Liming, China
In 2019, Kat was asked to mentor a new climber on her journey to put up a first ascent in LiMing, China. They were sent to China on a “Live Your Dream” grant through the American Alpine Club.
This is her story…
Kat didn’t know what to expect when she arrived in LiMing, China. The journey involved multiple planes, trains, buses and finally a taxi…it was remote!
And also breathtaking. LiMing is a little village tucked in a rainforest-like climate with sandstone cliffs jutting up out of the hills. Kat was struck by the lush foliage, especially compared to the Utah desert sandstone she was used to climbing.
The people were kind, generous, and full of life. A sweet woman in the one restaurant in town, patiently taught her bits of mandarin each time she came in for a bite to eat.
The land and each person she met began stealing her heart bit by bit. She spent the hours they weren’t climbing going on long walks, exploring the area, and talking to strangers - which meant mostly pointing at things and smiling.
When Kat and her partner were walking up to the climb they were establishing, they would pass through a small village and all the villagers would wave as they walked through their yards.
She had feelings about this trip and this place - ones she had trouble reconciling or knowing where to place - but mostly about putting up a first ascent in a foreign country. It felt really complicated…she was supporting the claiming of a route on land that she and her partner were not connected to and didn’t belong to.
One day a man stopped them. He clearly had a story to tell. Kat refers to him lovingly as the Honeyman. Through big gestures, lots of pointing, and much nodding, he told his story of climbing. He told them how he used to climb the cracks by putting sticks in the cracks as small pegs to form a ladder so he could gather honey (and possibly for birds nests as well - not 100% clear in the gesture communication).
This man still lingers in Kat’s thoughts. He was Brave, kind, generous. He knew this land and these cliffs far better than they ever would. He shared his bravery. It made her aware of how much they didn’t belong. And yet he welcomed them. They were putting holes in his cliffs. But he still laughed with them and offered them gifts of food. She wondered what did they give to him in return?
As far as the grant went, they completed the goals of the trip. But it left Kat with lots of questions around how we use and feel entitled to land. And how we as climbers have a lot to learn about being more conscious of our impact.
Though she went on this trip in the role of a peer mentor for Jenny Fischer through a Live Your Dream Grant, she left wondering if she should have gone. Jenny achieved her goals of leaving the United States for the first time, putting up a first ascent, and learning to hand drill her first anchor.
But the land and people had changed Kat; challenging her to look deeper at the impact of foreigners on foreign land.
