Guiyang, Xinhua News Agency, September 7 (Reporter Lu Xingji, Luo Yu) On September 3, when rock climbers participated in the 2024 "Rock Brigade Guizhou" event on the wild rock field located in the Geluo River Scenic Area of Ziyun Miao Buyi Autonomous County, Guizhou, 58-year-old Miao "Geruo" Luo Xiaoguo was performing a freehand rock climbing performance on a cliff nearly 100 meters high in the underground river hole not far away.
In the Hmong language, "Geruo" means a person who climbs the rock, and is also vividly called "spider man" by the locals. In Ziyun County, which is almost entirely covered by karst landscapes, this practice has been practiced for hundreds of years, long before modern rock climbing, which began in the 18th century when mountaineering in the Alps began.
The oldest "Goro" is a mysterious coffin maker, and later became synonymous with the workers who collected swallow manure and manure and bird's nest on the cliffs. Almost 20 years ago, the Geluo River Scenic Area was completed, and "Spider Man" became one of the performance projects of the scenic spot, and Luo Xiaoguo and others became employees of the scenic spot.
When you enter the Geluo River, the first thing that catches your eye is a number of limestone piercings formed by the collapse of the karst cave, especially the "Great Piercing" with an underground river flowing through it, and the "Piercing Hole" perched on a cliff and often with sunlight passing through in the morning to form a fantastic pillar of light. Nearby, there are several karst cliffs that rise hundreds of meters high and stand like knives. In the past, these places were used to be the places where the "Goruo" worked.
To modern climbers, these features represent great great crag routes and domes that top climbers can only dream of. In 2007, France mountain guide Oliver · Balma visited the Glo River and described in his road book that when he first saw these cliffs and holes, he was struck by the huge potential for climbing routes.
"You heard it right, there may be a continuous 300-metre dome climb here! It's crazy, but it's no joke! ”
"If Yangshuo is the holy place of karst rock climbing, then 'Wear the Hole' is simply the temple of the god of rock climbing...... "Rock climbing enthusiasts left a message on an internationally renowned road book website.
When the Goruo first met a climber from abroad, they were still climbing barefoot. A rock climber gave Luo Xiaoguo a few pairs of climbing shoes, and he recalled the feeling of wearing climbing shoes: "That kind of shoes are too crowded, and I am still used to wearing rubber shoes." Now, Luo Xiaoguo is still wearing a kind of military green canvas rubber shoes called "liberation shoes" in the southwestern mountains.
He even competed in speed climbing with two foreign climbers – and won. Although the climbers point out that the Goro freehand climbing route is more manipulative and less difficult from the point of view of the sport climbing system, no one will deny their courage and outstanding skills.
Now, the young people of Ziyun are almost no longer in this ancient industry, and there are only single digits left in the existing "Geruo". Whether it is as a coffin hanger or a scenic employee, their rock climbing is always a job to make a living in an extreme environment. With the improvement of economic standards and the increase in career options, it is not surprising that "Goro" has disappeared.
The advent of modern rock climbing has rewritten the strange relationship between the Geluo River and rock climbing.
In 2011, Petzl, an internationally renowned manufacturer of climbing equipment, brought more than 600 climbers from all over the world to Ziyun, which was also the first time that the internationally renowned Petzl RockTrip series of climbing events came to China. The choice of the Geluo River shows the importance and enthusiasm of the international climbing community for this emerging climbing area.
Daniel · Andrada, a famous rock climber from Spain, and his partner first climbed an 8-length, 210-meter dome route in the "Upper Hole". UK Climbing magazine of the year called it "probably the hardest continuous dome route in the world".
首攀者们用西班牙语将这条线路命名为"Corazón de Ensueño",意为"梦幻之心"。
"Climbing such a route is the dream of every climber who wants to challenge himself. Multi-stage climbing, with a continuous difficulty coefficient of 8B to 9A, is completely different from a single high-difficulty route. For me, it's the future of rock climbing. Andrada said in a video that was left at the time.
With the exception of ultra-difficult trails such as the Heart of Dreams, the abundant climbing areas on the Gelu River can cover almost all imaginations, from beginner to top-notch. In the months leading up to the Petzl campaign, more than 300 lines were opened in the area, and more than 250 are still in good maintenance to date.
After the event, Petzl produced a documentary, "Geruo" Huang Jinlin's Chinese name, which topped the list of athletes who appeared. The courage of ancient rock climbing and the competitive nature of modern sport climbing meet wonderfully here.
The nature of rock climbing activities means that climbers often need to stay in the local area for days or even months, bringing in accommodation and food and other expenses. In addition, climbing tickets can also broaden the revenue stream of the scenic spot. Seeing the potential economic benefits and social value of rock climbing, the Geluo River Scenic Area and the local government intend to promote the revival of the ancient climbing culture.
Since 2011, Ziyun County has held the Geluo International Rock Climbing Exchange Conference for two consecutive years. In 2018, rock climbing officially debuted on the Olympic stage (Summer Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires). In the same year, the construction of the Geluo River Rock Climbing Base with artificial competition rock walls began, and the China Rock Climbing League sub-station competition was held in that year. In 2019, Ziyun County was also awarded the title of Strategic Partner of the China Rock Climbing League.
In 2019, several primary schools in Ziyun County also built climbing walls, which were implemented by the county climbing association, and carried out special climbing courses 2-3 times a month. Ziyun Rock Climbing, which started from the ancient "Geruo" industry, has a young inheritor in the context of the new era.
Taking advantage of the opportunity of Guizhou to host the 2024 International Climbing Federation World Youth Climbing Championships, Ziyun County invited more than 50 young athletes from more than 20 countries and regions such as United States, Australia and Chile to Geluo River Climbing. Subsequently, the 2024 "Rock Brigade Guizhou" rock climbing event also kicked off. From the words of the locals, we can feel that they think it is time to play the cultural tourism card and economic card of Ziyun Rock Climbing more loudly.
The rock climbers who participated in the "Rock Brigade Guizhou" event praised the unique climbing environment of "wearing holes" in the place where the competition was held. Wang Lingyun, a rock friend from Chongqing, said: "We come almost every year, the natural cave can shelter from the wind and rain, so that the climbing is not affected by the weather, and there are routes of various difficulties, suitable for enthusiasts of all levels." ”
During the game, many ordinary tourists also stopped to watch. Ran Guoqiang, a tourist from Sichuan who watched the rock climbing competition with his children and his loved one, said: "There should be more competitions like this!" It was the first time he had seen such an amazing climbing competition in the scenic area, and he thought it added to the experience of the trip.
Some rock friends also made suggestions for the future development direction of Geluo River rock climbing.
"At present, the accommodation in Gelu River is still relatively simple, and there are relatively few choices, and the same is true for food. Climbers choose to live in the county, but the commute is too long. The scenic spot can support the development of local farmhouses, improve the living and catering conditions, and local villagers can also earn money. A rock climber from Shanghai said.
"Compared with the topography here, there are still too few lines, and they have hardly changed in the past ten years, so Geluo River should do more line opening activities, at least to provide some convenience for enthusiasts who are keen to open lines." A local rock climbing enthusiast from Guizhou suggested.
Another rock friend wrote on a Chinese mountaineering and climbing forum: "Geluo River rock climbing is very famous in the world, but for more than ten years, the wall has blossomed and the wall is fragrant, and Chinese information is scarce. I hope to better organize the Chinese road book and better spread the Geluo River climbing on the Internet. ”
How to make Ziyunge Rock Climbing, which has a long history and great potential, into a "golden signboard" of sports + cultural tourism, and a "cornucopia" of continuous income increase in mountainous areas, people full of enthusiasm are trying......