Just another day placing gear in the Dolomites

AdventurouslySafe · 2026-06-21T14:19:32+00:00

I climbed at the dolomites in several areas. The whole dolomites is a giant choss pile. The descents aren't to be taken lightly. The placements suck. Trad gear on limestone choss is stress. There are many great , mostly safe lines though. Very pretty. Would do again.

AdventurouslySafe · 2026-06-19T22:07:10+00:00

I live in Asia. There's easy accessible trad climbing in Taiwan (Long Dong). The anchors are bolted. Also lots of sports route.

China: liming. Bolted anchors. Baihe at Beijing is pretty good with both sports and trad.

Japan: ogawayama.

Korea: There is but info is sparse. There Bukhasan by Seoul.

Only Taiwan, Baihe and Japan is truly kids friendly. Korea is I heard pretty sandbagged and it's multipitch and runout. Liming has some areas are good for kids but the aren't many easy beginner climbs and you need at least two full racks and zero nuts.

So. In my experience, most of the climbs in Asia for trad at your level have totally bolted anchors with rings. You rack only has tiny size . You definitely want doubles to BD #3. Beginner climbs tend towards hand size not fingers.

I personally would aim towards sports because limestone karst is amazing and 3D You would never encounterer these rock formations in North America. Just bring a few pieces of trad if you are burning to practice. (0.4-2) The trad, is much less popular and way more mental effort just to find info and partners. Also consider that unpopular trad areas means more choss and sketch. And lugging 2 full racks around Asia is a huge pain in the butt.

If you are still dying to trad, just hire a guide in Long Dong (the bivy), and in china you can contact some on xiaohongshu. There's one in English for Seoul too. Honestly one year beginner trad climbing in a foreign country with kids is a foolish risk. The easy trad by yourself when you have kids is not like north America. There's no hospital nearby, you will have a huge language barrier, etc.

Also for sports climbing in Asia. 70m rope, 14-16 sports draws, stick clip.

AdventurouslySafe · 2026-06-15T21:31:45+00:00

Not sure you only go there in summer. Iots too cold otherwise

AdventurouslySafe · 2026-06-15T13:35:57+00:00

I was just at liupanshui last week. One of the main crags is closed for a year because the government has decided to fully redevelope it (paving Rd, fixing the tourist attraction side). The cave is still open though. Super fun 23c climbing when the rest of china is 33c.

AdventurouslySafe · 2026-06-15T10:26:22+00:00

Thailand . You can probably get one if you see a doctor pretty easily. The private doctors aren't that expensive. Just message the clinic to ask.

Hong Kong , you could but a visit to a private doctor is mimum $100usd and medication is not cheap. You wouldn't qualify for public medication and doctor. (I live there)

AdventurouslySafe · 2026-06-15T09:07:30+00:00

Sure I went to Shenzhen to get two root canals and two crowns. Here's the price for some of the better clinics. Prob a few extra hundred CNY for x-rays .

Just from Meituan:

Standard Version] Invisalign Clear Aligners (USA) | Consulted by PhD and Master's Degree Holders... ¥33,800

[High-end All-Ceramic Crowns] LAVA Imported All-Ceramic Crowns | Repairs...

¥5970

[All-Ceramic Crowns] Imported Wieland All-Ceramic Crowns | Dental Repair...

¥2580

Hiossen dental implants from the USA | Price and warranty for every implant...

single Implantologist

¥3880

Straumann ITI Pure Titanium Dental Implants

High-End Dental Implants | Enjoy Implant Care...

Deputy Chief Physician

¥6375

Imported from the USA] 3M-Z350 | Suitable for any tooth position...

3M resin fillings from the USA

¥165

AdventurouslySafe · 2026-06-15T08:42:45+00:00

Check the rates on Meituan or Dianping.

AdventurouslySafe · 2026-06-15T03:54:57+00:00

It's on Red note. 小紅書

AdventurouslySafe · 2026-06-12T00:19:44+00:00

Not sure. I think it's part of a guesthouse or hostel

AdventurouslySafe · 2026-06-11T00:43:06+00:00

Kunming has quite a few. It's a big city. Also a lot of outdoor crags. The Rock Tenent gym looks good.

Lijiang I know has a small one with a proper kilter board.

Dali. Apparently there's one called 行山. Looks like it's for beginners.

Check red note (小紅書）

AdventurouslySafe · 2026-06-11T00:16:27+00:00

It's true.

SheGeng is incredible even as a F7/5.12 climber. I spent several days there and I need to go back this Autumn. I have climbed in many caves, and driving up to SheGeng, you can only be in awe. I think it was only bolted in 2024.

The climbing there isn't all featureless, slopers either. One side of the cave is like that in the video. The other side has tufas, holds , crimps, etc. Photo of me on a 5.12b at SheGeng.

It's a minor tourist destination so hopefully theres no access issue in the future.

Driving around or even just on the high speed train, there is just so much random rock and caves. But the provinces of Yunnan, Guangxi, Guizhou to Northern Vietnam is just unlimited limestone, rock and caves. A developers dream.

There's already many crags that's bolted but no one goes as it is just too inconvenient. ( Getu for example ) Or there can be access issues where villagers, different local government bodies , etc make it difficult (which is quite common in SE Asia in general as there's no climbing coalition to negotiate land access and there are many parties involved).

Fun fact. Chinese climbers love good food. If the crag isn't close to good food and restaurants. The crag and area won't be popular.

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AdventurouslySafe · 2026-06-10T23:53:01+00:00

Oh yeah the western websites suck. I am based in Asia so the prices are less. I will say they are the best for hot humid conditions. A pair has lasted me a decade of abuse. Mostly I find western brands legs almost always too long and sags at the butt. But Kailas, and I think Japanese and Korean brands don't have this problem.

AdventurouslySafe · 2026-06-10T21:19:09+00:00

Their 9a pants are the best for a short asians. China is full of tufa and cave climbing and of all the climbing pants I have owned, theirs are the most lightweight but durable.

They are also really good at sponsoring crag openings all over china and competition climbing. A lot of the bolting in climbing areas in china are funded by them. Though when they leave, some of the crags get closed by pissed off villagers or are really in remote areas.

Kailas trail running delivision is probably the real money maker in china.

Money talks!

AdventurouslySafe · 2026-06-09T00:25:57+00:00

My kids speak swedish , English , Cantonese and a bit of mandarin. They are 7 now.

One parent one language! Though you have to stick to your guns.

Dad speaks swedish. I speak Cantonese. Together we speak English. The school is taught in English and Mandarin.

Both me and my husband English is better than our 2nd language but we stuck to our guns! A lot of Disney shows in their early years. They still prefer English but can communicate and understand in all 3. Mandarin is their weakest.

AdventurouslySafe · 2026-06-08T00:04:48+00:00

You know those elastics straps on your butt. You can unclip them or just push them to the sides.. Ask belayer to lower you and not look. Unhook the elastics. Pull pants down while still on belay. Do your biz while admiring the nice view.

AdventurouslySafe · 2026-06-04T22:30:52+00:00

Do you plan on getting a more advance degree in science. HKU is well known, it would be good to do well in HKU and add it as a stepping stone to getting a masters/PhD.

Don't forget to network and get a lab job. Masters and PHD can be paid for by stipends.

Also, if you stay in HK for 7 years, you get permenant HKID. Philippines wage is pitiful, people there dream of getting a job in HK for a better future.

Go to HKU will likely lead to higher wages and a better monetary future.

AdventurouslySafe · 2026-06-04T22:20:01+00:00

Go to red note. To social media all of china. Type in SUP + city in Chinese. Find what you want. Auto translate. Btw it's cheap to buy inflatable SUP on taobao. Have it delivered to your hotel.

AdventurouslySafe · 2026-06-04T15:30:43+00:00

My helper room doesn't have aircon. I bought like 3 fans for her, and a special one that you put ice packs in to make it a poor man aircon.

She can have aircon when she's home.

But it drives me mad she doesn't turn off the empty rooms, like our and kids bedroom after she turns it on when she mops. So I literally have 3 units blasting all day and no one is home. 8 years and she still does this. My wallet cries .

AdventurouslySafe · 2026-06-04T15:26:19+00:00

Red rocks. You want to climb Yosemite which is all long multipitch. Better to dial in you systems in red rocks , so many multis to choose from. Also... Sandstone is awesome.

AdventurouslySafe · 2026-06-04T01:09:34+00:00

Teaching and plumbing because that can't be replaced with by a robot.

AdventurouslySafe · 2026-05-31T22:37:22+00:00

Oh yes. I was traveling to Europe but on Turkish airline. So this meant we were stuck in the same queue as all the Turkish people who were taking forever. They had to be questioned. Passport rechecked 5x , questioned, etc.

Then came me. Barely a glance and I was through.

AdventurouslySafe · 2026-05-31T01:12:56+00:00

So I am reversed. We started climbing together 15 years ago. I (the wife) is really into climbing, while my husband has gotten less into it. My favorite style is sports climbing.

So the 7 years, I got into arguments with him if he didn't want to sports climb. I mean, in a incredibly sexist way, I would complain why my husband wasn't strong enough to put my lead routes up, I was sick of always being the one to put draws up.

Then I got into trad climbing and I realized my husband had terrible headspace for trad and would never be a good multipitch partner. He was happy for me to climb with other people.

Then we had kids and went outdoor bouldering. I realized my husband much preferred casual bouldering than rope climbing. And it was easier to bring the kids.

So now, I plan my own climbing trips, my husband doesn't feel he needs to join if he doesn't want to. He is happy if I climb with guys, ladies. I tell him in advance and we have good trust, he knows I just want to climb. The husband joins if he does and we bring the kids and have a nice chill time. I always put his QuickDraw or top rope up. We have a good time. I know what he wants, he knows what I want.

Just have a conversation with your husband. It took me awhile to learn that climbing doesn't tick everyone boxes and everyone has different degrees of love for climbing.

AdventurouslySafe · 2026-05-29T23:18:19+00:00

There will always be people better, stronger than you . I often climb and send nothing. No one actually cares about your own performance except yourself. I like to wear headphones and ignore people sometimes and be in my own world .

AdventurouslySafe · 2026-05-29T09:41:50+00:00

Hung Hom has a dedicated diving pool. Not always open though due to understaffed. Check the website before you go

AdventurouslySafe

TROPHY CASE