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Rock Climbing and DWS On Cat Ba Island
Sails of Indochina Adventures
Blue Swimmer Outdoors can help you with everything you need to climb in Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Island. Whether you are touching limestone for the first time, looking for guided instruction, or ticking an international climbing destination off your list, we can get you off the ground! Check out the tabs to the left for details on all we provide.
Our climbing guides are experts on the area and excited to show you the best Cat Ba has to offer. Our staff is more than happy to provide you with gear rentals, guided trips, private instruction, and a wealth of helpful advice. We’re here to help you can get the most out of your experience in Vietnam.
For independent climbers, explore our site to find helpful tips on how to do everything with us or on your own. Check out our online videos or get in touch with us for information on anything from current events, to deep water solo tides, to the local weather. Happy trails and we'll see you on Cat Ba!
Climbing on Cat Ba Island
The climbing areas around Cat Ba require either an access pass or direct payment to the property owner. You can purchase your access pass in our shop as well as inquire about direct payments.
Butterfly Valley … Our Amazing Home Crag
Just a scenic thirty-minute motorbike ride from Cat Ba Town is beautiful Butterfly Valley, our home crag. Butterfly Valley is located in Lien Minh, the oldest village on Cat Ba and one of the most pristine areas on the island. The valley wall is a magnificent cut of superb limestone with over 50 sport routes available. Climbing grades range from 4 to 8b+… plenty of routes for climbers of all levels.
Directions:
You can access Lien Minh easily by motorbike or with quite a bit more effort by bicycle. Coming out of the BSA shop take a right. After 500 meters turn right up a hill. Pass the local market on your left and keep going until you hit a t-intersection. Take a left and follow this road out of town for about 4km. After passing a petrol station on your left, keep left at a y-intersection (the right side takes you to the national park). Follow this road for another 6km through Tran Chau town. After the town the road goes up a steep uphill. After the hill you will see a white concrete road going right where the main road goes left. Take the white road to the right until you enter the village of Lien Minh. Continue on this road up and down several hills until the road ends and you see the cliff in front of you.
Park your bike at THE HIVE. The hive is on your left as you enter the valley, before the road becomes dirt trail and you can see the cliff. Look for a sign saying “the Hive”. At The Hive turn in your access pass to Trinh and Nga and take the dirt trail to the cliff. If there has been a lot of rain recently, the valley may be flooded. Ask the Asia Outdoors staff for beta on how to get around the small lake that forms in the valley after a storm.
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Travel Time: |
30 minutes |
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Access Pass: |
$3 USD (60.000 VDN), to be purchased at the Blue Swimmer Outdoors Shop in Cat Ba Town |
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Number of routes: |
45 and rising |
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Grade range: |
4 to 8b+ |
Ben Beo Wall … Just around the corner from our shop
Alongside Ben Beo Harbor is Ben Beo Wall, featuring 5 challenging climbs from 7a-7c+. The tops of these climbs overlook the entire harbor, providing an amazing view at sundown. Ben Beo is the closest place to climb to Cat Ba town and great for an afternoon or morning.
Directions:
Ben Beo is accessed most easily by motorbike but you can also get there via bicycle or walking. Coming out of the Asia Outdoors shop go right and turn right on the first street 5 meters away. Drive up the hill and turn left up steeper hill. Pass Cannon Fort on the right and at a t-intersection turn right towards Ben Beo. This road takes you all the way to the harbor. Park your bike by the harbor entrance, walk through the red gate to your left, and the climbs will become obvious.
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Travel Time: |
Motorbike: 5 min, Bicycle: 15 min, Walking: 30 min |
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Access Pass: |
$3 USD (60.000 VDN) paid to the Blue Swimmer Outdoors Shop in Cat Ba Town |
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Number of routes: |
5 |
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Grade range: |
7a to 7c+ |
Climbing in the Bay
Tiger Beach
In beautiful Lan Ha Bay, the southern part of Ha Long Bay, Tiger Beach awaits! Tiger Beach was the first area developed for sport climbing in the bay. Currently this beach is used for day and overnight stays by Hanoi Backpackers Hostel, occupants who are curious and willing to share the beach with climbers. The 2 walls at the beach, Offenheimer’s Creation and Slo Pony Wall, form a small alcove of climbing utopia. Offenheimer’s Creation has a few of the first routes put up in Vietnam by Slo and Pony.
Both walls have different and unique climbing features: tufas, wombs, dihedrals, pockets, and conglomerate-rock. Routes here range from 5 to 7c+. Two unique features of this crag are the two water-sculpted rock formations, at the base of the Offenheimer cliff, that seem to stare up at you while climbing. This phenomenon only fully observable during low tide.
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Travel Time: |
Boat: 20-30 min, Kayak: 45-60 min |
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Access Pass: |
$4 USD (80.000 VDN) to be purchased at the Blue Swimmer Outdoors Shop in Cat Ba Town |
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Number of routes: |
10 |
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Grade range: |
5a to 7c+ |
Pirate’s Belly
This crag to the left of Tiger Beach, around the corner from Slo Pony Wall, is only accessible by boat. Pirate’s belly has 2 routes, one of which is a multi-pitch. The first slab of the multi-pitch must be belayed from the boat and the second pitch is overhanging. Between the slab and the overhang, the rock appears to pinch in at a bellybutton.
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Travel Time: |
Boat: 20-30 min, Kayak: 45-60 min |
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Access Pass: |
$4 USD (80.000 VDN) to be purchased at the Blue Swimmer Outdoors Shop in Cat Ba Town |
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Number of routes: |
2 |
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Grade range: |
5 to 7a+ |
Moody Beach
Moody Beach is a quiet, uninhabited beach, just across from Tiger Beach. The area is only a 5-minute boat ride or 10-minute swim from the Offenheimer and Slo Pony wall. Its two shady faces serve as a great retreat from the afternoon sun. Moody beach’s shell-littered shore is home to a couple easy and moderate routes. An old war bunker protects a tunnel leading into one of the faces. Bring a torch or headlamp to explore! This beach faces a beautiful and serene lagoon where swimming is the perfect way to cool down after climbing.
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Travel Time: |
Boat: 20-30 min, Kayak: 45-60 min |
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Access Pass: |
Sponsored by Blue Swimmer Outdoors and Catba Climbing |
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Number of routes: |
6 |
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Grade range: |
4+ to 6b+ |
The Face
Situated in the middle of Ha Long Bay, the Face is an incredible and impressive challenge for experienced climbers. This sheer cliff offers sublime face climbing coupled with an unparalleled view of the bay. Visit the Blue Swimmer Outdoors shop for current information on bolt safety on The Face.
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Travel Time: |
Boat: 120 min |
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Access Pass: |
Not necessary. |
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Number of routes: |
3 |
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Grade range: |
7b to 7b+ |
Deep Water Soloing
Though sport climbing here is well known, within the climbing community our area is famous for its deep water soloing. Don’t forget your bathing suit, because ‘deeping’ is easily the most fun and adventurous activity we offer. As long as it’s warm (and it’s warm from March till December…) and the tides are right, we just can’t stop ourselves from going! To make sure this thrilling activity is completely safe, we’ve explored the DWS crags in Lan Ha and Ha Long Bay to make sure there can be no rough waters to swim against or menacing rocks hiding beneath the waves. Our favorites include Hawaii Five-O, Unemployment Wall, One Pillar Poda (Polish Pillar/ Chopstick), Stingray Wall, and Le Mekong 1947.
Other Areas
Climbing in Vietnam is relatively novel and new climbing areas are in development as we speak! For more areas in Vietnam, check out Ninh Binh (Golden Mountain, Nui Vang, Waterlily Wall, Thieves’ Wall), some recently bolted routes in Mai Chau, and Hoi An (Marble Mountain).
Half Day Rock Climbing
The Ha Long Bay region of Vietnam, a sweep of water from which approximately 1,600 limestone karst islands soar, lies in the Gulf of Tonkin just off Vietnam’s northern coastline and is part of the UNESCO world natural heritage. These craggy islands boast a stunning mix of rock blanketed in jungle and steep, exposed faces. Although not all of these walls contain solid rock, there is an overwhelming abundance of magnificent climbable faces. Many of the walls that rise directly from the water are ideal for Deep Water Solo (DWS). Other faces stand over uninhabited sandy beaches, making for a unique and isolated sport climbing paradise. Cat Ba Island also boasts some amazing limestone cliffs to behold and experience.
Included: Transportation, entrance fee, climbing guides and all climbing equipment
Price: 65 USD / person, minimum 2 people (Lead climbing 50 USD/1 person)
Half Day Rock Climbing
+ From beginners who have never climbed before, to intermediate and advanced climbers who want to experience
the excellent limestone climbing available on Cat Ba
+ The guides will place the rope and all protective equipment on the routes to ensure that all of the climbers' gear
is safely set up, and in that way, we can get in most climbs possible
Once on top rope, the climbers will get the chance to test their skills on the rock!
+ The climbers abilities will determine the difficulty of the climbs done
+ Hidden Valley has up to 40 routes, ranging from 4+ to 7b + (5.6 to 5.12c).
+ You will get picked up at Cat Ba Climbing at 9AM or 1PM,
Depending if you want to climb in the morning or in the afternoon
+ After a 5 minute drive, the climbers will take a 10-15 minute walk to our awesome climbing spot in Hidden Valley.
If you are an experienced climber and want to lead climb, we will have you go through a skills and safety test, and if succeeded, we will allow you to lead climb under our supervision during the tour
+ At 1 or 5PM we will walk the same hike and take a taxi back to Cat Ba Climbing
Included: Transportation, entrance fee, English speaking guides and all climbing equipment
Price: 65 USD / person, minimum 2 people ( Lead climbing 50 USD/1 person )
Full Day Rock Climbing
+ A full day of rock climbing in Hidden Valley for beginners, intermediate and advanced climbers
A full day includes everything from half day tour, and additionally, a traditional Vietnamese lunch served in the valley and an entire day of climbing!
+ You will get picked up at Cat Ba Climbing at 9AM
+ After a 5 minute drive, the climbers will take a 10-15 minute walk to our awesome climbing spot in Hidden Valley
+ Once there we will set up ropes for you
+ ll let you set up the ropes / lead climb
+ At 5PM We will walk the same hike and take a taxi back to Cat Ba Climbing
Included: Transportation, entrance fee, English speaking guides, all climbing equipment and lunch
Price: 86 USD / person, minimum 3 people ( Lead climbing 80 USD/1person )
Rock Climbing Course / Skills Refresher (top rope, lead climbing, belaying techniques and multi-pitch)
+ For this course, please contact [email protected], with the subject " Rock Climbing Course",
so can we send you the form that will reflect which level you are at the moment, so we can plan a course that suits your level.
Included: Transportation, entrance fee, English speaking instructor, all climbing equipment and lunch
Price: 80-160 USD / person (depending on course)
Sport, deep water solo, trad, bouldering and gyms in Catba island and Lan Ha bay
