Scene from the 2013 KAILAS Drytooling Competition
In early December, the 2013 KAILAS Drytooling Competition, a global event that drew nearly 100 climbing enthusiasts from both China and overseas, was successfully held at the Guangzhou Baiyun International Convention Center. This was also the largest-scale drytooling competition ever held in China since KAILAS introduced Drytooling—a hybrid of ice climbing and rock climbing skills—into the country in 2013.
Chief Judge Zhang Xiaoliu explaining the competition rules to male participants
When it comes to rock climbing and ice climbing, many outdoor enthusiasts are no strangers. But what about Drytooling?
Since KAILAS brought the sport of Drytooling to China, it has shined brightly at the Yangshuo Rock Climbing Festival in October and the Lingshan Mountaineering School exchange event in Chengdu in November, winning widespread acclaim among outdoor lovers. Now, the latest and larger-scale 2013 KAILAS Drytooling Competition, open to the whole nation, has once again brought great excitement and more fun to China’s outdoor community.
Highlights from Contestant Competitions 1
Highlights from Contestant Competitions 2
Highlights from Contestant Competitions 3
Highlights from Contestant Competitions 4
Highlights from Contestant Competitions 5
Highlights from Contestant Competitions 6
Group photo of all award-winning participants
The “Drytooling” Sport You May Not Know
With ice climbing and alpine mountaineering continuously pushing the limits of difficulty and route complexity, climbing routes have evolved beyond just ice or mixed ice-and-rock terrain into a brand-new climbing technique: “drytooling.” As a unique form of climbing, drytooling typically involves using ice climbing gear for rock climbing. It mainly employs hooking and balancing techniques, requiring excellent strength, balance awareness, control, route reading ability, and environmental analysis. Currently, drytooling has become a training method for some climbing enthusiasts during non-ice seasons. It can be practiced in equipped climbing gyms, outdoor rock sites, or cliff faces. Indoor drytooling competitions have also gained popularity among outdoor lovers due to their high entertainment value.