Resources
47 guidebooks, topos, projects, articles, films and clubs for Indian rock. Pick a kind and a part of India to cut the list down.
Looking for one area?
The guidebook, topos and links for a developed area are on its own page.
Guidebooks
A guidebook is years of work by the people who found and cleaned the rock. Buy the book where there is one. It pays for the next one.
- A Guide to Rock Climbing in and around DelhiMohit Oberoi, 2001Dhauj. Mostly out of print, available on request.North
- Sethan bouldering guidebookYaduraj Bhageria, 2021Sethan.North
- Rakchham Bouldering GuidebookBernd Zangerl, 2025Rakchham.North
- Golden BouldersGerald Krug and Christiane Hupe, 2013Hampi.South
- Hampi and Badami guideRohit ChauhanHampi bouldering and Badami sport routes. We do not know where it is on sale now.South
Topos, apps and community projects
Projects that climbers run in their own time: topo pages, maps of boulders, apps and crag groups. Many are the only record of an area.
- Hyderabad ClimbersRock climbing wing of the Great Hyderabad Adventure ClubGuide to Khajaguda, Ghar-e-Mubarak, Durgam Cheruvu and Bhongir with grades and directions; meetups and clean-ups.South
- Addakal (Treasure Hill) toposHyderabad Climbing CollectiveBoulder problems and a few sport routes at the base of Dhanamayagutta near Hyderabad, on theTopo. Some topos are premium.South
- Deshdekha Climbing SectorChhattisgarh Climbing Initiative219 routes at Jashpur Nagar, Chhattisgarh, on theTopo. Full topos are behind theTopo premium.Central
- Sethan on Mountain ProjectShared by Suraj Kushwaha (2023)71 climbs at Tunna, Rathan Thadi and Chika, with a link to an online area map.North
- Climbing BadamiLocal climbers at BadamiBadami's local rock climbing and adventure club and guide service, with a routes section.South
- Varlakonda topo (PDF)Mountain Project forumA sport crag north of Bengaluru, developed by Keerthi Pais and Sohan Pavuluri. The link is the forum post that points to the PDF.South
Route databases
World route databases with pages for India. Anyone can add to them, so check the date of an entry.
- India on theCragRoute databaseA large database of Indian routes, about 1,500, sorted by state.All of India
- India on Mountain ProjectRoute databaseGood area pages for Maharashtra, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, north Karnataka and Goa.All of India
- India on theTopo (was 27crags)Topo databaseFree topos for Hampi, and topos for Badami, Goa and the Himalaya.All of India
- Bangalore Area on Mountain ProjectRoute database · local volunteers99 climbs in 11 areas including Ravugodlu, Ramanagara and Savandurga, with access notes.South
Articles and trip reports
Long reads from magazines, journals and climbers' own blogs.
- A wave of lockdown new-routing in IndiaArticle · UKClimbing, 2022New areas from Sethan and Suru to Dehradun and the south.North
- Destination guide: bouldering in HampiArticle · UKClimbingWhen to go, where to stay and the best boulders.South
- Pil's TripsBlog · Pil LockeyTopos and notes for the Chandra valley and Lahaul. Not updated since 2022.North
- A New Wave of Rock Climbing Is Developing in IndiaKang-Chun Cheng, New Lines Magazine, 2023Badami's local climbers, access trouble with forest and heritage bodies, cost of gear.South
- Mohit Oberoi: My History with Dhauj, Delhi's Real Trad AreaEirliani Abdul Rahman, The Outdoor Journal, 2015Dhauj in the 1980s, the lead-only ethic and the fight to stop quarrying.North
- Indian Climbing's New Exploring BouldererKarn Kowshik, The Outdoor Journal, 2018Tenzing Jamyang, GraviT in Leh, Shey, Suru, Zion and Kareri.North
- The Second Ascent of KonkankadaSamiran Kolhe, The Outdoor Journal, 2014The 2014 repeat of Kokankada (also spelled Konkankada), the Sahyadri's first big wall.West
- The AscensionistV Shoba, Open Magazine, 2016Praveen CM, bolting in Badami and Chitradurga, and what a bolt costs.South
- Beyond GaneshaShyam Menon, Man's World India, 2016Ganesh (8b+) and the run of hard Indian ascents in winter 2013-14.South
- History of Climbing Around BangaloreAdventure Wildlife (draws on local historians)Clubs, first routes, bolting and closures around Bengaluru from the 1960s to now.South
- Savandurga, South Face, Deepavali with Variation FinishSamiran Kolhe, American Alpine Journal, 2017A 425 m trad line and the history of the face since 1984.South
- Bansa Hill ClimbsDonette and Todd Swain, American Alpine Journal, 2024Long bolted slab routes on a granite dome in West Bengal.East
- Rathan Thadi Dome, Two New RoutesSuraj Kushwaha, American Alpine Journal, 2024New multi-pitch routes and bouldering above Sethan.North
- The Line: From Bozeman to the BaspaLucy Hooper, American Alpine Club, 2026Baspa valley history from the 2010 boulder find to the 2025 festival, plus new alpine rock.North
- Society and Rock ClimbingGautam Dutta, Dream Wanderlust, 2026Rock climbing in Bengal from the 1965 Susunia camp, club numbers by decade.East
- Trip Report: Bangalore India December 2019Todd Swain, Mad Rock blog, 2020Eight crags, five new routes, the Varlakonda festival and forest access trouble.South
Films
Films that showed Indian rock to the world, and films by Indian climbers.
- PilgrimageChris Sharma in Hampi, 2003The film that put Hampi’s boulders on the world map.South
- Hampi LocalLee Thompson, Bloc Features, 2015Vikas “Jerry”, a local Hampi boulderer.South
- RakchhamFive Ten, with Bernd Zangerl, 2022Rakchham village, and how climbers and villagers share the place. About 20 minutes.North
- Suru Boulder Fest 20164Play, 2016A short film on the first Suru Boulder Fest.North
Clubs and groups
The clubs that teach, the groups that look after crags, and the national body.
- GiriviharClub · Mumbai, since 1954Founded as a hiking and trekking club. Runs rock climbing camps.West
- Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF)New DelhiNational body for mountaineering; has run sport climbing and the national championships through five zones.All of India
- Giripremi Mountaineering ClubPuneSahyadri pinnacle climbing with trad gear, plus Himalayan expeditions.West
- Karnataka Mountaineering Association (KMA)BengaluruOne of the clubs that pooled money for ropes and gear in the 1980s and trained many Karnataka climbers.South
- General Thimayya National Academy of Adventure (GETHNAA)BengaluruState adventure academy; climbing workshops, the Kanteerava Stadium wall, co-host of national championships.South
- Bangalore Climbing Initiative (BCI)BengaluruVolunteer group founded by Sohan Pavuluri; regular workshops and route development across Karnataka.South
- Great Hyderabad Adventure Club / Hyderabad ClimbersHyderabadBeginner sessions, bouldering meetups, route records and rock clean-ups.South
- Rakchham Mountaineering & Adventure ClubRakchham, KinnaurLocal club that co-ran the 2025 Rakchham bouldering festival.North
- Pimpri-Chinchwad Mountaineering Association (PCMA)Pimpri-Chinchwad, PuneUnion of local clubs that ran the 2001 municipal wall and the later Shivajinagar wall.West
- Himalayan AssociationWest BengalA pioneer of mountaineering in Bengal; ran the 1965 Susunia rock camp and later advanced rock courses.East
- Mahab's Climbing CommunityChennai / MahabalipuramRuns outdoor bouldering sessions at Mahabalipuram.South
- Peg & Piton ClubDelhiClub whose members climbed at Dhauj in the early 1980s and pushed the state to stop quarrying there.North
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