Since its creation 10 years ago, the Petzl RocTrip concept has always been driven by a desire to create a real benefit for climbers, even after the event has ended.
Petzl provides everything from financial support, to help with access and conservation issues at the areas (the Gunks, Bishop, Squamish, the Red River Gorge, Zillertal). There is also the financial and equipment support that goes into creating new routes, (Kalymnos, Millau, Mexico). And of course there are the important anchor replacement programs. The latest Petzl RocTrip in China's Getu Valley was without doubt the biggest effort Petzl has ever invested in a climbing area. What was proposed during the event was nothing less that 250 brand new pitches of rockclimbing for all levels. A whole new climbing destination was created.
All this would have not been possible without the great work of the routesetting team. In two waves this brave group of creators labored, using their instincts and experience to envision and create the routes. This work ranged from "bolting rest days"on easy-to-access, nothing-to-clean single-pitch jewels like Fish Crag to a mental expedition in the inverted 3D stalactite mazes of the great Arch. We would like to again sincerely thank every single one of these men and women that volunteered for that mission. Without their support, there would not be any RocTrip at all.
Among the routesetters were some well-known athletes from the Petzl team, like Dani Andrada, Arnaud and Stéphanie Petit, and Mike Fuselier. During the bolting trip, they were joined by a seriously motivated crew of volunteers, all looking forward to discovering new lines. We're looking for new routes of all levels, moderate climbs included. In general, easy routes are on less-than-vertical rock and thus require more vegetation and dust cleaning than overhanging lines. Setting up easy routes can actually be more work than the harder ones. Regardless of difficulty, a great thanks is in order for all our routesetters.
In addition, one of the area's first developers, Olivier Balma, trained a solid team of Chinese climbers from CMDI to bolt routes. During the bolting trips, we also welcomed unexpected visitors such as Marcos Costa, a Brazilian climber who heard by rumor about the bolting trip. Last March, he showed up in the valley a few days before we did and started, on his own, to bolt "Ni Hao Wokipa", one of the major multi-pitch climbs at the Great Arch.
Routesetters gallery by Guillaume Vallot
Updated guidebook of Gétù available
The guidebook has been updated after the trip and the grades were reviewed thanks to the feedback from participants.
>> Download the guidebook (pdf, 16 Mo)
Golden Piton for Dani Andrada
This year, one of the Golden pitons of Climbing Magazine was awarded to Dani Andrada for his massive route "Corazon de Ensueno", 8 pitches of overhanging limestone going up to and through the ceiling of the Great Arch of Getu. This route was an incredible project, it took Dani eleven days of ground up effort to bolt it. He was then able to send the whole during the RocTrip demo day at the great Arch.
Read about Dani's Golden Piton in Climbing Magazine