This 'Spider-Woman' of China can climb 108-metre cliff without any safety gear

A 43-year-old woman has earned the title of “Chinese Spider-Woman” as she displayed her remarkable ability to climb more than 100 metrecliffs with bare hands without using any safety gear or gloves.

Luo Dengpin, who is from Ziyun Miao and Buyei counties in southwestern China, is recognised as the only female practitioner of bare-handed rock climbing, which is part of the ancient Miao tradition.

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The woman is able to climb a 108-metre-high cliff, which is equivalent to a 30-storey building, and effortlessly moves across vertical rock faces.

Her skills have their roots in the ancient Miao practice of carrying out cliff burials.

Story of China's spider-woman

Currently, Luo is the only female “spider people” in the region. She started rock climbing at the age of 15 and got the guidance of her father.

As a child, she wanted to compete with boys and wished to earn a living by collecting medicinal herbs and bird droppings, which worked as fertiliser.

“They said this was only for boys, but I believe men and women are equal, so I learned. That is how my journey as a spider woman began,” said Luo, while speaking to the BBC in 2017.

“Before this area was developed, I climbed every day to collect swallows’ droppings. We would scale 108 metres. Foreigners were often frightened by our bare-handed climbing, but I grew accustomed to it. After doing it so many times, my hands became callused,” she added in an interview with Shandong TV.

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To master the technique of rock climbing, one does not only require physical strength but also significant skill, which can be honed by gathering medicinal herbs.

In present times, collecting the swallows’ droppings is not just a necessity but has become a skill which provides entertainment to tourists.

“Many visitors wanted to see how we gathered the herbs and paid us to demonstrate. My income isn’t high, but I take pride in being a spider woman,” Luo said.

(With inputs from agencies)