Long Dong Climbs

I’d never seriously considered visiting Taiwan for rock climbing, but after seeing these photos from the sea cliffs of Long Dong (aka Lung Tung), it’s officially on the list. The pics are from the website of Matt Robertson, a U.S. expat who published the guidebook to trad climbs in the area last year. More than 500 climbs, up to 5.13c, ascend dozens of solid sandstone cliffs, just 30 minutes from Taipei City. Though many of the routes are bolted, Robertson focused on traditionally protected routes, some of which look as good as Britain’s finest sea-cliff climbs. Even on sport routes, it seems, carrying a rack of gear is a good idea—bolts rust rapidly in the seaside environment. Looks like fun!