are running the place, they were always available to help with all kinds of questions about the place, advice us on selecting climbs and help figure out logistics about travel etc. It is obvious that this is a camp not run by professional hoteliers but by passionate climbers who are so very eager to share this wonderful bit of paradise they've found in Lao.

Eric impressively flashing Melon Monk

If you are passing by Asia and are jonesing for steep, quality, limestone climbing in a serene setting I whole-heartedly recommend The Green Climber's Home. If you decide to go, make sure to contact them before-hand as they have limited capacity and do fill up in high-season. 

There are new sectors being developed and climbs being added with each season. I can't wait to visit again and get some yummy schnitzel in the most unlikely of kitchens!

The Prologue - A Rant on Indian weddings, Delhi Belly, A Couple of Surprises Too

Even coach in Thai Airways is extremely comfortable. The attendants are earnest and warm manner and the seats recline farther back then you'd think. They welcomed me with my favorite snack of late - roasted cashew nuts, commonly found in Asia but somehow rare in the US. I'm now anticipating a delicious lunch that is sure to follow. Pity that this trip from Delhi to Bangkok is a quick one at about 4 hours. I'd have gladly chosen this carrier over United for my rather long but drab trip coming to Delhi from San Francisco - The service and the amenities are tolerable at best. There is a lot that Asian carriers can teach their Western counterparts. 

The service and this relaxing flight is more to be appreciated as I realize that the next chapter of my travels is bound to be grittier as I plan to economize with overnight buses and budget accommodations. I can hardly complain - I'll be posted up in some of the most decadent environs the climbing world has to offer - warm sunshine, sandy beaches, karst cliffs and some downright fantastic seafood. I'm thrilled to bits actually. 

Leaving Delhi is always a mixed bag. As content as I am about returning home to the US or alternately for my current adventures, overflowing love from the family can leave me feeling ja bit sad and empty. Despite thirteen years of adjusting to life abroad, saying goodbye is still hard. 

I traveled to India to relax with my family and prepare for the journey ahead and was fortunate to be able to schedule in two weddings. My cousins Shubhi and Anshuman were getting married in back to back festivities in Jaipur and Delhi. I flew into Delhi in the wee hours of Thursday morning on Dec 7th and we immediately hopped on to the Shatabdi to Jaipur. Indian train journeys can be fun affairs as my friend Monisha Rajesh wittily alludes to in Around India in 80 trains. After 24 hours of travel I was only too happy to pass out over hot chai and biscuits. The Jaipur wedding was a lavish do at a resort hotel on the outskirts of town with liveried staff, overflowing buffet tables and a open bar from morning to night. Two days in Jaipur left me drained. I realized how much I acutely dislike big wedding affairs. Love catching up with family and of course glad to wish the newleds good wishes, I am chagrined though at the soulless display of excess - comical extravagance that amplify the class differences between the guests and the benighted staff. To me these fancy affairs are emblematic of the class divides in India and the indifference of the privileged classes. I was secretly looking forward to the main wedding procession where the groom was supposed to lead a cavalcade of a dozen elephants and horses! We unfortunately had to catch a night bus back to Delhi and missed the finale of this Bollyhood glitzier :( We came right back to Anshuman's wedding in Delhi - a smaller, simpler affair but equally vibrant with milling cousins who I danced with till the wee hours. I've known Anshuman and his family my whole life and was quite glad to be with them.

Coming down to earth after 4 days of partying was painful, literally so. I had neglected some basic principles of acclimation, in my greed to partake in the delicious food on offer. That and travel fatigue left me with a bad tummy and a sinus infection that has snagged me for the last 2 weeks and kept me from anything too wild. I hit some bureaucratic snafus with my Thai visa with a  result that now I may have to constrain my stay in Thailand to only 15 days instead of the intended 6 weeks. I'm sure I'll find some fun alternatives. 

Delhi does always have a few highlights. I was thrilled to bits at the small but friendly climbing scene at the dilapidated outdoor climbing gym of the Indian Mountaineering Federation facility in South Delhi. These kids love to climb and train with passion! I was inspired and reminded me of how much I love small and tightly knit climbing communities. I was in for a similar surprise when I managed to locate a couple of salsa parties in town. These salseros are good! The level of dancing could rival any club anywhere. Pity that they focus on the LA school of salsa, less rhythmic and exuberant than Salsa Cubana (in my opinion). Still a bundle of fun regardless and luckily I found a few partners who were happy to follow (or tolerate?) the unfamiliar moves I had to offer. Man, if I ever move back in India I'd have to kickstart a dance studio and arm twist some of my Cuban friends to come over and teach! 

The Gap Year

I think this term was coined for European (or maybe British to be precise) students who often take a year off after their school diploma and before entering college or beginning work. I think the general idea is to take a break from school, and do something radically different than accustomed lifestyle. I’ve come across kids undertaking various endeavors, the most common being traveling to new countries, often in the developing world – easier on shoe string budgets. I think the vast majority accomplishes a combination of charity work, vocational training and more typically sightseeing and partying at exotic locations worldwide. The India-Nepal circuit is a popular passage offering a seductive combination of the radically exotic and of a dirt-cheap lifestyle (at least for Western pockets). I learnt and was seduced by this concept while befriending friendly Europeans while backpacking in the Himalayas as a wide-eyed adolescent. Having lived with my parents for all of my young life and with little travel outside India, I was entranced and awed by these kids who were my age but had been living on their own and traveling everywhere with their vacations seemingly infinite. The idea of taking this kind of interruption away from family and the path (school, work, family, yada yada) was rather strange and mythical in India 15 years ago –and I suspect remains mostly unchanged despite recent socio-economic transformations. Nobody, nobody in my network far and wide in my knowledge had ever taken time off like that to travel, or leave a well-rewarding job for a non-professional interest. I was entering college and was already beginning to love travel, and the time spent trekking and camping in the magical Himalayas. Thank you Mom and Dad for instilling in us early a love for exploration and adventure – through the countless family trips to fairy-tale forts, wild animal parks, temple cities and the exhilarating snow-clad Himalayas.

Triple Crown at Hound Ears (North Carolina) - 2006

That influence, and a burgeoning love for the outdoors is a chief reason that drove me to seek an education out West that would allow me the means to undertake something similar in my life. Though as a 21 year old arriving in America for graduate school, I had no idea when or in what manifestation.

I started rock-climbing in earnest when I was about 25, after the grad degree and passing through a short-lived career in consulting that involved heavy travel and work of the spiritless mind-numbing variety. Fortunately I found better work-life balance with new employment that kept me in town and with free evenings and weekends. I was hooked to the sport immediately. My initial motivation to rock climb was to acquire the skills to progress as a mountaineer, for as a teenage I dreamt of ascending big peaks. However I found rock climbing, the sport of moving over vertical stone, completely fulfilling – offering me intoxicating physical challenges in utterly scenic surroundings in the company of good friends. Over time my circle of friends changed and so did my goals in life. While excited about solving problems at work and seeking that path up the corporate ladder, I was just as buoyed about training for climbing, voyaging to amazing locales and of progressing to new levels of challenges and grades with the sport. I was fortunate to find a very diverse group of friends. While I knew hard working weekend warriors like me who juggled work, and family, and climbing, I also began climbing with full time climbers or seasonal climbers who devoted enough time and passion for the sport to let it occupy the primary place in their lives. They’d often take long breaks from work or school, spend months on the road living out of vans / trucks and would take trips overseas as well on small budgets supplemented with strong intentions towards their love for climbing. I was climbing furiously at that time point while living in Charlotte, with the odd 80-100 days of climbing outside each year – basically every weekend and vacation time thrown in. The funny thing about climbing is that the more you do it, the more you love it and the more you want to keep doing it. As my friend put it – you are psyched before the trip, psyched during, and definitely psyched post-return! The New River Gorge in Fayetteville, West Virginia was (and remains) my favorite climbing area, and a home away from home. I moved to California about 6 years ago and miss the ‘New’ more than Charlotte or any other part of the South-East.

One of my favorite climbs of all time. Narcissus, Summersville Lake, New River Gorge

Slowly the impression of journeying around the world for a while gained shape and morphed into the plan of climbing full-time and chase extended stays in familiar and novel climbing areas; to realize the goal of being the best climber I could be, and to live simply, away (for the most part) from the callings of mainstream life.

Over the last couple of years, things began to fall in place. In 2010 I received the long awaited US green card – as a permanent resident I’ve the right to be independent of employment to reside in the US. My professional career also came a full circle this year – having progressed and grown immensely where I now felt the confidence to take a sabbatical and be able to secure similar employment after. The other catalyst is definitely the pressure I feel with growing older, and of finding other interests, which may be just as compelling - dancing and surfing (as you guys know). Towards the fall of this year I found myself in this sweet spot where I knew I could quit work without significant professional or financial setback. Additionally, I was unattached, and finally beginning to train hard for climbing again after a long period of being sidelined with nagging injuries and other activities.

Pretending we are one of the sponsored athletes at the Petzl Roc Trip at the Red River Gorge in 2007

While I could just as willingly take the time off to chase the surf swells across the globe, or to move to somewhere in Latin America and pursue mastery in the salsa, rumba, samba or Afro-folkloric genres, nothing would give me more satisfaction than achieving a new level in climbing. For I’ve spent the last 10 years, training my ass off, making professional and relationship sacrifices, and dreamt of breaking new barriers in the sport.  And while I’m a bit older now, I’m close to the fittest I’ve ever been, and I don’t have any stopping injuries. This is my chance, for I may never find this sweet spot in my life again.

So what is this obscure ‘climbing goal’ that I keep reiterating? Simply put, I hope to be able to solidly red-point 5.13 this year, towards my long-term or 5 year goal of red-pointing 5.14 and on-sighting 5.13. Time to take these objectives off the back-burner! For you non-climbers, these are grades at the very high end of the difficulty spectrum in rock climbing. If I ever get to this level, then I’d probably be in the 99^th percentile of the sport. I also recognize that I may never achieve these lofty ambitions – life may certainly get in the way. However the process is just as enriching and I will learn much about myself and gain tremendous satisfaction during the journey.

After a long couple of weeks of packing mayhem, unhealthy eating (!) and saying goodbyes to my cherished San Francisco community, I relax enough to be able to compose my thoughts on this flight towards my first destination. I intend to keep my itinerary for this period focused but simple. I intend to visit some of the best climbing spots in the world and spend extended time learning and internalizing the local rock and push towards new limits. Here’s a rough itinerary:

1.     Dec 6^th – Arrive in India for a couple of weeks of family and weddings. Please don’t let me get fat J

2.     Dec 20^th – Depart for the Krabi peninsula, for about 6 weeks of climbing in and around Tonsai

3.     Feb 1^st – Find myself somewhere in Vietnam headed towards Ha Long Bay, for more climbing on limestone sea karsts and hopefully become comfortable with deep water soloing

4.     March 1^st – Head straight to Yangshuo, China. Should be warmer and not too wet yet. This is the main focus of the Asia leg of my trip and I hope to be fit to tackle the long and dreamy lines of Moon Hill White Mountain, Peng Shen and other sublime crags. I hope to be here for between 6-8 weeks. Maybe even visit Getu Valley, made famous from the recent Petzl Roc Trip

5.     Mid / End April – Head back to India to relax with family and evaluate psyche. If all is well then,

6.     May 15^th – Leave for Northern Spain.  The numero uno destination of my entire trip. Spent a couple of weeks climbing here a few years ago and have been vowing to return. The plan would be to spend 4-5 months being based somewhere near Barcelona, becoming a regular at the world class crags that surround. I also hope to achieve greater fluency in Espanol and even find outlets to dance (Cuban Salsa is apparently quite popular). Side trips may include Mallorca, France (Ceuse etc) and even Kalymnos in Greece.

This is it! Forward and onwards!