Sandstone bluffs riddled with crevices. Maroon precipices wrinkled with scaly turtleback rocks. A never-ending wall called El Dorado (named after the Lost City of Gold)听rising abruptly at a slight turn in the valley.

During a call with me on January 10, Mike Dobie and Ana Pautler, his fiancee, described the scenery surrounding their home in Liming, a bucolic town high in the mountains of southwest China鈥檚 Yunnan province. They were calling from the car听as they made their way from spending Christmas and New Year鈥檚 in Seattle听to Pautler鈥檚 hometown of San Francisco. Dobie, a typically reserved rock climber, bubbled with enthusiasm and giddiness as he described the daily offerings in Liming: a local flea market that pops up every ten days where he gets fresh meat,听friendly greetings every morning from a vegetable lady who grows organic potatoes and peanuts,听and $2 jumbo stir-fries from his favorite restaurant.听

鈥淟ife there is paradise. It鈥檚 quiet, with lots of rock opportunities around,鈥� said Dobie, 37, who has spent most of the past decade developing trad and sport routes in Liming.

The couple would be flying back to Liming in two days. To prepare for the trip, they had stuffed two giant duffels and a roller bag with 80-meter ropes, resoled climbing shoes, maple syrup, Mexican seasonings, Doritos, and a bag of Tootsie Pops, whose chewy chocolate center and cherry-flavored coating Dobie relishes way too much. He rambled on about their ambitious plan to turn El Dorado, a wall of compacted sandstone and limestone, into a sport-climbing hub. He also hoped to open an Airbnb-style complex of guesthouses in Liming later this year, which would serve as a听base camp for climbers. Five or six local households鈥攁 number that would grow if the experiment were听successful鈥攚ould host visiting climbers, make them meals, and offer gear rentals, first aid, and rescue services.

At the end of the 90-minute conversation, I wished them luck with their mission and impending听arduous trip: a 30-hour flight from San Francisco, including a two-hour layover in Hong Kong, to Kunming, Yunnan鈥檚 capital. This to be followed by a three-hour bullet train ride to Lijiang, a prefecture-level city in the northwest of the province; and another three hours by car on the bumpy, meandering mountain road to Liming.

I should have told them to wear masks and听hoard hand sanitizer, or cancel the trip altogether.

The post China Is an Underrated Rock Climbing Paradise appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

In late July听of 2016, more than a dozen听Liberian researchers set up a makeshift lab at the edge of the听rainforest in their nation鈥檚听northern听, which shares the听border with听Guinea. Liberia is home to听听and听houses some of the world鈥檚 rarest animal听species, including the Liberian mongoose and pygmy hippos. But Jackson Poultolnor and the other researchers, all clad in听rubber boots, N95 masks,听face shields, leather welding gloves, and听Tyvek suits, were there for bats.听

Bats have been a source of food in Africa and other parts of the planet听for thousands of years.听When Poultolnor听was a child, his听mother听prepared the meat in a sweet stew for him and his eight siblings. But the mammal听is also a reservoir of pathogens and to be the source of the 2013 Ebola virus outbreak, which led to more than 11,000 deaths across this region. So听Poultolnor and his team听ventured into the听dense vegetation to bind mist nets to听trees in order to capture and study the animal. It was Liberia鈥檚 first听wildlife-surveillance operation, and it was conducted as a part听of听, an organization launched in 2009 by the听U.S. Agency for International Development鈥檚听(USAID)听听to monitor infectious diseases.听

Since the organization鈥檚 inception,听American epidemiologists and sociologists have trained over听6,000 researchers in more than 30 developing countries to seek听out zoonotic diseases in wildlife and听collaborate听with local officials听to head off new outbreaks. Predict teams across the globe have discovered , including Ebola viruses and SARS-like coronaviruses.听

In January听2019, after sampling over 5,000 bats听every two听weeks听for more than two years, the Liberian Predict听team found for Ebola. It was the first time the type of Ebola virus responsible for the 2013听epidemic was detected in a Liberian bat. The discovery could help scientists learn more about how that virus infected humans听and, by extension, how to prevent other zoonotic diseases with pandemic potential听from spreading.

A few months later, in the fall of 2019,听the Trump administration for Predict, leaving more than 听around the world in limbo.听

At the heart of the Predict听project are the principles laid out by the , which seeks to foster collaborations between professionals in various science fields听that will benefit the听well-being of humans, animals, and the environment.

It鈥檚 an all-in-one philosophy that has deep historical roots. Hinduism鈥檚 ahimsa dictates that all living things are sacred because they are part of God and the natural world. Totemism, popular among may African tribes, posits听a kinship between humans and听wildlife.听Similarly, One Health,听which was started by听veterinarians and doctors in the United States , looks听to understand the human-wildlife interface,听encouraging听interdisciplinary collaborations in governent and academia, discouraging human encroachment听on natural habitats, and calling听for the extensive surveillance of pathogens.听

听

There are 听lurking in animal hosts across the globe, and more than 650,000 have the potential to听infect people, according to researchers at the at the University of California at听Davis. In fact, nearly 75 percent of the diseases affecting humans today stem听from wildlife. SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the current pandemic,听is thought to have originated in bats and believed to have been听transmitted听to humans via at an open-air market in Wuhan, China.

In addition to the vast number of viruses, scientists at the One Health Institute听say听that viruses听are also听mutating faster than ever. Urbanization and climate change, as well as activities like logging, poaching, and听animal听trafficking, have shrunk and fragmented natural habitats, which in turn has led to听increased听contact between humans and wildlife and more opportunities for viral mutation.听

鈥淭rying to find these viruses in the wild is like finding a needle in a haystack,鈥� says听, an American field veterinarian who was appointed by the Obama administration to lead Predict听in Liberia. That doesn鈥檛 mean it鈥檚 worthless to try. Although it cost $20 million to operate Predict听each year, some have estimated that the current听COVID-19听outbreak could cost the world . A future pandemic could cost much more.

Though Predict听failed to identify听the virus that results in听COVID-19,听a Predict-supported publication by scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology back in 2015 warned about in China and Southeast Asia.听

On April 1, as confirmed cases of COVID-19 surpassed one听million in the U.S.听and three听million worldwide, Predict听received 听from USAID to focus听on the coronavirus. But the money was far from enough to host teams in different countries.听Luckily, in May, USAID announced a new project:听set to launch this听September,听 will leverage the data collected by Predict听to develop interventions that will听reduce the risk of the transmission of dangerous pathogens passing from animals to people.

For too long, when it comes to disease outbreaks, there鈥檚 been a cycle of panic (as threats ramp up) and neglect (when they subside), says听Tierra Smiley Evans, a wildlife veterinarian and epidemiologist at the One Health Institute. She hopes this pandemic will result in something different. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 leave a single country out in understanding the importance of the connection between human and animal health and working together on the prevention of the next pandemic,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hrough the tragedy that is happening now to the planet, I hope we come out stronger on the other end.鈥�

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No energy-bar wrappers litter base camp. No climbers clog the Hillary Step. Thanks to the pandemic, Mount Everest is taking a much needed break after last year鈥檚 record crowding.听

But the coronavirus-hit climbing season has not been entirely quiet. Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, this week three Chinese teams scaled the world鈥檚 highest peak.

On May 26, at around 5:30 P.M. local time, six mountaineers fixed the ropes on the Northeast Ridge听leading to the top and made the first successful ascent of the season. On May 27, eight surveyors spent two and a half hours on the summit, attempting to get听the most accurate measurement to date听of the mountain.听

On the morning of May 28, 14 Chinese clients听and 21 guides topped out. With no other teams waiting their turn atop the 29,029-foot peak, the climbers took their time to enjoy the summit, snapping selfies with Tibetan prayer flags.

鈥淚 feel more than lucky,鈥� said Ru Zhigang, a native of central China鈥檚 Anhui Province, who climbed Everest last year from the Nepalese side. 鈥淚n February, I didn鈥檛 think it was possible, because of the coronavirus.鈥�

On March 11, China closed the north side of the peak due to the global spread of COVID-19. The next day, Nepal canceled all spring Everest expeditions on its side. But听as China appeared to contain the COVID-19 outbreak within its borders, a glimmer of hope appeared. On March 17, Chinese outfitter Yarlha Shampo, the only Everest operator authorized to work on the north side, informed its high-paying clients that the country鈥檚 sports authority had given its听expedition the green light.听

Under arguably the world鈥檚听strictest quarantine orders, climbers prepared themselves as best they could. In addition to jogging in his residential complex, Ru carried a weighted pack up and down the stairs of听his apartment building almost every day, sometimes up to 257 floors in a single go. Talking to me听from听his tent at 21,300 feet beside the sprawling Rongbuk Glacier in the days leading up to the summit push, he said he felt more 鈥減hysically ready鈥� and 鈥渕entally relaxed鈥� than last year.听

Ru was one of the climbers caught in the middle of the infamous traffic jam on the Hillary Step.听鈥淚 wanted to cut my legs due to their numbness after squatting against the icy ridge at 28,800 feet for hours,鈥� Ru told , a Chinese online publication, 鈥淎nd suddenly, a huge black shadow, which I initially thought was a rock, rolled down. I jumped to dodge subliminally, and 鈥榯he rock鈥� glided past me. That鈥檚 when I realized it was a climber.鈥澨�

Having survived the queue, he became a wang hong鈥攁n internet celebrity鈥攊n China. Dubbed Beardy Henry听by his three听million followers on Douyin, TikTok鈥檚 Chinese-sister app, Ru shared short videos and photos during his expedition. Thanks to Everest鈥檚 newly installed , he was also able to livestream Q and A鈥檚 with his fans.

In total, 49 people summited Everest this year, compared with 876 summits in 2019.听There was seldom any traffic on the road to Everest鈥檚 northern base camp. But the team鈥檚 ascent to the top was bumpier than expected鈥擟yclone Amphan delayed its听summit by more than a week.听

鈥淭his year鈥檚 weather is noticeably different. No flights across the Himalayas means less air pollution and global warming,鈥� said Mingma Gyalje Sherpa, a Nepali听climbing guide who has听frequented the peak from both sides since 2006. As Nepal started a countrywide lockdown on March 24, Mingma followed China鈥檚 progress from his home in Kathmandu. 鈥淐hina has gone through the quarantine hardship and won the war. They taught us that everything could resume after containing the coronavirus,鈥� he said, 鈥渁nd even Everest adventures will return.鈥�

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A group of eight researchers from China finally summited Mount Everest on Wednesday, May 27. One of only two climbing teams on the mountain this year, they were there for a very specific purpose鈥攖o take the most accurate measurement to date of the world鈥檚 tallest point.

The COVID-19 pandemic nixed the spring climbing season before it got started. China canceled foreign climbing permits from the Tibet side of the mountain in March, and Nepal followed suit for the south side of the peak a day later. However, as China began to control the spread of the disease, the government allowed two groups to make the climb: the听surveyors and a commercial expedition run by Chinese outfitter Yarlha Shampo.

The group of surveyors听initially planned to make a听summit bid on May 12, but weather conditions prevented a team from fixing the rope on the last stage of the route, so听they returned to the north-side base camp. On May 16, expedition leaders decided to make another attempt, with a smaller team that would reach the summit on May 22. However, heavy snows resulting from Cyclone Amphan once again sent the rope-fixing team听back to base camp this week, scuttling a听second try at the top, . It looked like the storm might close the window on this season鈥檚 climbing attempts, but a break in the weather finally allowed the surveyors to settle the question of the mountain鈥檚 height. For now, anyway.

How Tall Is Mount Everest?

Mount Everest鈥檚 recognized elevation has been 29,029 feet above sea level since an Indian survey team measured it in 1955. But if you look hard enough, there鈥檚 a faint asterisk next to that number. For years, Nepal and China have sparred over the height of the mountain straddling their shared border, specifically whether or not the official number should account for the snow听atop it.

In 2005, a Chinese team determined the peak鈥檚 elevation听to be 29,017 feet at the height of its rock base, holding that up as the most accurate measurement. Nepal disagreed, maintaining its position that the snowcap covering the peak听should be accounted for in the final number. But many believe the amount of snow and ice on top of the mountain has shrunk after听the massive 2015听earthquake that rocked the Himalayas.

This year鈥檚 expedition to measure the peak jointly was the culmination of an agreement struck last fall when Chinese president Xi Jinping visited Nepal.

The new measurement was taken using China鈥檚 BeiDou satellite-navigation system. The surveyors also collected data on snow depth, weather, and wind speed, which will be used to monitor the deterioration of glaciers and other ecological impacts of climate change. The team spent nearly three hours on the summit, setting up the satellite beacon and other equipment before starting the trek back to base camp. Next,听researchers will spend up to three months analyzing the data before releasing their reading on the mountain鈥檚 height.

Nepal sent a team of surveyors up the mountain in 2017 and 2018. Scientists from the two countries will meet to review all the findings听and .

Whatever the new elevation is found to be, it will not change Everest鈥檚 status as the world鈥檚 tallest point. The second-highest peak is Pakistan鈥檚 28,251-foot K2, which sits nearly 800 feet below Everest. And even with an agreed-upon number, the issue won鈥檛 be settled for good. Seismic activity pushing the Indian subcontinent under Asia, as happened during听the 2015 earthquake, will continue to affect the mountain鈥檚听height.

The post Why the Height of Mount Everest May Change Soon appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

On a hazy night in 1987, two renegade climbers in Berkeley, California, quietly set anchors underneath an on-ramp to Highway 13. They rappelled down incrementally, gluing听stone knobs they had collected from an excursion in Yosemite to the concrete pillars rising听up at stark vertical angles.听

Through several nights of undetected effort, the climbers, Jim Thornburg and Scott Frye, embellished the highway鈥檚 partitions with bulges, depressions, indentations, and protruding chips鈥攁n urban simulation of mountainside cliffs. With their ingenuity, East Bay guerilla attitude, and some very strong adhesive, Thornburg and Frye transformed these highway pillars听into the first artificial听climbing wall in the United States.

So begins , John Burgman鈥檚 new chronicle of a sport that became some people鈥檚听obsession. is a former听Climbing magazine editor,听and the book鈥檚 slightly intimidating 400 pages recount听how听climbing has evolved from a passion of dirtbags to an听Olympic sport in just a few decades.听

Burgman听says he听was inspired to write a history of competition听climbing after he searched for one听in 2014听and only found bullet points on USA Climbing鈥檚 Wikipedia page. He spent five years researching and reporting High Drama.听

The indoor climbing industry now boasts and 听in the United States鈥攁 shocking ascent for a once niche sport. Burgman鈥檚 book听comes at the right time: as fans anticipate climbing鈥檚 Olympic debut in Tokyo next year,听there is excitement as well as a need to reexamine climbing鈥檚 evolution. After all, the sport鈥檚 grassroots origins might seem to clash with rapid commercial growth and arenas like the Olympics.

It鈥檚 clear where Burgman听stands: he鈥檚 an advocate for the sport鈥檚 mainstream acceptance as well as a historian and a believer in presenting climbing as a听significant athletic progression听and not merely a trend听borne of rebellious听passion.

鈥淚 write about competition climbing the same way I would write about pro basketball or pro baseball,鈥� he says.听He builds his case not through arguments听but by rich听descriptions听of noteworthy athletic feats. Some,听like Ashima Shiraishi鈥檚听effort to spring for an overhanging handhold during the 2018 Bouldering Nationals,听are displays of Burgman鈥檚 able sportswriting:听鈥淪he tried doggedly to lunge for one of the handholds above the lip … she hung in a horizontal position to recompose herself,鈥� he writes.听鈥淚f she grasped it, she听would be on her way to her first national championship.鈥�

Burgman clearly wants readers to understand the dedication and effort that many听have poured into climbing since its start.听鈥淭here has听to be a lot of blood, sweat, and tears from different people through a lot of years to bring the sport to the prominence of the Olympics,鈥� he says.听

What will happen to climbing after the sport makes its debut next summer听at the听Olympics? Will millions more people hang out at climbing gyms around the world on weekday nights (once that鈥檚 allowed again)? Will听sponsorships become the new normal for professional competitors?听We don鈥檛 know those answers yet. But there鈥檚 no better time to pick up Burgman鈥檚听history of climbing and its plucky听athletes. As gyms stay closed during the pandemic, his book听is the next best way to stay immersed in the popular pastime.

The post How Competition Climbing Rose from Rare to Everywhere appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Last month, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Japanese government announced that the 2020 Tokyo Games would be听postponed听until听July 23, 2021, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It鈥檚 clearly the right call. But maybe you, like me, are still in shock, confronting the loss of an event we鈥檝e been looking forward to for years.

Four recent books, however, remind us of other times when the Olympics overcame global crises and persevered through dark periods听during听its 124-year history. There were the World Wars, of course, which resulted in听the cancellation of three Games. But it carried on through the Great Depression, terrorist attacks, and, most recently, a rogue regime threatening the use of a nuclear bomb. So while you鈥檙e sheltering in place without sports for the foreseeable future, try one of these reads to put this moment in historical perspective.

The Time an Olympic Hockey Team Helped De-Escalate a Nuclear Threat

The Olympics are often as much about politics as they are about sports. That was certainly true for the听2018 Pyeongchang Games, which helped ease tensions between South Korea and North Korea, even though听organizers feared the latter might test a nuclear weapon during competition. In the middle of this geopolitical chess match was Korea鈥檚 first-ever unified women鈥檚 ice-hockey team. South Korea originally proposed the idea as a symbolic gesture to mitigate the tension on the Korean peninsula. Kim Jong Un听eventually bought in, and a squad听of 23 South Koreans and 12 North Koreans was created. In , Seth Berkman, a sports contributor at The New York Times, unspools听the fascinating backstory. 鈥淓veryone on the team has a story worth sharing,鈥� he told 国产吃瓜黑料.

The ups and downs that led to the unified team are especially engrossing. In 2013, South Korean officials sent mysterious emails听to recruit Canadian and American collegiate players who looked Korean in their yearbooks. As a result, five North Americans of Korean descent joined the roster, which at that point was comprised solely of South Koreans. And the players didn鈥檛 just hail听from different countries but听all walks of life鈥攖hey were college students, actresses, convenience-store workers. They became close as they prepared for the Olympics听but then, four weeks before their first game in Pyeongchang, found out that 12 North Koreans would be joining the squad. In the end, everyone听developed a special connection through training sessions, K-pop songs, Big Macs, and ice cream.

While the group didn鈥檛 win a single match, it wasn鈥檛 all a loss. Their teamwork overcame cultural, societal, and political challenges to make history. And the Olympics helped get Donald Trump and Kim Jong听Un to the negotiating table, which, at least for a while, provided hope for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

The Time an Ex-Cop Saved Thousands from a Bomb at the Olympics

The Atlanta bombing at the 1996 Summer Games was the worst Olympic terrorist attack since the Munich Massacre of听1972. Still, until , at least, most people forgot about Richard Jewell, the heroic security guard who spotted the bomb and prevented听greater calamity. In , Kent Alexander, U.S. attorney for the northern district of Georgia at the time of the 1996 Olympics, and Kevin Salwen, a seasoned journalist, bring us back to the eighth night of those听Atlanta Games.

At Centennial Park, Jewell, a hapless former cop turned hypervigilant guard, spotted a discarded bag near thousands of spectators watching a concert. It turned out to be a bomb. He helped evacuate the crowd, but it was too late to save everyone. It exploded. Two people died, and 111 were injured. In the following days, newspapers and TV networks from all over the world hailed Jewell as a hero. Everything went south, though, once an FBI agent leaked to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Jewell was a suspect in the attack. Law enforcement finally cleared him after three months of investigations, but during that time, TV crews in vans and helicopters shadowed Jewell and his family, speculating that he was the bomber. In 2003, the actual perpetrator, an American named Eric Rudolph, was captured and confessed听not only to the Olympic bombing听but three other antiabortion and antigay terrorist attacks in the South as well. Yet even today, some people continue to think Jewell is guilty.

Alexander and Salwen conducted 187 interviews and sifted through 90,000 pages of documents over five years while researching the story. They concluded that the Jewell episode was, as they write in The Suspect, 鈥渃onvenient for law enforcement that got its suspect. Convenient for the media that got its story. Convenient for Olympics organizers who could move the Games forward with fans and athletes believing the bomber had been safely cornered.鈥� It was convenient for everyone but Richard Jewell himself. False information spread widely, shaped public opinion, and dragged law enforcement in the wrong direction. After that听it was hard for the suspect to recover his life听and his reputation. In an interview with , Salwen says the tale is 鈥渁 social-media story from a time when social media didn鈥檛 exist.鈥�

The Time the Olympics Arrived in America听During the Great听Depression

Los Angeles has Billy Garland to thank for putting it on the map: the real estate tycoon brought听the Olympic Games to that city in 1932, helping establish it as the global cultural capital it is today. Yet most people in Southern California have probably never heard of him. Pulitzer Prize鈥搘inning journalist Barry Siegel revives his incredible story听in .

At the turn of the century, automobiles were a rare sight in the underdeveloped city, and fig orchards covered what would become the Hollywood Hills. The movie industry only started to take root the following decade, and by 1920, three-quarters of the world鈥檚 films were shot around Los Angeles. But when the IOC鈥檚 European establishment began searching for the host of the 1932 Games, Los Angeles was still not on its听radar. Garland decided to change that. Dreamers and Schemers uses extensive archival material, including letters exchanged between Garland听and Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic movement, to recount Garland鈥檚 improbable effort to bring the world鈥檚 largest sporting event to the City of Angels.

Some document-heavy sections move slowly, but the book conveys the amazing amount of ambition and confidence it required to convince both European representatives in the IOC and Californians themselves that the Olympics should come to Los Angeles. Garland pushed the state government to issue a million-dollar bond听and then corralled Hollywood and local newspapers to drum up morale for hosting, even as the Great Depression rocked the country. He endured听police corruption and political scandals to produce a successful Olympics, introducing听Los Angeles to the world. 鈥淭he story of Billy Garland is the story of Los Angeles,鈥� Siegel writes. And that鈥檚 not an exaggeration.

The Time a Group of African American Athletes Defied Racism and Fascism to Compete in the Olympics

Typically, the world only remembers one black athlete from the notorious 1936 Berlin Olympics鈥擩esse Owens. But in , based on , director Deborah Riley Draper and author Travis Thrasher tell the story of the other 17 African American athletes who competed in those Games.

Their presence and victories in Berlin were听a blow to racial prejudice on both sides of the Atlantic, and the book, though sometimes scattered, explores their fascinating backstories. The athletes pushed听through unfair and rigorous trials to represent a country that considered them second-class citizens at an Olympics听hosted by a fascist country. In some ways, Nazi Germany actually treated them better than the Jim Crow South. Owens and his fellow African American听athletes were welcomed with applause and respect from competitors and spectators, and they all stayed in an integrated Olympic Village. Then听they defied the Nazi regime鈥檚 ideas of Aryan superiority by scooping up 14 medals, including seven golds, in track and field and boxing.

鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 just Jesse. It was other African-American athletes in the middle of Nazi Germany under the gaze of Adolf Hitler that put a lie to notions of racial superiority,鈥� write听Draper and Thrasher. The athletic excellence demonstrated by the group foreshadowed Hitler鈥檚 defeat in Germany听and, back home, was a precursor to the civil rights movement.

The post COVID-19 Is Just the Latest Crisis in Olympic History appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Last week, as the coronavirus outbreak became a global pandemic and cities and states began to take measures听to prevent its spread, many climbers started to wonder how long their gyms would stay open. Climbing gyms, after all, are ideal spaces for the transmission of听COVID-19. People crowd around walls waiting for their turn on a route, grip听holds that were stepped on seconds earlier, and dip听sweaty palms into communal chalk bags.

Indeed, as mayors and governors moved rapidly to close schools, restaurants, and bars, climbing facilities weren鈥檛 far behind. This week, following similar mandates, gyms across the country, from Washington State to Colorado to New York, shut down in quick succession.

What we know so far about the transmission of COVID-19 does not bode well for climbing gyms. While the Centers for听Disease Control and Prevention has on the different ways the disease spreads, health departments in and China suggest that it鈥檚 possible to contract COVID-19 by touching your mouth, nose, or eyes after contact with surfaces contaminated with the coronavirus. by virologists at the National Institutes of Health, which has yet to be peer-reviewed, found that the novel coronavirus can survive听up to two to three days on plastic surfaces. If that鈥檚 true, resin holds in gyms could serve as ideal cradles for the virus.

The first known examples of the potential transmission of coronavirus at climbing gyms showed up in Singapore. An outbreak in the city-state started on January 23, and early last week, two climbing gyms there, Boulder+ and Climb Central, halted operations听after a climber who visited both premises . The Singaporean government ordered people who were in the two gyms during certain periods to undergo self-quarantine and authorized disinfecting companies to clean听both sites.

鈥淐limbing gyms are unique compared to other fitness gyms in that holds are much harder to sanitize,鈥� says Ronghui, a听Boulder+听owner听who is currently under home quarantine and did not want his last name used. But while watching the cleaning professionals sanitize the gym, he realized that it鈥檚 possible to more thoroughly disinfect holds. After the closure, Boulder+ wiped mats with isopropyl alcohol and sprayed a disinfectant from the top of the climbing walls to sanitize the holds. It鈥檚 almost impossible to fully sanitize public areas like climbing gyms, but Ronghui says that gyms around the world could carry out a similar form of spraying before or after operating hours. Those measures helped his gym reopn听, even as the outbreak in Singapore .

In the U.S., COVID-19 appears to still be in its beginning stages. Last Thursday, gyms that remained open canceled听group climbing, yoga, and fitness classes听and saw a substantial decrease in visitors. Staff听at several gyms that听Oustide talked听to last week reported they were disinfecting听mats and door handles with bleach at least three听times a day, placing听hand sanitizer and wipes for use around their facilities, stopping听handouts of communal items like climbing tape, and hanging听up posters with general tips on听how to sanitize. 鈥淭he coronavirus broadens our awareness, but that should have been something we put into practice before this pandemic happened,鈥� Hannah听Wineinger, a staff member at , told 国产吃瓜黑料.听

Still, many gyms weren鈥檛 able to sterilize holds every day, and as COVID-19 landed in all 50 states, climbing gyms began shutting doors to comply with government directives for social distancing. Steep Rock Bouldering closed on March 15 for the foreseeable future, as did gyms in most other states, including Seattle鈥檚 ; the听听and gym听chains; facilities across the Midwest; and 听properties such as听, , and .

In other parts of the world, like Singapore and China, climbers have returned to their gyms already. Some in Hong Kong were seen scaling walls while wearing masks. Others in Beijing, according to climbers there, rented whole gyms for small groups of six or eight rather than stay at home. But in the U.S., climbers will have to do their best to stay in shape while in quarantine听(hello,听fingerboards and pull-up bars)听or perhaps by听, as most climbing gyms are not likely to reopen anytime soon.

While climbers in many places听can get their prorated membership fee refunded, gym owners听are encouraging听people to forgo that option if they have the means听or to听purchase gift cards and punch passes to use later so their businesses can try to听weather the听coronavirus disruption without laying off听staff. 鈥淣obody鈥檚 ever experienced this before,鈥� says Rich Johnston, the 62-year-old owner of Vertical World,听America鈥檚 first climbing gym, founded in 1987. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no telecommuting for gyms, and employees are devastated. We鈥檙e still trying to process it.鈥�

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A recent report from , a UK-based market-research group, revealed the 100 most visited cities in the world last year.听Major Asian hubs听such as Hong Kong, Bangkok, Macau, and Singapore dominated the list, taking seven of the top-ten听spots, while European and Middle Eastern metro areas听followed. Many travelers have used these cities as stopovers en route to听more adventure-filled final destinations, but we鈥檙e here to tell you that you don鈥檛 need to make onward connections to find what you鈥檙e looking for鈥攖hese bustling urban centers have plenty of action-packed detours within an hour or two of downtown. Here鈥檚 a guide to extending that layover, packing in some time outdoors between major cultural sites, or simply making the most of these dynamic places.听

Hong Kong

Visitor count: 26.7 million听

Hong Kong has been the most visited city in the world since 2010. The ongoing anti-government protests听resulted in听2.5 million fewer visitors compared to 2018, but they haven鈥檛听stopped most people听from going. U.S.听听have recommended extra caution but haven鈥檛 discouraged taking trips there, and reports on the ground point to . However,听to听minimize听risk,听keep an eye on local听media reports to gauge which areas are most .

What many visitors don鈥檛 realize is that close to has been designated as parks or protected lands. A fifth of the city is also covered with steep slopes, making for听some of the best granite crags in Asia. Within an hour from the airport, you can go on a moderate canyoneering听day trip along the Ping Nam stream.听Or head 40 minutes south to听hit crags like Lion Rock and Beacon Hill听in Lion Rock Country Park; they听offer a variety of single- and multi-pitch climbs, from 5.6 to 5.13, and there鈥檚 nothing like the payoff鈥攖he skyline views from the top are some of the best in the city. For details on hiking trails in Hong Kong鈥檚 24 national听parks and its听140 miles of cycling tracks, the 听is a good resource.

Bangkok

Visitor count: 25.8 million

This听capital city听has made听the list鈥檚 top five听for several years, securing second place in 2017 and 2018. Most visitors spend a few days in the听center, stopping by its decorated Buddhist temples and bustling street markets, before heading off to Thailand鈥檚 more than 1,000听islands, including听Phuket and Ko听Chang.

But Bangkok is surrounded by river- and lake-based adventures that make adding an extra day or two in the area worth it. Head 50听minutes east to , a wake park where water-skiers and wakeboarders hold onto听handle attached toa rope that鈥檚 pulled along by overhead cables near听the periphery of the lake, or use the park鈥檚听ramps to practice your turnovers and other tricks (from $13).

Macau

Visitor count: 20.6 million

Macau, an听autonomous region on the south coast of China,听is known among globe-trotters as the Las Vegas of Asia,听due its giant casinos (gambling is illegal in Hong Kong and China) and malls along the Cotai Strip. But the former Portuguese colony is more than just roulettes and slot machines.

For extreme urban adventure, team up with guiding company听听to scale 1,100-foot Macau Tower (from $299), where you can walk along the building鈥檚 outer rim for sight lines that reach as far as Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta in听China on a clear day. Half an hour south of听downtown, or 20 minutes from the airport, is Coloane Island, which has a ten-mile trail system that鈥檚 a go-to spot for local hikers and trail runners. Don鈥檛 miss the 1.3-mile , with views of听the azure South China Sea.

Singapore

Visitor count: 19.8 million

To escape the hustle and bustle of this tiny, dynamic city, go to听, an island just听12 miles from the downtown. It听can be reached in less than an hour via听a free bus from Changi International Airport and then a short ferry ride (from $3).

Hop on tandem kayaks from (from $58) and paddle around the mangrove, with hornbills and herons flying above. On the western edge of the island, Ketam Mountain Bike Park has a world-class ten-mile trail system that听hosts听the city鈥檚 major biking events.

You鈥檙e also likely to bump into wildlife photographers and birders听who come to catch sight of more than 200 species of birds, 700 types of plants, and 40 varieties of reptiles.

London

Visitor count: 19.6 million

Green spaces in London听are a dime a dozen,听but听the adventure offerings indoors and just beyond the city limits and are as innovative as they are varied.

A ten-minute drive from Big Ben is , an ice-climbing gym. The facility听keeps its internal temperature between 10 and 23 degrees year-round to maintain its 26-foot-tall ice wall, which features beginner slabs, dramatic overhangs, and everything in between (from $33).

Or听head an hour north of downtown to Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, and the听, a rafting and canoeing destination used in the 2012 Olympics. The venue hosts two options for rafting鈥攁 1,000-foot Olympic course with a stunning 19-foot听drop, and a 525-foot loop with a milder five-foot听drop鈥攁nd听offers Class II-IV whitewater听(from $65). New to the sport? You can also take kayaking 听there (from $78).

Paris

Visitor count: 19.1 million

An hour north of听the Eiffel Tower, or 40 minutes from Charles de Gaulle International Airport, is the听. The area has over 870 miles of trails that take hikers through 2,000 years of history.听Ch芒teaus, churches, castles, old towns, and megalithic sites dating back to the Roman era dot routes lined听by chestnut trees.

If you don鈥檛 have time to leave the city, explore its听urban running听and biking opportunities.听Located along the western outskirts Paris,听听(where the French Open is played every May) has two lakes,听nine miles of cycling routes, and countless trails in its 2,100 acres, which is more than twice the size of Central Park. And don鈥檛 forget about , with its听four-mile waterfront walkway from Pont d鈥橝usterlitz to Pont d鈥橧茅na, which passes the Louvre Museum, the Mus茅e d鈥橭rsay, Palais Bourbon, and the Eiffel Tower.

Dubai

Visitor count: 16.3 million

Hotel-bar hopping by luxury limo and extravagant desert safaris may overshadow the city鈥檚 biking and surfing scenes, but there鈥檚 plenty of ways to play outside if you know where to look.听In the cooler months, check out , a 50-mile loop that stretches from the southeast tip of downtown into the desert, where you鈥檒l catch sightings of local wildlife such as oryx and ride alongside training athletes from the United Arab Emirates national team. Rent your ride at 听(from $15) off of the main highway, Sheikh Zayed Road.

If you prefer the water, you鈥檙e听not alone in a city home to . , just east of the iconic Burj Al Arab hotel, is your spot for kitesurfing, wakeboarding, and surfing. It鈥檚 known as the last bastion听for natural waves, as more man-made islands dot the coast and interrupt western swells. Or head to the听 (from $18) in Al Ain, a 90-minute听drive south of Dubai, which creates an 11-foot听wave鈥攖he largest artificial break听in the world鈥攅very 90 seconds.

Delhi

Visitor count: 15.2 million

Due to rapid development of its tourism infrastructure, Delhi witnessed a 20 percent visitor jump from 2018. This increase is only set to grow, as Indira Gandhi International Airport is set to听听by June 2022, enabling听the hub to handle 100 million passengers every year. New direct routes to Delhi include Air India鈥檚 flight from听Toronto听and United Airlines鈥� flight from San Francisco. Its connectivity to locations across northern India, such as Kashmir and the foothills of the Himalayas, has also boosted inbound arrivals.

With wellness tourism on the rise globally, the city听has attracted visitors听who come for its yoga and meditation training institutes.听,听,听and听听are good places to start. If you鈥檙e听a birder, a wildlife photographer, or just looking for some nature, head 18 miles south of the city center to , which听has close to 200 types of birds, more than 80 species of butterflies, and populations of nilgai, the largest Asian antelope that鈥檚 native to the Indian subcontinent. The , near听the entrance, organizes wildlife听 (from $2).

Visa restrictions: For听stays shorter than 60 days, U.S. visitors can apply for an at least four days prior to their arrival in lieu of applying for a tourist visa at an Indian embassy or consulate.

Istanbul

Visitor count: 14.7 million

After political and security issues in 2016 caused a drop in visitors, Istanbul听has rebounded. Its downtown sites are enough to fill a weeklong itinerary (navigating the Grand Bazaar will take at least a day), but it鈥檚 worth doing as the Turks do and taking a day or two to escape the city鈥檚 crowds and congestion.

Head over to Belgrad Forest, just ten听miles north of Istanbul. In an area encompassing more than 13,000 acres of oak, beech, and chestnut trees, runners can choose from plenty of unmarked trails. One of the most popular is a four-mile loop around the southern lake of Neset Suyu. For mountain bikers, there鈥檚 听that spans from the south to the center of the forest.

Visa restrictions:听U.S. citizens who plan to stay听less than 90 days can obtain an .

Kuala Lumpur

Visitor count: 14.1 million

One of 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 20 most affordable places to go in 2020, the Malaysian capital is no longer a stopover for visitors on the way听to its surrounding islands.

For serious rock climbers, Batu Caves, a 90-minute听drive north of听the city, has more than 170 routes across eight limestone crags. If you left your gear at home, offers half- and full-day tours with equipment rental (from $51). For hikers,听the 8.7-mile-long, 660-foot-wide , the longest quartz formation in the world, is a challenging trail just 12 miles north of the city. Trek up through muddy jungle terrain from either of the two trailheads, . You鈥檒l need the help of a wire rope to get to the very top, where Kuala Lumpur鈥檚 famous skyline is visible on one side and a reservoir on the other. Looking for something less rigorous? Drive 25 miles south from downtown to for an hourlong hike with scenic jungle views. Go early in the morning or at dusk to catch the sunrise or sunset views over the city.

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Whether you鈥檙e seeking a warm weather escape or a quick Rockies ski trip, there鈥檚 a deal for you. Here are the airlines with some of the best fares this Cyber Monday.

JetBlue Airlines听

Sale Ends: December 3 at 11:59 p.m. ET or your local time, depending on which comes earlier.听
Travel Dates: December 10 to February 13, holidays excluded

This winter, JetBlue wants to help get you out of New York and other major cities. Scoop up the $109 flight to Phoenix, Arizona, for a weekend of canyoneering and desert exploration; or spend just $79 to get to the prime surf spots, coastal rock climbing, and jungle treks just outside of San Juan, Puerto Rico, which is seeing a major comeback following Hurricane Maria.听

Delta听

Sale Ends: December 4 at 11:59 p.m. ET
Travel Dates: Now through March 5, holidays excluded

The airline's sale page has deals on flights from almost every major airport in the country and is easy to navigate, with routes arranged according to region of departure. All the listed prices are for round-trips and guarantee a seat in the Main Cabin, which means certain perks on international flights, including welcome Bellinis and better food. The best discounts include warm escapes like New York to Costa Rica for $392 and Raleigh to the Virgin Islands for $369. Plus some major far-flung steals, like Salt Lake City to Shanghai for $500 and Seattle to Osaka for $744.

听

Southwest

Sale Ends: December 5 at 11:59 p.m. PT
Travel Dates: December 16 to May 20, locations out of the continental U.S. vary, holidays excluded

Jot down promo code SAVE125 for $125 off flights within the U.S. and for fares as low as $39. The best deals in the offer will appeal to fliers looking to cover regional hops for a quick escape, with routes like Honolulu to Maui for $39, Atlanta to Nashville for $49, and Oakland to Lake Tahoe for $59. If you鈥檙e based in Florida, there are also good international flight deals from听Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, and Orlando to Caribbean destinations like Turks and Caicos, Grand Cayman, and the Bahamas听from $79.听

听

Alaska

Sale Ends: December 4 at 11:59 p.m. ET
Travel Dates: January 7 to March 11

Alaska Airlines鈥� one-way flights can be as cheap as $29 until this Wednesday. The West Coast-focused flight operator听is your best bet to hit popular destinations like San Diego, San Jose and Seattle.

Cathay Pacific

Sale Ends: December 3 at 11:59 p.m. PT听
Travel Dates:听January 1 to May 15

If you鈥檝e longed to fly to Asia听and happen to live around major airports like Seattle-Tacoma, Chicago O鈥橦are, or Dulles International in Washington, D.C., this Hong Kong-based five-star flight operator has your back. Take Los Angeles as an example: economy class tickets to eight destinations across Cathay Pacifics鈥� Asia-Pacific network, including听Bali, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong,听and Singapore, start at $539鈥�30 percent off its regular price. Expect up to 70 percent off on premium economy class tickets.

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For decades听climbers have flocked to Hong Kong鈥檚 Lion Rock, a 1,624-foot mountain on the Kowloon peninsula听whose contour resembles听a crouching lion. Its main 300-foot, multi-pitch route circumnavigates the neck to ascend the lion鈥檚听mane. It鈥檚 an aesthetic line, but the formation has become a surprising hot spot during the now monthslong protests that have overrun Hong Kong.

The movement began in opposition to听听proposed by the government of Hong Kong in April. The bill would have allowed the Hong Kong government to听deport听fugitives to听jurisdictions it didn鈥檛 have extradition agreements with, including mainland China.听It was seen by many as further听encroachment by China听on the city鈥檚 semiautonomous status outlined by the 听policy that鈥檚听been in place since听1997. said the bill听could be used to听target dissidents and curtail civil liberties. By June, peaceful protests turned into that has rocked the city and shocked the world.听The extradition bill was suspended in September, but demonstrations have continued, morphing into a pro-democracy movement. During that time, clashes between听activists and听police have grown in intensity. 听a police officer shot and wounded a protester while trying to detain another man. In another incident, a man was set on fire after he confronted demonstrators.听As clashes between protesters听and police escalate, authorities have warned that the city is on the

Meanwhile, protests have also spread to the city鈥檚 crags. Mr. Wong鈥攁n outdoor sports instructor in his thirties听who asked not to be identified by his real name鈥攈as been part of Hong Kong鈥檚听burgeoning climbing community since the sport took off there in 2015. Now听he鈥檚 leading听a group of nearly a dozen climbers who make听banners featuring anti-government slogans and suspend them from cliffs near the city. Wong is in charge of the team assigned to hang them from Lion Rock.听

鈥淎s a rock climber, that鈥檚 the only thing I can do to support those who take over the street,鈥� Wong says.听

The team听hikes听to the top of the ridge late at night,听then rappels down with the banner, anchoring听it to the bolts as they go. 鈥淭he task is risky,鈥� he says. Climbers on the crag have to remember the locations of the bolts by heart as they听execute the operation听without headlamps听to avoid police detection.听

So far, Wong鈥檚 team has hung听banners on three different occasions.听

On June 15, when some two million people听marched in protest,听Wong鈥檚 team put up a yellow banner with red and black words that read 鈥淔ight for HK.鈥澨齇n August听23, an estimated 210,000 people formed a 25-mile that followed subway stations in 11 of the city鈥檚 18 districts and wound its way up Lion Rock. That night, Wong led a few climbers to put up two black banners that read听鈥淧olice Triads Abuse Violence鈥� and 鈥淢urderous Regime.鈥澨�

On September 13, thousands of protesters gathered on top of Lion Rock during , a harvest celebration popular throughout听China. They lit up the ridge with torches, laser pens, and headlamps, while chanting 鈥淕lory to Hong Kong,鈥� the uprising鈥檚 unofficial anthem. Wong鈥檚 team drummed up morale by unfolding a 100-foot black banner with the words 鈥淚mplement Real Double Suffrage.鈥澨齌he slogan echoes a听banner put up on Lion Rock during the 2014 which demanded universal suffrage in Hong Kong.听

Lion Rock has long been听a symbol of resiliency and the can-do spirit that fueled Hong Kong鈥檚 rise to prosperity and its transformation into a global financial hub. Those ideas are echoed in the popular expression听听which comes from Below the Lion Rock, a TV drama that ran intermittently from 1972 through 2016.听

Since the Umbrella Movement, a number of young people and opposition parties have argued that fighting for social justice is the Lion Rock spirit of their time. Climbers who support the protests told 国产吃瓜黑料 that the听crag鈥檚 status as a cultural icon fueled their decision to use it as a place to voice themselves, even though the banners were removed immediately by authorities.听

Wong compared it to making an appeal for social justice on the Washington Monument. 鈥淧eople will take it seriously because of the rich history already ingrained in it,鈥� he said.

鈥淟ion Rock nowadays also represents democracy and freedom,鈥� said听Crystal Tsang, a climbing friend of Wong鈥檚.听

However, protesters aren鈥檛 the only ones aware of . A day after the Mid-Autumn Festival, 听went to the top of the听mountain听via a hiking trail. They removed the black banner hung by Wong鈥檚 team a day earlier and instead waved Chinese听national flags听and unfolded red banners reading 鈥淐elebrating the 70th听Anniversary of the Founding of the People鈥檚 Republic of China鈥澨齛nd 鈥淪topping Violence, Ending the Chaos, and Restoring Order.鈥� Several pro-government demonstrators declined to discuss the protests on Lion Rock with 国产吃瓜黑料.

As the dissent听continues, climbers听beneath Lion Rock still don听shirts featuring pro-democracy slogans and blast 鈥淕lory to Hong Kong鈥� on loudspeakers while hiking up to the crag. Along the way, they exchange smiles and greet each other with an expression that鈥檚 become a mantra among protesters:听鈥淗ong Kong, keep it up.鈥澨�

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