Rueck and Smith-Gobat Climb New Dragon’s Nest in China

In April 2016, an international team of climbers was the first to receive permission to climb in Zhangjiajie, China’s first and largest National Forest, located in the northern Hunan province of south-central China. With more than 3,000 unique orange sandstone pillars reaching to the clouds, this stunning UNESCO World Heritage site attracts over 30 million visitors per year. Despite being a tourist attraction, the park’s regulations prevented climbers from exploring Zhangjiajie’s maze of freestanding towers.