Go back to Cat Ba Day 5.
Go back to Vietnam. Entering the Huu Lung Valley.
The following morning a prearranged taxi picked us up and we drove 2.5 hours northeast to Huu Lung, a lush valley among large limestone karsts. Here, VietClimb (Hanoi climbing gym) have established a home stay for climbers. Specifically, they came to an agreement with a local family whereby they built what is essentially a climbers’ refuge on their property and the family now runs it. Seems like a win-win. Unlike Cat Ba, this rural area has no tourists and only a handful of climbers. In fact, outsiders are still very much a novelty item – lots of surprised stares and lots – lots!! – of friendly “hellos”. Here we met Lena, a Ukrainian expat who’s been living in Hanoi for some 6 years and who would be our “enabler” for two days. We burnt the afternoon on a 16 kilometer hike through the wet and swampy jungle and some villages with Lena; not to mention enjoyed some Crimea climbing stories and beta over beers.
Photos
By the flower market in Hanoi (Nov. 2018).
Nhat Tan Bridge in Hanoi (Nov. 2018).
On the 2.5 hour drive north to Huu Lung (Nov. 2018).
Entering the Huu Lung Valley (Nov. 2018).
Not touristy at all (Nov. 2018).
Driving towards the climbers’ home stay (Nov. 2018).
Pretty comfy for a communal set up (Nov. 2018).
Starting out our 16km jungle hike with Lena (Nov. 2018).
Village traffic (Nov. 2018).
We leave the village behind and enter the jungle (Nov. 2018).
Into the jungle (Nov. 2018).
Views back towards the village (Nov. 2018).
Large veggies (Nov. 2018).
Shirley and Lena (Nov. 2018).
A lake – one of several – we encountered on the hike (Nov. 2018).
A boulder field of sharp limestone (Nov. 2018).
Shirley hoping not to pick up an passengers (as in leaches; Nov. 2018).
An opening in the vegetation (Nov. 2018).
Jagged limestone, swamps, and dense vegetation (Nov. 2018).
Karst mountains including an arch (Nov. 2018).
A close-up (Nov. 2018).
Some farmers (Nov. 2018).
Climbing potential perhaps (Nov. 2018).
Another lake (Nov. 2018).
Huu Lung hike (Nov. 2018).
This obstacle was blocking our final stretch back to the country road (Nov. 2018).
Getting across (Nov. 2018).
A somewhat surprising sight (Nov. 2018).
Back on the road with 8km left to the beer (Nov. 2018).
Karsts and valleys (Nov. 2018).
Roadside sights (Nov. 2018).
Through some small villages with curious kids (and adults as well; Nov. 2018).
Wide load (Nov. 2018).
Sugar apples in a small market 20 minutes before the climbers’ home stay (Nov. 2018).
Shirley and Lena enjoying a couple of beers in the small market before getting back (Nov. 2018).
Rather large sausages being dangled at the market (Nov. 2018).
