Climbers Blogs: Hampi - By Adam Lincoln

Just got back from an amazing trip to Hampi. Its made my mind up that spending winters in the UK is not for me. You can be living on £10 a day in paradise, thinking about nothing else but climbing, eating good food, and drinking the odd cold Kingfisher beer. (Please drink responsibly though kids!)

Hampi isn't all the paradise picture that i paint though. In fact, for me, it was a bit of a love hate relationship. When you are getting up your projects, its fine. When you are not however, you can blame it on any number of things. Terrible conditions, unless up at 6am. Sharp rock. Yep, sharpest rock in have ever experienced. Terrible guide. Takes quite a while to find the problems. (Though this is due to change with a new guide due out soon). Don't even bother buying the glossy guide written my Rohit. Save your money! Then again, climbing wouldn't be half as much fun if everything was easy, would it....

So, the climbing. Well. There is so much rock, i couldn't even begin to describe the vastness. Every direction you look, there is miles and miles and miles of boulders. Not all of them can be climbed. Lack of holds, terrible landings. etc etc. Even if 5% has been/could be climbed, its still the most extensive place for bouldering/potential new problems i have ever been too. I have been to most of the bouldering destinations in the world to base that comment on.

So anyone thinking of going out, here is a top ten of must do problems. Not in any specific order.

1) Goan Corner - 7c

2) Middle Way - 8a/+

3) Double Tap - 7b

4) Kundalini Rising - 7c

5) Surfer Traverse - 7c

6) 90 Degree Arete - 7a

7) The Diamond - 8a

8) Indian Summer - 7c+

9) Mental Mantle - 6c+/7a

10) Sleeping Budda - 7c

Writing this list, i have just though of another 20 that could/should be in the top ten!

I can think of another 20 other problems that are amazing and don't even have names. These problems are just in one small tiny area of Hampi. Times this by 100 and you are starting to get an idea of how much amazing rock there is.

Words can only describe so much. Here are some pictures from my trip.

Classic Warmup