Taiwan

Taiwan has seven climbing venues on Climb Go Where, all in the Taipei area. T-UP Climbing runs bouldering gyms in Nangang and Wanhua and a larger gym with top rope, lead and auto-belays in Zhonghe, New Taipei. CORNER Bouldering Gym has two locations in Zhongshan District, including Huashan, and double8 in Dadaocheng adds rope climbing.

Single entry starts from NT$250 at CORNER Bouldering Gym, while T-UP charges NT$450 to NT$500 for an adult full-day entry, with student rates for ages 13 to 24. All six Taipei gyms run intro classes and kids' sessions and hire out gear, so beginners can turn up without their own shoes.

For outdoor rock, Long Dong on the northeast coast in Gongliao District has sandstone sea cliffs with sport, trad and multi-pitch climbing. Taiwan Rock Climbing Guides runs half-day guided climbs there from US$235. Autumn and spring are the most comfortable seasons. Summer is hot and typhoons can bring heavy rain, while winter on the northeast coast is often wet. Taipei's MRT makes most of the city gyms easy to reach.