Jade backs me up at twin mountain crag, one of many karst mountains absolutely riddled with caves going straight through.

Justin applies a trusted, and recommended, Chinese herbal remedy (cigarette tobacco) to an injury sustained on the bike ride back into town.

The River Li, near Yangshuo.

West Street, Yangshuo. Great food, cool bargains, lots of hostels, and rats at night.

A very special place. Really though, being a 50 minute ride still from town, we should have left the crag long before this picture was taken.

Bridge-side bike parking during a post-climb, beer-fueled, Yu Long River swim.

Finnish friends and birthday-first-day climbers, Sarah, Hannele, and Nina, ponder high-risk activities beneath Baby Frog Crag.

The incredible archway of Moon Hill, the first sport climbing crag near Yangshuo to be sussed by Todd Skinner et al in the early 90's.

Chris points the way to White Mountain, jug fests and face climbs starting mid 5.10s.

October 29 - Yangshuo, Southern China

After leaving Beijing and 27 hour train ride, I have found myself in Yangshuo. The prices are cheap, the sun feels warm, and the mountains sticking up all over the country side offer the best climbing I've ever experienced. I've been here almost a week now, and I expect that it will be at least another week, or 3, before I feel any urge to leave. Once our day's group has packed up after an afternoon of climbing on the most fantastic karst limestone walls, it might be off to the river, or a cave, for a cool down swim. Perhaps bottles of beer will clang around in the basket on my rented bicycle along the dusty dirt track. We might plan to meet at an amazing vegetarian restaurant back in town for the evening, or schedule an hour massage for less than 10 dollars. And afterwards, chinese brandy on the balcony under a mandarin orange full moon? Yes, life here has been very, very nice.

When I begin to feel guitly, I remind myself of the difference between irresponsibility, and a lack of pressing responsibilities. I tell myself that its the latter under which my current situation falls. And damn, it feels wonderful.