Hot Rock Africa and the Silk Route expedition: Malaysia and Singapore, March '09

Malaysia

Malaysia has it all: an array of limestone outcrops on Peninsular Malaysia, granite boulders and monoliths at the east coast, limestone crags and sandstone mountains in Sarawak and alpine granite and big walls in Sabah.

North of Kuala Lumpur, there is vast potential in the states Perak (around Ipoh), Perlis, Kelantan and Pahang where hundreds of limestone crags wait to be developed. The east coast also offers enormous untapped potential. Most of the existing routes in Malaysia are bolted sports climbs on limestone crags, with some trad exceptions on granite walls.

We’ll spend a couple of weeks exploring new areas in the company of local climbers in the north and east of the country, before making our way to Kuala Lumpur (KL,) the capital city and the hub of Malaysian climbing with an astonishing 215 crags! The two main regions here are Batu Caves and Bukit Takun.

The rock is white and red limestone with a good selection of different climbs, from overhanging jugathons a là Krabi to delicate slabs on micro ledges. All told there are about 100 sports routes, up to three pitches, spread across 7 or so crags. Conveniently most are right beside each other and all are within a $5 taxi ride of central KL. As the government seems to take an active role in sponsoring the sport, access is no problem with one of the crags (Damai) having its own car parking and gravel at the base.

There is so much potential that where exactly we spend our time will be a group decision when we get there. But, for example, the climbing area around Bukit Cheras hill has loads of developed routes and free camping close to the rocks. The scary sounding 'Boulder of Death' has routes as hard as 5.13b with one particular problem 'Do or Die' having a 10ft section where the largest hold can fit one finger (hhhmmmm-maybe not). If that is not enough there is the 45ft, 45 degree overhanging arête of 'Skeleton' which is reportedly a 5.14 on trad gear. There are however many easier routes and potential in the area. Other crags including Volleyball Site, White Wall and Red Rocks offer Thailand style limestone.

For those that want to there is also the option of jumping on a short flight to Malaysian Borneo, home of orangutans, leatherback turtles, and Mount Kinabalu – the highest mountain in SE Asia and which boasts a summit plateau of weirdly shaped volcanic spires, with names such as Donkey Ears Peak. Composed of sound plutonic rock, and with a few recorded trad routes, we could put up many more.

We’ll be sure to spend some time in the cultural jamboree of KL… eating local specialities including deep fried chicken claws… and after heading up the tallest building in the world (it’s got to be a great buildering challenge!) we’ll head south on Birt or on the overnight train to the coast, and the final destination on our epic transcontinental adventure: Singapore.

Singapore

Believe it or not, there is actually a climbing guidebook to Singapore. So for those who still have tendons left we’ll spend a day or so exploring the best of these short climbs, before gathering somewhere central for the mother of all parties...

We’ve traveled for 11 months and 22,000 miles. We’ve passed through 8 time zones without crossing a sea and driven the length of the Silk Route. We’ve followed in the footsteps of Marco Polo, Alexander the Great and Ghengis Khan. After countless laughs and climbs, and a few hard times it’s time to celebrate!