A group of climbers has headed to the African country of Chad in search of new challenges. Amongst the members of the team are Jimmy Chin, Alex Honnold, and Renan Ozturk, who is filing dispatches over at the Never Stop Exploring Blog, which is the official blog for the North Face.
The expedition dispatches are worth checking out for the photographs alone, which show of a stark, yet beautiful, landscape with some surprisingly great rock climbing opportunities including a number of massive rock towers. At the moment, there are at least a half-dozen dispatches to sift through, with Renan giving us some great insights into what it is like to be on an expedition of this nature.
The team has been exploring the deserts of Chad, and finding plenty of unclimbed sandstone walls to tackle. While sandstone is not the best rock to climb, it seems that there are rewards to be found at the top, as the climbers are discovering amazing views with breathtaking vistas in all direction.
For those who don’t know, Chad is located in north central Africa and is an interesting mix of deserts and fertile savannah. It is considered one of the poorest, and most corrupt, countries in the entire world, and most of its citizens live well below the subsistence level. It seems that much of its landscape remains untouched by explorers and climbers, and there are still plenty of adventures to be had in the remote corners of the country.
These are really interesting dispatches to read and as I said, the photos are spectacular. They’ll inspire you to want to visit Chad for yourself and witness these spectacular places.
Thanks to The Goat for the tip on this one.
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It is considered one of the poorest, and most corrupt, countries in the entire world, and most of its citizens live well below the subsistence level.
Yes, I'm sure the Chadians would much rather watch Jimmy Chin! rock climbing, than say, getting some food in their bellies?
I don't doubt that the rock climbing is interesting, but this is another example of how often times "adventure sports" really amounts to nothing more than Western navel gazing! It's not going to cure AIDS, solve our reliance on fossil fuels, or help our trade imbalance.
Jimmy Chin is fast becoming the Kim Kardashian or Paris Hilton of rock climbing – vapid, vacuous, self-absorbed, and irrelevant!
But he takes pretty pictures! Wait… that sounds like Kim Kardashian too. 😉
Hey great post. Thought I'm not sure I agree with you 100%. Keep em coming. Are you interested in having anyone guest post opposing views?
Sounds like a great climb. Any suggestions on where to buy the best rock climbing gear?
Hi – Will you please post a link to your Blog at The Rock Climbing Community? Our members will love it.
Members include: Other Rock Climbers, Guides, Experts and Clubs
It's easy to do, just cut and paste the link and it automatically links back to your website… it’s a win win. You can also add Photos, Videos and equipment Classifieds if you like. It’s free and easy.
Email me if you need any help or would like me to do it for you.
The Rock Climbing Community: http://www.vorts.com/rock_climbing/
Thanks,
James Kaufman, Editor