2/16
Today was a wonderful day. The weather was cool and a bit overcast meaning a perfect day to climb hard. We decided to change it up a bit and head some where new. Being such a good day for climbing, we decided to wake up early, grab breakfast, and head down to the docks to get a private boat to one of the islands in Halong Bay. We knew that we wanted to head to one of two beaches, these being Moody or Tiger beach.
Upon arriving on our motor bike we parked and walked up to the numerous boat captains waiting to take tourist out. Being in climbing helmets with backpacks on our backs, the captains already had an idea of what we were wanting to do. A few hand motions simulating climbing and a bit of broken language led us to a gentleman who was willing to take us out to Moody Beach for a good price. Robyn and I had a budget we wanted to stick to and without needing to negotiate, he named our price. We hopped on board after double checking the time frame in which he was willing to take us and bring us back.
We were off heading through the floating village and out to the bay of islands. On our way out our captain, named Thang, asked us many questions. We had a great conversation in broken english about where we were from, how old we were, and even whether or not Robyn and I were married. He was a funny guy who surprisingly knew a lot about the climbing scene in Cat Ba/ Halong Bay. He even gifted us some candies and snacks as we cruised through the beautiful bay. He pointed out different points of interest such as remote beaches, fishing boats, resorts and other climbing areas as we headed to Moody Beach.
Thirty minutes later we had arrived to Moody Beach, where he dropped anchor and drifted in close to a cluster of rocks with ropes attached. Since it was low tide it was quite tricky for him to get us close enough to get off with out getting wet or damaging the hull of his boat. Being a good captain with lots of experience he did this with little to no problem. Once against the rocks he hopped off and helped us gather our climbing gear and get to the beach. We took a few minutes to take videos with our Go Pro and pictures with our phones before heading over to climb.
We decided to head to the far left side of the beach and move right through the climbs in hopes to get them all in before our agreed time to leave which was around 2pm. Our first climb was listed as a classic and that it was, a 5a (5.8) called “Mao De”. It was a good warm up with wonderful views of the bay. I then decided to hop on the hardest climb on the beach, another classic in the guide book, called “Barefoot Vietnamese” a 6b+ (5.10d). It was a wonderful climb that ended in a pumpy athletic roof. During the climb as I yelled it out our boat captain yelled with me and kept screaming “COME ON!” This became a theme through the morning as our boat captain stuck around for our first two climbs of the day cheering us on and taking tons of pictures. He was extremely interested in our gear and what we were climbing. Between climbs we spent time talking with him about the climbs and other aspects of climbing including the gear involved.
After a while he left to grab lunch an pick up one of his younger sons. At this point Robyn and I had the beach to ourselves. This was a neat feeling, being at a crag on a beautiful beach on a private island in the middle of Halong Bay. All you could hear as you climbed was the crashing waves, birds chirping, and the occasional boat off in the distance. It was a unique experience that both Robyn and I truly appreciated.
The rest of the day was spent climbing a few other enjoyable climbs including another classic in the guide book. The other classic was a 5c (5.9+) called “Honeymooner’s Delight” Although the climbing wasn't as hard as it was in Butterfly Valley, the quality of routes and the scenery was hard to beat. As we ended the last climb our boat captain came back with his son, a young guy with lots of energy and curiosity of what we were doing.
After we finished the climb the young kid helped pull our rope and gather our gear with great enthusiasm. Of course, we had to pause and take pictures with him and his dad before leaving. I let him wear my helmet and harness full of quick draws which he loved! He even carried some of our gear back to the boat. Once on the boat the youngster took over as captain, pulled in the anchor and steered us back to the docks.
On the way back we ended up switching boats for some unknown reason, but as usual it worked out and we ended up with the same captain and his son (with our gear this time). Once back at the docks we payed up and grabbed the motorbike. As we headed out with the motorbike we were asked to pay for climbing/parking which was unexpected and after further investigation, we realized it was a scam so we split.
Once back in town, we dropped off our gear, grabbed some grub at one of our favorite spots and headed up to the cannon fort, a fort used in the Vietnam war era. Its at the top of a mountain giving good views of the whole island and surrounding ones in Halong Bay. We enjoyed a stroll through history as the sun set in the bay.
Cat Ba has continued to amaze us and we look forward to our last few days here. Another day in Butterfly Valley tomorrow followed by a trek through the national park the following day before we head back to Hanoi to catch a plane back to Thailand. Wish us luck and stay tuned for more stories of our adventures!
