Climbing in Halong Bay, Vietnam

[Deirdre]

Hey guys, I wasn't sure where to put this...

Anyway, I just got back from a trip to Vietnam, where I spent most of a week climbing in Halong Bay - a UNESCO world heritage site, about 3 hours from Ha Noi. Last time I was in the area, I couldn't find any information about rock climbing, despite the amazing potential of the area. Well, the good news for future travelers is there is now a guiding company for climbers - 2 young Amercian climbers are setting safe (but tricky and fun) routes both out on the bay and in a peaceful valley on Cat Ba Island. And they know a bunch of great deep-water-soloing (bouldering over the sea) problems.

SloPony Adventures ( www.sloponyadventures.com) is the name of the company. They don't charge experienced climbers for the beta, and they offer guiding and instruction services, as well as gear rentals. And, they're super nice guys!

Beware other "climbing" guides in the area, who don't actually have any experience climbing, and who will take you to old routes where the bolts are likely rotted out (limestone + salt water = short lifespan for expansion bolts). We met a group of Portuguese climbers who had had a miserable time...

I highly recommend a trip to Halong Bay for climbing - it's like Krabi in Thailand, but not yet discovered ;-)

[shanja]

Hey Deidre, thanks for the update. I posted some stuff about the same guys a few months back when it looked like I was gona be there (alas plans fell thru). If you have any pics or more detailed beta about the whole climbing in Vietnam/ Ha Long Bay experience, PLEASE post it here. It could well become a KOTR hot-spot. What I saw and heard from the Slopony crew sounded awesome too. Tahnks again and look forward to talking with you more.
Jake

[ricardo]

hey, this is good news. i talked to a couple several weeks ago that must have gone with the 'other' guides. they did not have a favorable impression of the climbing nor the guides in the area. they described it as hiring boat/transportation guides that knew where some climbing was. their route advice consisted of "we've seen people try climbing that" and pulled the boat up to the rock.
i have the contact info from the couple i met so i'll ask them for beta on the way not to go.

[Deirdre]

Yeah, that sounds like the story the Portuguese climbers told us...

SloPony don't have a ton of routes up yet, especially out in the bay, but they are working on it. The two beaches they've developed have maybe 8 or 9 routes, and the valley has 10 or 12, but they're bolting new routes as often as they can...

I'm not sure how to add photos... will try to figure that out. But there's a bunch up on facebook - I'll add them to the KOTR group there...