Allegory of the Caves

From the Stroud-Schellenberg-Liu Baiyansi guide: Allegory of the Caves is a proud, adventurous multipitch route established in December 2019 by Dane Schellenberg and Ryder Stroud that tops out the main Baiyansi formation. At ~540 meters, it is one of the longest multipitch rock climbs in China. Best of all, it is a top out route that climbs a huge granite wall at an affordable grade! The route frontloads the hard climbing (mostly) before becoming a novel route that climbs through a network of caves high on the wall. It even has a cave on pitch 12 that is so large, that you can shed your climbing gear and camp! This is a mixed route, so do not expect a Shigu-style, sport climbing clip-up. Be prepared for committing climbing, runouts on easier terrain, and the possibility of an overnight stay on the wall. Be ready for the possibility of occasional loose rock. If you come with an adventurous mindset and a solid multipitch skill set, you will be rewarded with one of the best summit views of the huge limestone wall of Shigu, steep, forested valleys, and even the glaciated Himalayan giants Jade Dragon Mountain (5597m) and Haba (5394m)!

See the very detailed approach maps and route/pitch descriptions with topo photos in the Stroud-Schellenger-Liu Baiyansi guide.