Climbing
5 unknown climbing crags in India
India has some great rock, and it's not just Hampi.
Picking from the unknown is always a slippery game, isn't it? There's a tonne of good rock out there, and climbing is still at a nascent stage in India. That said, there's still enough 'established' climbing to go around a few lifetimes. Here's a quick list if you want to look beyond Hampi:
1. Kinnaur (Himachal Pradesh)
Bernd Zangerl works the moves
© Ray Demski/ Red Bull Content Pool
At some point in the future, the Himalayas will become the hotbed of hard climbing. Kinnaur is a prime example of the far-out, exploratory climbing experience the Himalayan region offers. Snow capped peaks, relatively undisturbed villages and pristine valleys filled with rock that ranks among the finest anywhere in the world. Bouldering legend Bernd Zangerl certainly thinks so!
2. Suru Valley (Ladakh)
A bouldering session at lower Suru Valley
© Terranava
Home to one of India's hardest boulder problems, Bacteria (8B/+), put up by Pirmin Bertle in 2015, Suru Valley has enormous amounts of rock against a backdrop of dramatic peaks and vast brown stretches. Wanna go there? Check out the Suru Boulder Festival from August 25th to September 7th! It's being organized by the GraviT bouldering gym in Leh with the intent of exploring (and exposing) the area's potential. Loads of first ascents waiting!
3. Yaganti (Andhra Pradesh)
Some particularly interesting highballs
© Ranga Vutkuru
Yaganti is part of a 'finger friendly' red-granite/sandstone belt that runs across the Deccan Plateau. Enticing rock that's not razor sharp and offers a physical, full-body style of climbing. The good folks of the Greater Hyderabad Adventure Club who've done some exploring here and other hidden corners are all too happy to help visiting climbers!
4. Varlakonda (Karnataka)
Lokesh Rajan works a new route at Varlakonda
© Pankaj Singh
About 80kms from Bangalore on the Bangalore-Hyderabad highway is a pretty newly developed crag. A huge granite face with over fifteen single pitch sport routes and boulders scattered at the bottom along the approach. Easy to access, good quality rock and potential for many classic lines. A good crag for beginners too. Equilibrium, a bouldering gym in Bangalore, regularly organizes trips to Varlakonda and other new areas as part of their 'Weekend Escapades' endeavour.
5. Bara Shigari (Himachal Pradesh)
Pil Lockey climbing “White” (7A+)
© Pil Lockey
At the base of the Himalaya's second largest glacier, the Bara Shigari glacier, is a boulder field that's been climbed at by only one person till date! Found and developed by Pil Lockey, a pioneer of the Indian bouldering scene, Bara Shigari is for those who REALLY want to go far out in search of solitude and fantastic bouldering. A great place to visit after spending some time in the more well-known areas of Chatru and Chota Dara in the Chandra Valley, also largely developed by Pil.
This article is courtesy The Outdoor Journal.