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Climbing in Laos and Thailand

Grecko21

17-Jun-2011
12:48:59 PM

Hi all! Heading to Laos and Thailand for 3 months for a climbing/hiking trip. Was just looking for some feedback from people who have climbed over there (apart from Krabi, I've probably heard too much about that...not to say I can't freaking wait to get there!). If you have climbed/heard of some great routes worth checking out let me know. Also, if you stayed somwhere cheap and it was livable that info would be helpfull also.
Much appreciated!
Steve

nmonteith

17-Jun-2011
1:05:55 PM

Have a bit of a search on these forums. There has certainly been some past posts about this. I don't remember Laos getting a very good rap as a climbing destination.

Grecko21

17-Jun-2011
1:28:52 PM

Will do. Well unfortuantely there is only 2 big places to go, which I hope one day will change because the place is scattered in Limestone casts. I think access is a problem with most climbers, can't see that changing in Laos anytime soon though, the most chilled race.
Thanks for the heads up man.

dr box

17-Jun-2011
7:50:43 PM

Go to Chang Mai in Thailand, its up north and is good fun, and Vang Vieng in Laos had some goodness too, but small and kinda harder to find (3yrs ago though).

have fun

spectra

19-Jun-2011
1:42:49 PM

We did a couple of climbs in Vang Vieng Laos a few years ago. A French guy put a bunch of routes up on the roofs around the river there, most too hard for us so we were climbing on a wall with a few big vines, very novel and a great place to swim afterwards.

brat

19-Jun-2011
6:44:01 PM

There's Phang Nga, just north of Phuket, not sure if there's a guidebook, this guy knows his way around http://www.paddleasia.com/
, Crazy Horse Butress, just out of Chang Mai see http://www.thailandclimbing.com/
Laos has Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng, this site will get you started, http://www.laosrockclimbing.com/

I'm jealous, have fun!

Doro

19-Jun-2011
8:31:59 PM

Just don't trust any anchors in Laos, often two dodgy pieces but sometimes just one

Eduardo Slabofvic

20-Jun-2011
9:18:44 AM

On 19/06/2011 Doro the Explorer wrote:
>Just don't trust any anchors in Laos, often two dodgy pieces but sometimes
>just one

Agreed, many are badly rigged as well. Take a bunch of slings that you are prepared to leave behind, and a few mallions to leave behind also

Grecko21

21-Jun-2011
2:19:41 PM

Cheers Everyone!! Thanks for the info on dodgy anchors, was unsure about how safe Laos was going to be. I wonder what my insurance will have to say when going to Laos. What kind of insurance has everyone got when travelling? I'm looking at going with these guys: http://www.insure4less.com.au/index2.php?action=getPageFromName&page=Travel-Insurance-Rock-Climbing/ Seems to come highly recommended.

pecheur

21-Jun-2011
5:22:35 PM

On 21/06/2011 Grecko21 wrote:
>What kind of insurance has everyone got when travelling?
>I'm looking at going with these guys: http://www.insure4less.com.au/index2.php?action=getP
>geFromName&page=Travel-Insurance-Rock-Climbing/ Seems to come highly
>recommended.

I like how one of the caveats is that you must have been wearing a helmet at the time of incident but from what I can see, the person in the photo isn't wearing one: "Helmets, uncool even to insurance companies".

singersmith

23-Jun-2011
4:57:49 PM

Hiking was mentioned in the original post, an activity that I would rate as higher quality than the climbing in SE Asia. Jungle adventures are cool. Get a good machete (the best one has small forward curve at the tip and is sometimes called "garden knife"), a file, an okay map, and a jungle hammock if you're going to stay out; add a GPS + compass and get after it.

The hiking in N. Thailand is crappy and everyone gets a bit jumpy if you roll around the hills solo. Some places are okay but I've seen a lot of weirdness up that way and would give it a miss (getting chased by a german shepherd springs to mind...) Walking around the islands in the south that people actually live on is cool. Usually, only about half the beaches are accessible by road and then only by boat for half the year. They all have trails between them that are usually pretty overgrown. Hit it in the off season, sleep at the inhabited beaches and walk all day alone to the next one. East Coast of Koh Pha Ngan is very good and takes about a week. In Laos, hiking is good almost anywhere-just hop on a truck out of town and when you see a nice valley hop off and find a trail. The north is really cool but the jungles are dark and scary and there's lots of leeches. Hmong villages in Xieng Khong province are worth visiting if you can find out which ones they are; they're quite different to the so-called Lowland Lao. UXO is a problem out there so it's probably best to have a guide, the best of whom is Mr. Manophet in Phonsavanh. Around Sam Neua is amazing but you'd probably want to have learned some basic Lao, have a high tolerance for rats, and love 18 hour windy mountain bus rides while sitting on a bag of garlic in the aisle watching ear-splitting Thai soap operas.

TanjaWeidner

28-Jun-2011
3:08:17 AM

Hi Grecko21, very good plan to go to Thailand and Laos!

We have been in Laos for 3 months. Rock climbing there is amazing! There are a few areas in Vang Vieng and a pretty new one in Thakhek. A couple of Germans have been in Thakhek in January 2010 and bolted in 50 routes in a range from 4 to 8a. Wonderful routes with tufas, sintering and also face climbing. There is a gigantic roof with 8 routes ranging from 6b+ to 8a+.

In Thakhek we liked it so much that we decided to stay and open a climbing camp. So we bolted in 20 more routes. The climbing camp is coming in November 2011. You can find more information and pictures on our website http://greenclimbershome.com

At the moment we are in Germany, but going back in September to bolt in more routes and help to build the bamboo huts.
We are going to public a climbing guide for Laos, but for now you can download the topo here for free: http://climbinglaos.com/downloads/laos-guidebook.PDF

Enjoy your stay! And if you have any questions you can contact me. Many greetings, Tanja

euce

3-Nov-2013
1:03:17 AM

Anyone climbed in Vang Vieng more recently?

There are 13 messages in this topic.