Island Life

2/6-2/7

Cat Ba has four locations to climb on the main island and ten locations out in Ha Long Bay. It also has plenty of deep water soloing but unfortunately the season is not right for that now. The tides are too low and the temperatures are as well. Each location on the main island of Cat Ba requires a pass that you must purchase from the local climb shop because the crags are on private lands.

Butterfly Valley

Robyn and I spent our first days climbing in Butterfly Valley which is located about 30 minutes outside of Cat Ba town via motor bike. Getting there our first day went pretty smooth to our surprise. The new (as in 2 weeks fresh off the press) guidebook for the area gave us step by step directions with a few photos to follow. Couldn't of been easier! Driving there we passed through a busy market street full of locals buying things in prep for the upcoming New Year celebrations (Vietnamese/Lunar New Year). After that we passed through a few small village towns and a work-in-progress road that was recently cut through the mountain side. Our last bit of the adventure took us up and down rolling hills through far lands and ended with us in the beautiful valley. We followed signs for "The Hive,"the small climbers hangout owned and run by the family who owned the land and the big farm you walked through to reach the craig.

Guide Book

We parked our motor bike on the last bit of cement which was surrounded by bonsai trees and stag horns. We were quickly met by one of the owners of the property who we gave our pass to and learned in which direction we were meant to go to get to the crag. A short walk from there led us through an open field with cows tied to ropes grazing and laying about. Once through the field we headed up a small trail that took us to the wall where we picked out our first climbs.

We started on a 5c to warm up and learn the style of climbing, but quickly were confused by a tricky start that required awkward balance moves with big reaches. After both leading the climb we were happy we had started easy but our confidence had been knocked down a bit because of the puzzling route. I (Austin) decided to climb it once more to regain confidence. After being lowered, I started to pull the rope down from the route but realized I had left a knot in the end of the rope that was then half way up the wall.  I couldn't climb up and retrieve it so I ended up using the other end of the rope and lead the climb again to rescue our rope. I guess three times really is a charm.

Coolest commute to a crag

Next, I decided on a 6b which ended up being pumpy but more straight forward and of the style climbing we have become used to from being in Southeast Asia. Check that one off as an on-sight! I also climbed a 6c+ which kicked my butt a bit but I am excited to work more on it so I can climb it smoother. I later learned it had once been considered a 7a. Since we were getting worked hard by the wall, we opted for another tricky and a bit awkward 5c, followed by a fun 6a that required some route finding and interesting movement.

That night, both tired from climbing as well as traveling still, we opted for balcony time with a few beers, cookies and chips. Bed time came pretty soon that night and we both slept in the next day.

Once up and going, we grabbed a quick breakfast of Pho (noodle soup) and coffee, grabbed our pass, and then headed back out to the beautiful Butterfly Valley. Sore from our first day we decided to play it a bit easier. We climbed a really fun classic 4 called "Roots Reggae" named appropriated because you actually climb the roots of this tree growing off the side of the rock wall. We then hopped of some really fun and slabby 5a's. Once warmed up and feeling good, we both led a fun 6a+/6b which required some technical balance moves that were definitely committing. We ended our day with a fun yet sustained 6b.

Woodstock Beach view

Before heading back into town we decided to go on a short motor bike ride to explore some more of the island. We ended up following a road that wound through a mountain pass and ended at a neat beach called Woodstock located in a beautiful bay. Sun was setting, making for wonderful views all around. After a short walk on the beach and a few snapped pictures we headed back to grab food which we were both in need of.

We grabbed cheap sandwiches from a street vender and then headed over to a restaurant for some spring rolls and amazing Vietnamese coffees over sunset. Tonight there will be a celebration to bring in the New Year so we are hoping we can stay up to enjoy the festivities, mainly the fireworks. Two New Year celebrations in one year, who knew it....

Again stay tuned, for we have more adventures to share about this beautiful place.

Cat Ba sunset

Trust the System: A story of Point A to Point B

2/4-2/5

We took a night bus from Sapa to Hanoi. This was meant to leave around 9 pm and arrive in Hanoi around 3 am but rather we left at 11:30 pm and arrived at 5 am. Also the bus was a bit over packed meaning several people had to sleep in the isles of the bus.

There goes Austin's luggage 

After arriving in Hanoi we walked to our hostel where we had to re pack our bags, grab laundry, take showers, and grab breakfast with lots of coffee. This all had to be done before 10 am because we were departing again to head out to the island of Cat Ba (a pre arranged ticket we bought through our hostel). At around 10 am we were picked up by a gentleman who walked us very rapidly from our hostel to the nearest main road to grab a taxi to the bus station. Once at the bus station, we were met by the same gentleman and rushed over to the bus we were to take to the port city. He had followed our taxi through Hanoi on his motor bike so that he could assist us at the station as well as pay for our taxi fee. We sat and waited on the bus for near an hour while more and more people showed up and found a seat on the bus. The storage compartment down bellow was field with the wildest goods for the new year. These was a box full of chickens, a motor bike, and even a dog. We eventually left the station and two and a half hours later we were at the port city (Hai Phong) where we got on another bus that was parked randomly on a side street rather than at a bus station. We then took this bus for about thirty minutes to a seemingly random dock surrounded by freight stations, concrete plants and other industrial looking facilities. There we got in line with our belonging and waited some more. There were many Vietnamese waiting in line as well. Some were on motor bikes, others had tons of bags filled with food and gifts for the Vietnamese/Chinese New Year (Feb 8th) I believe the time delay for getting onto the ferry was do to either a lack of fuel or too much weight for the boat to handle with all the people and belongings.

Squeezing in with motor bikes

We finally were invited on the boat and packed ourselves in as tight as possible. Robyn and I had to stand among the motor bikes on the back of the boat because every flay surface of the boat was filled with luggage or people. This happened to many people so we all got creative and started using the motor bikes as seats. The boat struggled to leave the shallow waters of the dock but made it. We cruised along a few canals as we made our way to Cat Ba. Once out in the bay we were met by another boat. The two boats docked up together and several motor bikes and a few people were put on the new boat. This included Robyn and I but not my luggage. I was a bit worried and tried to fetch by bag from the boat in which I just left but was instructed no with the wave of hands and pointing of fingers. We finally figured out that we divided up because of the weight and were in fact both going to the same spot where we would reunite with our belongings. The dock on Cat Ba was tucked up a small river and because of the extremely low tide we had to lighten the loads of each boat to make it. Our boat got stuck in the mud trying to dock but we were close enough to the other boat to jump off and lighten the load on the boat enough for it to pull into a slip.

Cat Ba

Once on the docks we were than ushered over to another bus that we assumed was taking us to the main city of Cat Ba. It was also over filled so we sat in the isles with a few more people. A few stops later we had arrived to the main strip. We grabbed our bags, found the climbing shop that a friend of ours from Laos worked in. There we got information about climbing and a good place to stay while on the Island.  We walked over to the recommended hotel and negotiated a good price for a room and motor bike for getting to the climb sites. We will begin climbing tomorrow, stay tuned for more tales of adventure!

Walking in the Clouds

2/2-2/4

We rearranged our bags to take only what we needed to trek with for a few days. This included all of our warm layers, toiletries and a few miscellaneous items. We brought the rest of our belongings to the storage room and then waited in the hostel lobby to be picked up and taken to the night bus. A 2 minute ride in a van brought us to our bus where we hopped on and chose a "bed" for the night. The  beds were reclined seats with cubbies for your feet and what ever belongings you did not store underneath in the luggage department. The bus was comfortable with free water, a clean bathroom, and even wifi. Not too long after departing we were both sound asleep. Apparently walking through busy city streets for a few days exhausted us. 

H'Mong from Lao Chai and Y Linh Ho

Around 3 or 4 am I felt the bus stop meaning we had arrived in Sapa. We were allowed to stay on the bus and continue to sleeping until being picked up for the trek. Around 7 am we gathered our things and stepped off the bus and into a cloud of mist where we were greeted by local woman dressed in traditional clothing. Soon we found our driver and headed through the mist filled city wondering what was on the other side of the white out.

He dropped us off at a hotel and after a quick breakfast, we met our guide for the next three days to explore the Muong Hoa Valley. Our guide was a young lady from the H’Mong tribe dressed in traditional clothing which consisted of a hand made skirt and a beautiful head dress full of color. She was full of smiles, always grinning from ear to ear. 

We left the hotel with a crew of fellow tourists and a handful of local women. The women all had like bright colored head dresses that represented the village and language they spoke. Most were H’Mong and came from Lao Chai and Y Linh Ho (villages we were headed to that day). Some had baskets of goods on their backs and other had the tiniest toddlers tied on with thick blankets and decretive bands. We didn’t realize how much we would need them until we saw the trail we were going down. They led us off the main road onto a path through the terraced rice fields. The path was not the familiar LNT (leave no trace) trails we usually hike on. Instead, you choose your own adventure through the slippery terraced hill sides covered in heaps of mud. Almost everyone on the trip took a spill in the mud. 

Muddy Terraces

A few individuals had the hardest time finding their feet through the terrane. Every time someone slipped and fell the women would laugh hysterically and so did we until we both lost our feet eventually. Our guides ran through the slippery slopes with ease. We must of looked so ridiculous to them, not even being able to manage walking through their land. Every person on the trip ended up holding the hand of these strong ladies down the slopes. Some guides got taken out by people who kept falling flat on their backs. I held the hand of my lady more then I have ever held Austin’s hand. Austin held the hand of the oldest lady on the trip who spoke little to no english. They just laughed together as they tried to communicate through sign language and pointing. By the time we reached the bottom of the hill, everyone was covered in mud! The whole experience was very entertaining for everyone involved. 

At a rest stop, the guides whipped together little horse shaped figures made of reeds and gave them to the person they supported down the hill. Before we got to the the lunch spot in their small village, the guides rushed to meet the person they helped the most and pulled out all sorts of hand made goods from their baskets. How could you say no or barter to hard with an old women who held your hand and kept you upright down a mud slide! So of course we bought small hand stitched and dyed fabrics from them. After that point, we learned how much of a target we were for women with things to sell. At lunch, children and older women alike came and put goods in our laps, trying to have us buy something. Austin mastered the art of saying no but I had the hardest time handling their persistence. 

Austin's Helper

After lunch, our head guide introduced us to our new guides from the Red Zao tribe. They had red head dresses and scarves around their chins. I was lucky to talk to a women who had great english. She explained that her tribe had more Chinese blood in them. She also told us about how they used the water buffalo to work the fields and never eat them unless they died on their own. We asked her where the men were because all we saw were women in the fields and hauling wood. The gender roles here are switched, where the women do the bulk of the work earning a wage and the men stay home and take care of the children and cook. When ever we asked our head guide what her husband was doing she would just laugh and say “Oh he at home. Boys are so lazy.” 

Around 4pm we arrived to our stopping point were we stayed on the edge of Ta Van village in Lao Chai. We spent the time before dinner washing shoes, warming up by the fire, drinking tea, and laughing about all the falls that happened through out the day. As night fell, we all made our way around the fire and watch the family prepare our dinner in cast iron dishes over open flames. It was really neat to watch this production as they made rice, spring rolls, an assortment of meats and vegetables, and even tofu with tomatoes. Once it was all cooked, we went outside and sat around a massive table and enjoyed a family style feast. The night carried with plenty of beer and “happy water” (rice wine) over card games and conversation. The husband joined us in festivities and told us about himself, his family, and how to cheers in their villages language. By 10 pm everyone was in bed, exhausted and sore from the long trek through the mountains. 

The next morning, we all enjoyed hot tea and crepes with banana before heading off again for another day of trekking. We headed through Ta Van village to a waterfall in the village of Gaing Ta Chai, home of the Red Zao People. It was a bit foggier than the day before but it was okay because their was plenty to see along the trail. We past many families carrying on with their daily lives, animals grazing, and children waving and saying hello. After the waterfall visit we headed up to lunch where we enjoyed a bowl of soup with an egg on top. Warm soup on a cold day never tasted so good. Once again ladies and children tried to sell us their hand made products as we sat and ate our meal. 

A young girl pulling water buffalo 

Most of the crew only booked a two day tour so after lunch they headed out on a bus.  We continued on with our guide and three other guys from Australia. The rest of the day was spent hiking through the fog heading to Ban Ho where we would spend another night in a home stay with the Tay Tribe. As we got closer to Ban Ho, the fog finally gave way to amazing views of the mountains. We took the “short cut” to the village meaning we walked straight down hill past homes and through rice terraces on muddy slippery paths. We had all become masters of the art of mud sliding with out falling too much at this point. Local kids still ran passed us with flip flops on though.

Once in the valley, we walked to our homestay were we relaxed over tea, beer and happy water until dinner was ready. Being in the valley was nice for the views and warmer weather. Dinner again was amazing, endless rice with spring rolls and another assortment of meat and vegetables. I got stuck under the warmth of the heavy blankets we were given early that night while Austin stayed up playing cards with the Aussies. During the card game sounds of music filled the air, so off in the night the boys went. Austin and his new friends found the source of the music which was a home a few doors down playing karaoke. As they walked up, they were invited in for coffee, beer, and oranges. They quickly joined in with the festivities and singing. A few hours later they made their way back to the home stay where they continued to play cards late into the night. 

 A view of Ban Ho Village in the valley

The next day was beautiful with no fog and warmer weather. Again our morning began with another banana crape breakfast. Afterwards, we headed off to Nam Toong school to have a look and then to a water fall called “the lavie” named by the French. We crossed over a pretty sketchy bridge made of metal that had rusted away in sections, creating holes that you had to walk around carefully. After few minutes at the waterfall, we were off to lunch at the same homestay as the previous night. Once done with our meal, we collected our belongings and headed to a van parked out front which was our ticket back to Sapa. As we headed back to Sapa, we were treated with wonderful views of the mountains covered with terraces and valleys with rushing rivers. On the way, we made a quick stop to pick up a few others and drop off our guide.

Sapa was as we left it a few days earlier, cold and under a white blanket of fog. We walked around for a bit and then found a coffee shop where we enjoyed the warmth of a heater and wifi. We enjoyed another dinner at the hotel, where the whole journey began and waited for our night bus back to Hanoi. In the morning we head to Cat Ba. Two weeks a climbing here we come. Stay tune as I am sure many more adventures await us….

Hanoi

1/30-2/1

Honk Honk

A tuk tuk from Green Climbers home brought us to the bus station where we waited for awhile to catch the international Lao-Thai bus. The bus brought us to the border to the friendship bridge where we got out and checked out of Lao and into Thailand. Once getting through the border with ease we headed to the airport. Opps....six hours early for our flight. We thought it would take much longer to make it from the climbers home to the airport but in fact it only took about 2 hours. So we sat around and waited patiently to head up to Bangkok for our connecting flight to Hanoi.

The view from our hostel

We landed in Bangkok around 11pm and headed to a bench to sleep on for our 7 hour lay over. We finally made it through all the lines and to our gate. (We waited in a ticket line, then a passport check line and finally the security line: totaling around 2.5 hours of lines) 

We finally made it to Vietnam! Once the plane landed we headed into the airport to start the visa process and immigration check. Before arriving we had to apply for the visa and get an approval letter. We presented this to the visa desk and handed over our passports. A few minute wait and a 25 dollar fee for both we had our entry into the country. 

Thanks to a pre booked hostel we had a man with a sign with our names on it waiting for us as we walked out of the airport. A wild 30 minute ride from the airport and through the city of Hanoi ended with us in the busy old quarter. We were located in the heart of chaos. Full of motor bikes and people selling everything from fresh chopped meats to dried fruits. Our hostel was quite nice, focused on young travels looking for a good time. They offered free beer between 7-8 and specials every night in the bar upstairs on the roof top. The view from the top was amazing, a 360 degree of all of Hanoi.

ZOOM ZOOM!

A colorful city

We spent a few days in Hanoi walking about the city streets exploring what it had to offer. We visited a prison museum and war museum. We also cruised around lakes, botanical gardens and temples. Robyn bought a kilo of dried ginger for $4 (worth every penny). We learned quickly that you should never stop moving or make eye contact with anyone selling something in the city.  If you do you will be surrounded by 3 women selling doughnuts, forcing bags into your hands to buy. The streets were loaded with fresh fish, too. Huge catfish were often on display, freshly cut in half.  There were buckets of crab and snails for sale on the street. We saw motor bikes with three halves of pig piled on the drivers lap zooming by. The traffic was the craziest part. There was never a break in the traffic to cross the street. Instead, you had to just walk out into traffic and the bikes would dodge you! Robyn usually did this while saying "Oh God, Oh God" and putting Austin in the line of traffic first. The city was overwhelming but beautiful. The buildings were tall yet skinny and full of color. It was easy to walk to all the museums and attractions with plenty of cool sights along the way. The streets themselves were very clean compared to cities we were in prior.  Constantly people were walking around wheeling giant barrels sweeping up any trash they could find.

Chaos everywher

We even found a brewery, well at least we think. When we walked in they automatically gave us a beer to drink and as we sat down and looked around we noticed a huge brew room attached to the cafe. When it came time to order we had to take our chances and just point to something. We ended up with a tasty chicken soup. A beer and soup for two only cost 53 dong ( just over 2 USD) After a few days, we bought a trip to Sapa in Northern Vietnam to do a three day trek through the mountain villages. Tune in next time for that adventure...

Green Climbers Home

1/22-29/16

Gate slammin'!!!

Climbing continued to get better and better for both of us as we got closer and closer to our goals. By the end of our time we both reached our individual goals. Robyn climbed a 6b+ (5.10d) called Deep Fried Brit, a fantastic tufa and stalactite adventure totaling around 30 meters in height. Austin climbed a 7a (5.11d) called Sound of Music, a balance requiring boulder start leading to a pumpy over hung finish. We both enjoyed many climbs that pushed us to our limits mentally and physically as we pushed harder and harder to reach our goal.

Looking for the next clip

Of course we did not achieve these goals without set back. Weather became an issue for a few days as the whole Southeast Asia area was blasted by a cold front. We battled high winds and cold temperatures combined with days of rain. These days were usually spent cuddled up in the bamboo restaurant playing cards, reading books and talking with fellow climbers about their projects (climbs they were working on). Austin also battled a sprained ankle he received from a nasty lead fall through cave formations and an over use injury in his shoulders.

Raw hands!

In the end though we had climbed to our hearts were contempt and our hands were raw from constant gripping of rock. We had met many people from all walks of life, some that we will be meeting in our next stops as we travel and some that will remain life long friends. Over all the climbing was brilliant, the views amazing, and the community unforgettable. Thanks Green Climber's Home for a great experience and can't wait until next time!

Why you come to Thahkek

1/10-22/2016

After a good nights rest we woke up late and headed downstairs to grab some grub and figure out how we were going to get to Green Climbers Home. As we walked outside to grab a table we ran into some familiar faces, two guys we had met in Tonsai. We had a nice catch up chat during breakfast and were able to get some good information on how to get to the Green Climbers Home as well as some good climbs to jump on once there. 

We sat around a bit longer using internet before heading off to the mountains. During this time we met our new friend, Erik a cool guy from Sweden. Erik was also heading out to Green Climbers Home, so we decided to all share a tuk tuk to make it cheaper. After a few more errands we all grabbed our bags and waved down the nearest tuk tuk and headed off into the mountains and away from the hectic city of Thahkek. 

Can't ask for an easier approach!

Green Climbers Home is tucked away in a small valley about 18 or so kilometers outside of town. There are two separate camps made of a few bungalows and tents that all surround a nice bamboo restaurant filled with wonderful pillows and mats to lounge around. Outside of the two camps, no more than a ten minute walk away are over 200 climbs to choose from. Plenty to keep you busy during your stay.

We spent our first two days climbing two easier crags so that we could get use to the rock and the style of climbing in Laos. Erik, who was traveling alone, needed a climbing partner so we invited him to join us. The climbing was interesting, a lot different from Tonsai. The rock was sharper and less steep, the bolts hung different, and the anchor setup was something we never seen before. The one thing that was similar to Tonsai was all the dry cave formations hanging on the wall. As you climbed you had to negotiate your way through tufas and stalactites. 

Having fun on cave formations

On our third day we decided to get up extremely early and tackle the four pitch climb called Chinese New Year. We (Robyn and Austin) headed out of our campsite with headlamps glowing and climbing gear on our backs. After a short walk we were at the bottom of the climb just as the first light of day began showing itself. Once racked up, we were on our way up to the top 130 meters away. We traded leads as we made our way through the four pitches of enjoyable climbing. We took a break at the top of the first pitch to enjoy the sunrise peaking up over the mountains in the distance. The last pitch totaled 44 meters which Robyn cruised up. Once at the top we took a few pictures, high fived each other and enjoyed the view over a shot of whiskey from the bottle awaiting anyone who tops out. We hurried to get our rope sorted out for the five rappels that were between us and the ground. We were in a race with the clock to make it back to the restaurant for breakfast. 

Robyn climbing a 6a

As soon as we coiled both ends of the rope and prepare them for the first toss over the edge the winds picked up and started gusting into the mountain. ROPE! we yelled as we toss the rope coils out. They went out, stopped, and slammed back in the wall just a few meters below us on a sharp block of rock. We laughed and retried being successful the second time. This was soon the start of a big adventure. We were moments away from realizing that the getting off was more difficult than the getting up on this adventurous climb. We both made it down to the next set of anchors with little to no problem. We got safe and pulled the rope to continue down the route. As we expected the rope got caught which required one of us to climb back up freeing the rope so that we could continue. The rope decided to continue misbehaving as it was encouraged by the wind to grab pieces of sharp rock. The problem with trying to free your rope was the risk in cutting it on the razor sharp edges which we all can agree is no good. I (Austin) even had to re climb most of the 6b pitch to free the rope one last time before finally getting to the ground. Lets just say we did not make breakfast, in fact we barely made it back before lunch hours started. In total it took just under five hours to finish this epic adventure. Two hours to get to the top and three to reach the ground again. For those unfamiliar with multi pitches this is usually not the case at all to have the rappel take longer than the actual climb. Lunch tasted really good that day as we rehydrated and stuffed our faces with enough food to feed a small army.

We are one week into our stay at Green Climbers Home and have a little more than a week left before we head to Cat Ba in Vietnam (another climbers hotspot). We both have our individual goals we are pushing for. Lets see how we do!

Just can't get enough of Tonsai

One more Tonsai video up and ready to be viewed! I swear this will be our last one!
Click here to see it!