Will's Rock Climbing Page > Crags > Malaysia > Kuala Lumpur Area > Batu Caves

Last updated: Aug '05

Batu Caves

Just some shots from when we climbed at Batu Caves one day. It's all sport. There was a good website with topos of all the crags in the area but it doesn't seem to pop up on google now.

The Batu massif as viewed from the Petronas Towers in the centre of KL. It takes about 20-30 mins on a bus to get out there. The obvious central section of rock is a big quarry. The next two photos are of the two bigger patches of rock left of the quarry.
Yay for city climbing

This is the wall about 100m left of the Caves. Needless to say climbing on this one probably wouldn't be allowed. Looked a good wall though! Probably 40-50m of clean sheer rock.
Steep tufas

This is the major wall immediately right of the Caves as viewed from the strip of tourist shops. Again impressive, would have routes up to perhaps 60m, but access unlikely.
Nice wall!

Nanyang Crag

First we went to this crag because it had the best rave (right of the actual Batu Caves, about 200-300m away, past the quarry) - only to find it was within a newly established compound of some mining operation or other. Could see the good looking overhanging tufas etc so tried to bluff our way in (you know, the usual climbing imitations and lots of hand waving) and were duly marched out at gunpoint.

Nanyang crag - notice the sign!!
Friendly to climbers...

Next we tried the left half of Nanyang crag (about 50m left of the above crag) and while the 6-8 climbs looked ok the base was literally a mound of rubbish out the back of the row of shops which had sprung up along the base, even a quick look from the other side of the pile had us swamped in mozzies and beating a rapid retreat.

Nanyang crag Left side - with the shops being highly effective at producing rubbish....
mmm malaria... yummy!

Volleyball Wall

About 500m further right of the above crag ... we got a cab. Only had an average mozzie problem, an average amount of rubbish and about 10 ok climbs. I sweated several litres while doing a few routes and have since been spoiled by the 'Krabi quick dip', so it was definitely an experience, but I wouldn't rush back to any of these crags.

Volleyball Wall - we didn't climb until the sun went over!!
with me and my trendy hat

Me doing some stalactite work on an ok route
sweating my butt off

There were maybe half a dozen more described crags on the same limestone mountain/structure (it's about 1km across), but we went to these ones cause public transport was only easy to the Caves and these were the closest. Maybe the others are better.

More Internet Sites on Batu Caves Climbing

Wild Asia article - a balanced description of the overall area.

Rockclimbing.com - good guides to most of the crags here - but no maps?

XES.CX - a nice trip report and plenty of photos of two areas.

XES.CX - and some more.

blocx.com - some local pros.

TheCrag.com As always. Record your Batu ticks here, and see what everyone else is climbing.