For its 200th issue, climbing bible Rock&Ice magazine published a story by editor Andrew Bisharat on China’s Gétù valley and the climbing potential of the region’s unearthly mega-arches of limestone. These are holes in mountains so huge that a fighter jet once rocketed through the gap, according to Bisharat’s story, which covered his experience in the Gétù valley as a part of an event, the Petzl RocTrip 2011, that took place in October.
Check out the story and this issue if you can. It’s for sale now. The cover alone, a make-your-jaw-drop shot by photographer Sam Bie of climbers on one of Gétù’s massive arches, is worth the cover price alone. Hats off the Rock&Ice for killing it for 200 issues straight. That’s an endurance feat worthy of a 5.14 rating. —Stephen Regenold