This climbing destination has become more popular in the recent years with new route development. There is over 400 routes, and lots of quality sport climbing. The landscape is beautiful, with limestone mountains jetting out of the ground. The tops of the mountains are covered in jungle and tall cliffs on every side offering lots of climbing potential.
This city of Yangshuo is a popular vacation destination for many Chinese and foreigners alike. It is located in the Guangxi Province. Tourists crowd the noisy streets at night, venders and restaurants line every side doing anything to caught your attention. The place is alive with Chinese tourism traps and lights. There is tons of sights and smells. It’s quite an experience walking down the streets of the city center.
There is a close escape if a noisy city isn’t your thing. The countryside and the river offers many quiet places to stay and trails to hike with a scenic view right outside.
Traveling to Yangshuo, it’s best to fly into Guilin, which has the closest airport. From Guilin, take a bus to reach Yangshuo. I happened to fly into another city and take a train.
1. Where to Stay
This hostel is made for climbers and run by Lily, who is a climber herself. Great rate for rooms at the heart of the city, close to
numerous restaurants and coffee shops. Lily is a great resource for climbing beta, renting transportation or getting back to the airport.
(I have also heard of people staying outside of the town by the river where it is quieter.)
2. Climbing
I was in Yangshuo for only a short time. Even though the days there were filled with climbing, it still felt like I had only scratched the surface of climbing in that area. There is a guide book that is available at any climbing store (couple in the town) or at Climber's Inn. The cost goes toward new bolting in the Yangshuo area.
One of the crags we climbed at was called Swiss Cheese. There is a variety ratings and a good number of 5.6-5.10d routes. An 5.11a that is a 4 star route and was referred to as "quite a journey" by one climber. It is also a spot that many guides take tourists and beginner climbers. Because of this, many of the easier routes had polished holds from frequent use. Still some great climbs with great moves.
On another day, my climbing buddy and I decided to find a multipitch sport route with the best view of the scenery. I was told about a popular route called New Years Eve. It is 5.8-5.9 four pitch route on a roadside crag called the Thumb. This route did indeed have a big view of the surrounding mountains and villages.
Recommend other crags: the Egg, Wine Bottle, etc.
3. Transportation
Many of the crags and scenery is right outside the city. In fact, just renting a bike is sometimes all you need to get where you need to go. I highly recommended it as well, you get to experience more of the landscape and city on a bike.
Also just renting a scooter to explore farther and into the different villages is a great way to take a rest day. There are many different sights, like Moon Hill (has sport climbing there as well), Butterfly Spring, etc.
Photo: Butterfly Spring
4. Weather
Best time for climbing is in the fall. Yangshuo is in Southeast Asia and is affected by the East Asian Monsoon pattern. We were there in late November, early December. The weather while we were there was moderate temps and overcast, so perfect for climbing. It did feel cold in the evening with high humidity and drop in temperature, but a light jacket is enough to stay warm.
5. Communication/Maps/VPN information
Before leaving for China, I bought a book of basic Mandarin Chinese phrases. In the town of Yangshuo and throughout China, anyone who works in travel or tourism at least knows some English. So getting train tickets, etc. is pretty easy. (Taxi drivers are another story, in fact be careful because not all of them are licensed taxi drivers either. Look for clues on their cars about being official and licensed.) But knowing some Chinese on my trip was very helpful and earns brownie points with the people you try to communicate with. Google translator or another app that works without internet is also helpful since many times we used our phones to communicate.
Speaking of Google, Google maps is not accessible in China. So make sure to download an app to download maps to your phone and won't need data to work. (Maps.me did not work as well navigating in Yangshuo. Ghana maps worked better and had more map options.)
(Make sure to down load a VPN to your phone before going to China if you plan to use the internet. Many VPN services will give you a 7 day trial, so depending on how long you are in China, may not need to pay for a VPN app. Other wise your phone is not protected from the Chinese Government who can see everything on your phone and prevent you from using Facebook.)
If you want more tips on traveling in China, travel books like Lonely Planet and blog sites found on Pinterest are great resources. There were a few times I referenced them during and before my trip to China and Thailand. These books/blogs provide valuable information on culture and customs, along with recommended travel sites to see.
6. Vegan or Vegetarian Food
Eating in China as a vegetarian was easier then an I expected. Yangshuo offers many different Chinese and Western food options. Here is a list of some of the great places found in Yangshuo that offered tasty vegetarian options:
Breakfast:
Lucy's cafe - Western and Chinese breakfast options. Twin Peaks - Open at 7 am for those who want to get to the crag early. Best Western breakfast I had on my travels in Asia, had yogurt with fresh tropical fruit, fresh squeezed orange juice, toast and eggs.
Lunch and Dinner:
Pure Lotus: All vegan/vegetarian Chinese food menu. Lots of opinions.
Mood Food: All vegan food. More expensive but variety of Western and Chinese menu.
China is an huge, incredible country full of culture, incredible climbing and delicious food. Even if you only visit one part as I did, Yangshuo is a place I would recommend for everyone.
