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LaughingSquirrel

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  1. Also super thanks to the Rainman Chris Greyell and Darryl Kralovic, who I have also learned alot from. People give me weird looks here when I use a hand drill....it keeps it real.
  2. haha, yeah that would be pretty sweet. I know this area seems really far away, but I post on here because I am from Port Townsend, WA. Need to let everyone know that the PNW tradition is expanding to other parts of the world. Special thanks to the boys that taught me to trad, Austin Stringham, who learned from Mark Webster, and Brandon Workman, who taught me development and trad, which was passed down to him by Dallas Kloke. Thanks you guys. Be passionate and do it for love. You rock, Mike Dobie
  3. Trip: Li Ming, Yunnan, China - Multiple trad routes Date: 1/14/2013 Trip Report: Hey all, for those of us who are still addicted to crack in the mix of puzzling hard bolt protected routes, there are still new cracks being climbed. This valley in Northern Yunnan has seen many first ascents this fall. Including a possible 5.13/13+ that needs an FFA. On top of this Black Diamond and the North Face also put on China's first trad climbing festival here. I've started developing in a whole new valley and have put up a grip of new routes some 5.8's, 9's,10's, 11's, and yes even 12's. Here are a few pics. Li Ming is now totally close to 200 routes with only 2 years of climbing development. I develop trad professionally in China and if you want to keep in touch please check out my blog at mikedobie.tumblr.com At some point I will post a TR on the last expedition to keketuohai! Which is up and coming with over 50 routes and we've managed to settle the access issues. Peace be the journey! Mike Dobie Major Climbing Valley A route called Ahkum Rah Upper layback section of Ahkum Rah Sarah on Brazen Hussie Gear Notes: Its like Indian Creek but the lines have more personality. A double rack of cams will do you well. Approach Notes: Fly over the pacific ocean to Beijing, Shang hai, or Hong kong. Then fly to Lijiang, Yunnan then take a 3 hour bus to Li Ming
  4. You Rock Brandon! Miss you buddy! Might be home this summer would love to develop with ya! Peace, Mike dobie
  5. Hey Turin, I'll be around Liming until the end of Feb. Around that time I will be posting the new updated guidebook on junshanclimber.com and you can get all the new route beta from it if we aren't around. But it would be RAD if you made it while we are here! Travel safe dude and you can contact me at mdobie012@gmail.com
  6. Man Adam, probably not going to be back around the US for a long time. We have a few other projects we are working on here on an epic scale. You should go on a climbing holiday to China man! Get some first ascents! Hope your well dude! And Rad you rock man! I still remember that sweet route you put up next to Guillotine at 38. Sweet route man and sorry I couldn't get back to it this last summer. Miss you guys!! Mike d
  7. Trip: Liming, Yunnan, China - Multiple trad routes Date: 1/29/2012 Trip Report: Location: Liming, Yunnan Type: 2011-12 Development trip Hey all, the team and I have been busy in China's first traditional climbing area. So far we have established over 85 new routes this season. Including Air China, a 5.13d put up by Matt Segal and multiple 5.12 and 12+/13-'s put up by myself and Eben Farnworth. I will be putting a new guidebook out at the end of the trip in the beginning of march. It will be available for free at junshanclimber.com so please check it out! Thank you Black Diamond and Kailas for sponsorship! There has been rumor of access issue in Liming and over the last few months we have never been told not to climb and the government officials have been giving us thumbs up! Turns out they are building a hostel for climbers and backpackers in the Liming village. Looks like they see the value in our work and its great to be of service! Here are a few pictures for stoke! Love you all and come shred in China, Mike Dobie and team Pitch 2 of Back to the Primitive went free at 11d/12a...I don't know which...you be the judge Mick on The Great Owl 5.9 Eben Farnworth our photographer from the UK on a first ascent of a route that has yet to go free Mike d on a route that Matt segal put up called the Faraway corner, went free at 5.11+ One valley that has seen most of the development There are at least eight more like this over 40 square kilometers. Gear Notes: Cams, cams, cams, and slings and a 60m Approach Notes: Fly to Lijiang, China and take the three hour bus to Liming. Bring money and tape.
  8. Love the routes Chris and Darryl! Thanks a lot for the hard work! It is nice to have great routes in this area. I really enjoyed learning from you as a developer and am so thankful to take the knowledge to new route development in Liming and China. Darryl come back to China man! Liming now has 93 established routes! You rock man!!! Will post a TR soon. Peace be with you, Mike Dobie
  9. Yo B, thank you so much for having me along for route! Totally awesome and happy it could get done this year. Miss you guys and sending stoke from the land of China! Mike d
  10. Good job guys! More stoke for the China land heading your way! Looks like an epic experience! You guys rock and hat's off. Brandon come to China and send with Matt Segal and I~!! Peace be with you, Mike
  11. Awesome looking route my friend! Sending you stoke from the China land! Rock on, and good to climb with you this last summer!
  12. Those are the best routes I've climbed out at Exit 38, Thank you for the great work Rad! Skullduggery is a great project for the 5.12 climber! You rock man, Mike
  13. There is also a bit of information on rockclimbing.com under south china as I update the routes. Come out and experience this place everyone!!! Its great fun! Love you all, Mike D
  14. Hey all, here is the link to the free guidebook for the climbing in Liming in the Province of Yunnan, China. More sandstone crack climbing in the world now! Pick it up if you are planning a trip out there. Find it at this site and please spread the word about this new climbing area in China! junshanclimber.com You rock! Mike Dobie
  15. Liming is located directly west (and a little north) of Lijiang, Yunnan. The bus ride really depends on the driver, but it usually takes about 3 hours. The locals here speak mostly a mix of Naxi and Lisu and a few different dialects. Most everyone can speak mandarin. And I have been in China for about a year now . Rock on!
  16. Hey GA, we are out in China developing the climbing scene and opening up some eyes to the idea of outdoor recreation. It is a new concept here believe it or not and we hope to assist in opening even more areas in and around Sichuan and Yunnan to the idea. To live in Liming for two weeks it will cost about 700 rmb which is about 110 US dollars. And that is eating out every night and staying at a guest house.
  17. The season here is October to June. Was out on a new line this afternoon and it was 70 degrees. Nights are cold during the winter. Bluebird warm days in the sun though :)July to October is the monsoon season here, so climbing is spotty then.
  18. Trip: Liming, Yunnan - Multiple trad routes Date: 1/11/2011 Trip Report: Out here in the Yunnan province of China there is alot of development going on. One of the most notable is the climbing around the town of Liming in the Laojunshan National park. This area could be the first sandstone crack climbing area in Asia. Myself, Austin Stringham, and Darryl Krovalic have been putting up many first ascents and news of the place is starting to stir the Yangshuo climbing population. The climbing here is endless and is still very much in the development stages. The coolest part about the climbing here is the the Chinese government has given us and all that come the OK to climb! Which is like history in china in terms of climbing. Below are a few pictures of the routes we have done. This the third pitch of the first route in the park. Steep hands lead to more steep hands. This route is like incredible hand crack but I think you get 60 meters of hands in total Scarface 2 a second ptich goes beyond the steep roof above. Called GORE, also have a route called boy with a coin to the right of this one. Foe-Hammer 5.11 sandstone corner, very nice Orange Sky 5.11 Super classic This is a small example of the amount of rock we are tackling. Austin on the third pitch of a very nice climb, still unnamed and not finished Like I said, we are working on a guidebook and invite everyone to come out and climb! Gear Notes: Desert Rack, Many small to 6, doubles and triples of .75 to 4. Approach Notes: Fly to Lijiang, Yunnan and catch a bus to Liming. Email me at mdobie012@gmail.com for more beta.
  19. Trip: Lijiang, Yunnan, China - Southeast face of Smaug Peak (jade dragon snow mt) Date: 12/20/2010 Trip Report: Darryl Kralovic and I climbed an unclimbed peak in the Jade dragon Snow Mountain area in the Lijiang county of Yunnan in China. The peak itself was between 16,500 and 17,000 feet and there was no evidence of a previous human beings presence at the top. The Jade dragon Massif itself is commonly known for its major peak of 18,306 foot peak but most do not know that the area consists of 13 other significant peaks that have never been climbed. Smaug peak is one of them and the furthest south along the south to north oriented ridge that these peaks lie on. Gear Notes: Brought the whole get up. Small rack to 4, snow and ice pro and rope and didn't use it. Only used ice axe, crampons, and helmet. Night was very cold that time of year recommend a -20 F bag. Approach Notes: Red Tape: We traveled to a small village named Yuhu "village", bought a ticket for 120 rmb each. We were harassed by police and government officials as to how long we were going to be in the area and they told us to be back that same day before 4 pm. (I think they were trying to get us to buy another ticket or something) I told them that we will be staying up in the mountains for at least 2 days. They got someone on the phone that spoke english and they gave the phone to me. The man on the phone told me that they were afraid that we might die in the night and I responded by telling him that we are experienced outdoors-mans and where prepared to spend the night. He said OK and to call him if there where any problems. At no point do they say that climbing the mountain was illegal. Approach: From the ticket office we headed up the prominent horse trail/road towards the beginning of the snow mountain ridge. There was one trail that seemed the most obvious and we passed a few horse stalls (used for Chinese horse tourism) and buildings as we headed toward the peak we had in mind. We went off trail at about 11,000 feet and head straight up the grassy slope to an alpine basin where we established a base camp. (see pictures) From here we camped at 13,900 feet. The following morning we traveled up a snowy scree field to a Southeast facing gully. Once in the gully we headed up and left till we could reach a few gully systems that headed to the right until we reached the summit ridge. We met high winds and a developing storm as we ascend a 4th class block to the summit. Descended the same way. Downclimbed with no rappel. Steep snow and ice travel (50 degrees) Class 3-4 rock steps. From the summit it looks like there might be a few other gully systems that access the summit further to the north.
  20. Dude that is an awesome looking route! Props to you guys for hand drilling all that hard wear! You guys ROCK! Maybe someday I can head back to the homeland and climb it Miss you guys alot too! Brandon you the man. And Darryl can't wait for you to get out to the frontier land and send Genyen with us!
  21. Hey wfinley, my name is Mike Dobie and I and another american have started a climbing company in Lijiang in Northwestern Yunnan in China. We do mountaineering and rock climbing trips into sichuan and Yunnan. If you have any questions and want to come out here to climb the areas we are developing please email me at mdobie012@yahoo.com. We have an "developing website" at www.highlandexplorations.com. Peace be the journey, Mike D
  22. Here is a picture of one of the harder routes we have here. Its called trees are in 5.12. the route goes to the right, through the tuffas at the top. We have another route going in on the left hand side of the photo, after I finish hell to heaven, one of the crag classics. This is one of our easier routes on another crag we have. Called cuckoos nest, 5.8
  23. Here is one of the many cracks we have our eyes on. Sending it in the fall.
  24. Hello, we are looking for someone to come out to Lijiang, China to help develop the rock climbing scene. Lijiang is a small city in the province of Yunnan, China. Located 200 miles south of the tibet border, this area is very popular for its snow mountains, the worlds deepest gorges, and a rich minority culture of Tibetan and Naxi. In a nutshell this area has potential to be another international climbing destination. We have access to an area that could see more than 250 limestone sport routes. Enough to rival the climbing in Yangshuo and Thailand. We also have access to another area that is traditional climbing, sandstone rock, and reminiscent of Indian Creek, but the walls are close to 300 meters. STOUT crack climbing. This area is very large as well and has seen zero ascents. If you want to come out and help in the development in these areas as well as some other alpine opportunities on the local mountains (keep in mind this area is the foothills to the Himalayas, most peaks are 18,000 and up), please contact me via email at mdobie012@yahoo.com. We can provide a room, food, local transportation, help with visa, and an experience of a lifetime! Preferred Requirements: -Have set up at least 10 rock routes or 1-2 years experience in sport/trad crag development -Competent 5.10 trad and sport leader -Alpine experience preferred Sincerely, Mike Dobie Head Guide/Development Coordinator Highland picture from the town you will be staying in Picture of some of the mountains you will be exploring and climbing Picture of the Sandstone cliffs we will be climbing
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