ON THE ROCKS

BOULDERS DON’T JUST HOLD RAW NATURAL GRANDEUR IN SURU VALLEY, BUT POSE FORMIDABLE CHALLENGES THAT EAGER CLIMBERS LOVE TO TAKE ON

- SAYANDEEP ROY

As far as the eye can see, stretches of boulders protrude from the Earth’s surface in Suru Valley, Ladakh. Mountains as old as time loom in the distance, bearing witness to nature’s forces. The landscape is almost otherworldly, except for a few houses occupied by local farmers and landlords that bring spectators back to reality. Tenzing ‘Jammy’ Jamyang and Suhail Kakpori, who run a climbing gym outfit called graviT, in Leh, knew the place had greater potential than what meets the eye. After scouting the venue thoroughly in 2012 and the years that followed, the team returned in 2016 to launch the Suru Boulder Fest that became a hub for bouldering—a discipline of rock-climbing—which drew participants from over 20 countries. “The idea was to attract as many climbers as possible with the intent to shed light on the place and the sport,” Jamyang explains. Eventually, other adventure activities such as highlining, kayaking, and mountain biking were added to the festiva