- Beginner, Skill Level Beginner Advanced Skill Level Advanced
- Ages 18+ Ages Ages 18+
Join us for an international climbing adventure in the fantastic nature reserve El Potrero Chico. Enjoy hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, and more.
Quick Details
Crack Climbing Paradise of China
Liming Climbing Guides: Incredible Rock Climbing in China
The Liming climbing area is a world-class crack climbing destination tucked away in the remote northwest region of Yunnan province.
Located high on a plateau and filled with ranges of steep mountains and winding valleys, Yunnan is celebrated for its stunning biodiversity and vibrant culture.
Half of China’s bird and mammal species can be found in Yunnan, as well as 26 of China’s 56 recognized ethnic groups. Liming is populated primarily by the Lisu, a minority people who thrive in mountainous regions of China, Myanmar, Thailand, and India.
Experience Chinese Heritage and Culture
On this climbing trip to Liming, you will stay in a traditional courtyard home with modern amenities and interact with local people every day.
You will have the opportunity to learn about the rich history and cultural traditions of the Lisu, as well as other cultures, throughout the trip.
Your Liming climbing guides from Kaf Adventures will bring you far from the metropolises of modern China and deep into one of the most exciting and least developed areas of the country. Come prepared for beautiful scenery, challenging climbs, and remarkable new experiences.
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Day 1: Travel Day
- Plan to arrive in Lijiang before 5 p.m. on Day 1. Your guides will meet you at the airport and take you back to your hotel just outside of Lijiang Old Town. We will all enjoy a delicious family-style dinner of local Yunnan food. After dinner, we will take a stroll around the old city of Lijiang. Get ready for some of the best rock climbing in China!
Day 2: Cultural Activities
- After breakfast, we will check out of our hotel in Lijiang and drive about 15 kilometers to Baisha, where we will participate in some cultural activities. First, we will learn about the art of indigo tie-dye, and then we will practice embroidery. Both of these crafts are long-standing traditions of the minority people that populate Yunnan province, who continue to make these crafts by hand to this day. After these activities, we will hit the road and head to Liming, where we will be greeted by a delicious local meal.
Day 3, 4, & 5: Introduction to Trad Climbing and Crack Climbing Technique
- For our first three days of rock climbing in Liming we will hike up to the Lisu Area, the area with the most climbs in Liming and many of the best beginner and moderate routes. At the Lisu Area, we will learn the techniques of crack climbing, starting with hand jamming and foot jamming, and progressing to some more advanced techniques such as finger locking and off-width climbing. Your climbing instructors will also demonstrate how to place traditional gear and evaluate placements. You will have the opportunity to put all of these techniques to the test in these first few days.
Day 6: Rest Day
- Today is Market Day, an excellent day to take a rest from climbing and experience the culture of Liming. Take in the sights, smells, and sounds of the market and experience the Lisu culture.
Day 7, 8 & 9: Customized Climbing Experience
- The curriculum for these three days will be customized to fit your experience level and climbing goals. We will most likely venture to a new climbing area, the cave area of the Dinner Wall. Possible topics of instruction are lead climbing, building traditional anchors, multi-pitch climbing systems, and whatever you would like to learn. If your goal is to lead as many routes as possible, we will support you! If you’re keen on a multi-pitch adventure, our guides would love to take you on one.
Day 10: Rest Day
- After three consecutive days of climbing Liming, you’re going to want some rest. If your legs aren’t too sore, there are some beautiful hikes to check out. Thousand Turtle Mountain is a must-see during your time spent in Liming!
Day 11: Via Ferrata
- After your rest day, we will spend the morning on one of Liming’s two Via Ferrata routes. After climbing so many of Liming’s difficult cracks, climbing these iron rungs will feel easy!
Days 12 & 13: Group Cragging
- Over our last couple of days in Liming, we will try to get in as much climbing as possible. We will explore some new areas, most likely the Yangshuo Sport Climber’s Crag and The Guardian. These areas have many challenging routes and fewer moderates. We encourage everyone to use what they’ve learned over the course of the trip and push themselves on these routes.
Day 14: Travel Day
- After two weeks of climbing in Liming, it’s time to return home. Before you go, we will have a final debrief of our experience together. We will depart Liming in the morning on Day 14 and drop you at the airport in Lijiang. Due to the time difference, you will travel back in time on your flight back to the US, arriving on the same day.
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We will be staying in a traditional courtyard home that has been renovated within the past year and is quite modern. Like most homes in southern China, the hot water is solar-powered. A sunny day will generate plenty of hot water but on cloudier days and at night the amount of hot water can be limited.
Each participant will have their own bed in a room of two, and it is possible to upgrade to a private room with a queen-sized bed.
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Liming’s climate is semi-arid, with summer monsoons. From October to May, rain can occur but not often. Fall is an excellent time to be in Liming—the monsoon rains have come to an end but it is not too cold. Even so, temperatures can vary dramatically from day to day.
Liming is in a subtropical region, so it is usually very hot in the sun, but it is also at a high elevation (more than 2,000 meters above sea level) so it can be cold at night. Thunderstorms are atypical in fall but are not out of the question.
You can expect daytime temperatures as high as 80 degrees and nighttime temperatures just above freezing. Be prepared for cold, sun, and rain. The trip will run, rain or shine.
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Please be aware that Chinese cuisine is different than that of the United States. Be prepared for different food choices than those you may be used to. Please inform Kaf Adventures if you have any special food requirements. If possible, bring a few bars from home for snacks during the climbing days.
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- 18+ for adult courses or 16+ with consent from a guardian and Kaf approval.
- 12-18 for youth courses.
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- All participants on this trip must have previous climbing experience. At the minimum, participants must have previous lead belay experience. Ideally participants have had experience lead climbing in the gym or outside and have been on a multi-pitch climb.
- If you do not meet the above requirements, please give us a call to discuss. We can provide any necessary education to ramp you up for this trip.
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- Lodging and transportation while in China
- Professional guiding and instruction
- Group climbing equipment
- Guided via ferrata
- All fees and permits
- 13 lunches and 13 dinners
- Cultural activities
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- Flights to Lijiang, China
- Chinese visa
- Personal climbing equipment (harness, shoes, helmet) or any other personal items
- Guide gratuity
- Miscellaneous spending money for drinks and spare time activities
- Insurance of any kind
- Climbing accessories such as chalk and tape
- Flights to Lijiang, China
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- Standard rock climbing equipment including helmet, harness, shoes, belay device and personal anchor.
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Flights to Lijiang, China are not included. Once in China, all transportation will be handled by Kaf Adventures until you arrive back at the airport.
“The date I want isn’t listed.” Please visit our Custom Courses page and contact us to book a private or custom course that fits your needs.
“I don’t see any dates.” Several of our courses run infrequently. We invite you to opt for a waitlist on our courses that do not have visible dates on the course calendar. When enough people sign up for that course, we will select a course date and invite you all to register then.