The return to Ha Long Bay, Vietnam!

 So after meaning to get back down here for nearly a year I am finally back in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam!

I have come back down here do get a few things done - bolt new routes, help out my buddy Slo at Slopony Adventures while they are busy with guiding work... and go deep water soloing.

My friend Jen and I headed off from Yangshuo a week ago, trained it to Nanning then bussed to Hanoi. We stayed with my good friends Linh and Mandy for a night, ate great food and drank amazing coffee then headed out to Ha Long Bay the next morning. We have spent the last 4 days mostly out in Lan Ha Bay guiding deep water soloing, kayaking, rock climbing on the beaches and swimming as well as 1 morning guiding climbing out in Butterfly Valley.

Today is a day off and we are going to climb on a wall right next to our apartment and see if we can't find a project or two each... psyched! Tomorrow might be climbing out at Butterfly Valley then back to the bay the day after that to start scoping out then bolting a new wall on an island out there.

Oh, and we got a Minsk yeaterday haha. A crazy Russian motorbike for cuising the island. It's a little hectic and exciting, so fun haha

I'll keep you all updated as much as possible, but for now here are a few pics

This is the sunrise view from our apartment window... amazing!

阳朔攀岩节 - Part 2 - The Rest

So the 阳朔攀岩节 (Yangshuo Climbing Fetival) went really well. All the sponsors and volunteers worked really hard and everything went off without a hitch. Great slide shows from the sponsored athletes, an awesome bouldering comp and a rediculous Halloween afterparty to top it off!
We had a great time setting the routes for the bouldering comp and in the end they worked really well, splitting the field nicely and entertaining the crowd. And I had a blast MC'ing the bouldering comp too, such a good time, really looking forward to next year!
It's hard to describe everything really well so instead here's a few pics to give you an idea. Good times indeed...

Kre - legend

Yo yo yo, MC D in the house! haha

John and Andrew

Route setters doing their thing

Fred - another legend

My man Yuji Hirayama - yet another legend

Sponsors adds galore...

Me (walking on the green mat) MC'ing the preliminary round of the boulder comp

Amber topping out the womens preliminary problem 1

Kelly on the same problem

Street side slacklining

My man Abond. 14c climber. North Face Athlete. Hero

阳朔攀岩节 - Day 1 - Opening Night!

So the Yangshuo Climbing Festival (阳朔攀岩节) started yesterday with an opening ceremony and slideshows along with free beer and lots of catching up with old friends from the climbing scene around China. Good times. Then it was off to Bar 98 for some bday celebrations for Jen and John - Happy Bday's kids!
Here's a few pics to get things rolling... full report on the festival afterwards  :-)

Yuki!

Jon... so hot right now

Drunk arm wrestling = sore elbows today

Andrew = Hero

Duo Duo!

Me with my new friends Yuji Hirayama and Emily Harrington

Panda, love this kid!

Seeing friends is always exciting haha

Dane... "I heard this is where they are hiding the free beer..."

Jen, the birthday girl

CAKE!!!

Rowena

Guizhuo Madness - Part 1 - The Climbing Festival

So I have a few stories to ell. Both take place in the same place at the same sorta time but are two different things. So first is first...

A couple of weeks ago I headed off to Guizhuo province, a few hours from the capital, Guiyang, to take part in a climbing festival there. I headed up there with my good friends Jiang Yong, Jen, Mick, Dane and Fabian by plane then buses to the beautiful valley that hold the village of Getu and the National Park that is the crowning jewel of the area.

We spent 3 days rocking out a Speed Comp and Onsight Comp with the usual Chinese opening and closing ceromonies, pop celebrities and good fun shenanigans. Good times all round in a beatiful place with great people.

Heres a few pics... more coming soon, plus part 2 of the trip...  ;-)