Wang Qinghua’s 5.14d “Redpoint Rice” on Thunderbolt Mountain in Yangshuo
On July 5, 2012 at 19:45, KAILAS climber Wang Qinghua successfully completed a 9a-rated route on Thunderbolt Mountain, naming it "Redpoint Rice." This is the hardest climbing route ever completed by a Chinese climber to date, and this day is destined to become an unforgettable milestone in the history of Chinese climbing.
To complete this route, Wang Qinghua made three trips to Yangshuo within six months starting from the Spring Festival that year. He went through countless attempts and technical adjustments until his third visit to Yangshuo, when his efforts finally paid off as he achieved the redpoint. He is also the only Chinese climber to have completed a 5.14d / 9a-rated route to date.
This route fully showcases Wang Qinghua’s technical methods and style. He said that after months of relentless training in technique and strength, he gradually moved closer to his ultimate goal. The route features many small “crimps” (tiny holds for the first joint of the finger), requiring climbers to possess strong finger power and endurance, as well as excellent movement sequencing. According to Wang Qinghua, from the second section to the crux, there are about 36 moves in total. The 22nd move is the key to completing the entire route—especially controlling an extremely small crimp on a slight overhang of about 20 degrees, placing the heel, and then reaching for an extremely difficult pinch. This move left a deep impression on Wang Qinghua.
Although he has completed the hardest route ever achieved by a Chinese climber, Wang Qinghua is not satisfied. He said that difficulty is just a reference, not the ultimate goal. What we need to overcome and challenge is always ourselves. In climbing, difficulty should not be a limitation. This is his experience and insight gained through years of climbing. After completing the route, Wang Qinghua left a KAILAS quickdraw on it, hoping that more elite climbers will try this classic route and experience the unique charm of climbing.
It’s not about the difficulty, but self-challenge
The unknown story of the 9a route “Redpoint Rice”
This is a high-difficulty route established by Chris Sharma (the world-renowned American climber) in 2009 on Thunderbolt Mountain in Yangshuo. The route is over 40 meters long and consists of two connected pitches—the first being 5.12b and the hardest second pitch being 5.14d. Due to the extreme difficulty, very few climbers had attempted it before, let alone completed it. Chris Sharma himself left Yangshuo without completing the route for various reasons. Wang Qinghua became the first person to redpoint it, and the route was named “Redpoint Rice.”
As for the origin of the name “Redpoint Rice,” it goes back to when Wang Qinghua was teased into treating everyone to a meal. As is well known, in the climbing community, “redpoint” is a verb meaning to complete a route. And according to climber tradition, after successfully topping out, one treats everyone to a celebratory meal—this meal is called “Redpoint Rice.” Wang Qinghua said that during his three trips to Yangshuo to climb this route, his friends would always joke and urge him to treat them to a “Redpoint Rice.” This time, having finally completed the route, he treated everyone, fulfilled his wish, and made his dream come true. For this reason, he named this arduous, unforgettable, and joyful route “Redpoint Rice.”