Vietnam - Lee Cujes

Vietnam article

By Lee Cujes
www.upskillclimbing.com

Can you imagine what Railay in Thailand was like 10 or 15 years ago when the first climbers discovered the beauty and superb climbing that could be found in this tropical paradise? Wouldn’t it have been nice to be part of that initial flurry of activity, before the masses arrived?

Well, don’t waste time worrying. Get yourself to Vietnam.

The word that typifies Vietnam climbing is “potential”. Hosting the World Heritage Ha Long Bay with its collection of thousands of limestone towers, the possible interpretations of our vertical game are virtually endless.

Our group of eight Australians arrived with wide eyes in Hanoi, and clutching our instructions printed off the internet, made our way to Cat Ba island, which would be our base for two weeks. Accommodation options are many and cheap. Cat Ba is a tourist town, so expect hotels and bars catering to tourists. Greeting us here were the proprietors of SloPony Adventures, a couple of great guys from the US who have decided that Vietnam is the place to be. They’ve explored, negotiated access, bolted routes and written the guidebook.

Grabbing some scooters (very Vietnamese!) we journeyed to the main land-based crag on the island, Butterfly Valley. Thirty high quality routes exist here on extremely hard, marbled limestone from 4+ to 8a+. We even borrowed the drill and added a few of our own. This crag will provide enough fun for almost any group for at least a few days.

The main drawcard however is visible from your hotel balcony – Ha Long Bay. SloPony can arrange a large double-decker boat with a captain that knows the spots for both deep water soloing and roped climbing. Cruisy jugging, fearful throws, splashdowns and sunburn. There is a lifetime of climbing out there.

So who should go? Vietnam welcomes those with an adventurous spirit. Don’t be expecting another Railay with hundreds of established sport routes. Bureaucracy is rife in Vietnam and SloPony have their hands full paying leases and negotiating to keep climbing areas open. They’re also up against mother nature -- bolted routes start to rust out within three years due to the heat and salty air. Rebolting is therefore an ongoing activity. And high quality stainless bolts and hangers aren’t cheap to import here.

Vietnam remains a holiday destination where you can give something back -- be part of something. Bring some stainless bolts and hangers and make your mark by establishing new routes or rebolting existing routes with SloPony. Or if you’re too busy climbing, just donate the hardware to what is a great cause.

In 10 years you’ll be able to say “I was there at the beginning when…”

By Lee Cujes
www.upskillclimbing.com