On the 15th and 16th of November, Lebanon held it's first ever rock climbing festival, at the Amchit crag near Byblos on the Lebanese coast. The event was organised by Rock Climbing Lebanon, a local climber's organisation who are responsible for bolting most of the routes in the country.

The Lebanon's climbing potential has only been seriously explored for a few years, but pretty much every climber in Lebanon headed to the event for at least one of the days, totalling around a hundred climbers both expats and locals. There are routes from 5+ to 8a at Amchit, and in addition to the climbing, it was a great social event, with BBQs and beers by the mediterranean in the evening. 

There is a huge amount of potential for further development in Lebanon, on sport, trad, and even some DWS across a wide grade range, so perfect for a bit of winter sun for UK climbers.

For more information on Lebanese climbing, you can contact Rock Climbing Lebanon, and to find out information about existing routes, head to ClimbingLebanon.com. 

The event was supported by RED BULL and HAWA CHICKEN