Climbing in Hữu Lũng
The day starts early. It’s Saturday morning and I wake up at 6am to the sun shining through my windows and I feel rejuvenated. This weekend, my friends Kelsey, Olivia, Phyl, and Fern and I are doing a rock-climbing trip. The night before, I went to bed early to make sure I was in tip-top shape to climb a 30-metre cliff with absolutely no rock-climbing experience. Our climbing destination is 2.5 hours north of Hanoi, in Hữu Lũng District, Lạng Sơn Province, which is a northern province in Vietnam that borders China. Even though it’s already super cool that I’m in Vietnam, it’s suuuuper cool that I’m going to be that close to China.
At 7am, I call a Grab (a service that is exactly the same as Uber, just way more fun because you get to ride on the back of a motorcycle), and I make my way to Vietclimb, the company that will be taking us on our trip. Saturday mornings in Hanoi are so calm, but you can still feel the energy of the coming day. Older men and women park their bikes by the lake to stretch and shop owners prepare to begin selling their items. As I drive, I feel a sense of excitement and inspiration. Bánh mì is served for breakfast (I thought it was weird at first too, but it’s normal here), and then we’re on our way.
The first half of the drive is not the most interesting, but as we get farther north of Hanoi, the buildings turn into green mountains with rivers running through them and big highways turn into small, unpaved and very bumpy roads. We turn into a quaint village called Yên Thịnh, which is where we will be climbing for the afternoon. We eventually pull to the side of the road. Huge, jagged cliffs loom in the distance. They are green and lush, and it seems to me that this place must be unreal. We unload our rock climbing gear and walk through a small little gate, off the road and through a small little forest. We reach the cliff and begin to climb. After about two hours, I hadn’t reached the top of any of the routes yet, while Olivia, who also has zero rock-climbing experience, climbed almost every single route. It was a lot more challenging than I expected, and I learn that I’m more afraid of heights than I thought I was.
When lunch time rolled around, we walked to a local woman’s house, where she cooked us a variety of Vietnamese food, complete with fresh bananas for dessert. I think my favourite part of any day is when I get to sit down and eat a meal, especially when it’s with people whose company I really enjoy. Our chef has children, and I know this because I can see baby clothes hanging up and some toys laying around here and there. Vietclimb, the business that took us on this trip, partners with locals to help with the economy of the small village and to encourage community participation, something that I really support. In fact, grassroots development through community initiatives and involvement is something I learned a lot about in my three years studying International Development in school. Although, experiencing it is different than learning it through a textbook.
After lunch, we thank our chef and head back to the cliff. After a few tries, I make it to the top of two routes. One of them had a little “chimney” where I was two inches from the rock at the front and the back, and I learn that I’m also slightly more claustrophobic than I thought I was. I feel so proud of myself for this little accomplishment and I feel like I completed my mission. As long as I made it to the top of at least one route, I could be happy with the weekend.
Of course, the whole point of this weekend was to rock climb, but that wasn’t my favourite part. My favourite part was everything that happened after the rock climbing. Once we finished packing up our things, we headed to a swimming hole. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. The water was turquoise and the backdrop was of the sunset falling over the mountains. It was still and quiet. There was nobody there but us and a few locals walking their cows home for the evening. I felt at peace with myself and with the world as I swam through that murky, seaweed-y water, trying really hard not to let my feet touch the ground.
After our short swim, we head to our homestay. It is the most beautiful little homestay I have seen. It’s on stilts and is situated on the outskirts of the little town, nestled in between the mountains and the river. After dinner, we play a few games of cards while chatting and drinking some beer. If you know me, you know I’m the biggest fan of card and board games and I don’t believe there is any greater feeling than playing them with people that make you really happy.
After our card game, we head into the little sleepy town to pick up a snack and watch a volleyball game. As we peer through a small little shop, the owners are enjoying a game of karaoke (something that is really popular in Vietnam) and offer us a shot of rice wine. We cheers the owners, buy our snacks, and head to the court. After the game, Kelsey and I walk onto the court and begin to play. When we do this, all of the women who were watching their husbands and sons play volleyball join Kelsey and I. Olivia joined us afterwards as well, after she got over the initial embarrassment. The scorekeeper, who had left after the previous game, comes back, and mine and Olivia’s team gets squashed by Kelsey’s (it was mostly my fault).
Once the town has returned to their homes and settled in for the night, so do we. Our beds are mattresses on the floor with mosquito nets around them, since the sleeping area is wide open. At night, when the lights are out and everybody has gone to bed, all you can hear are the sounds of the crickets. In the morning, we wake with the sunrise; a beautiful pink and orange colour. Again, we have Bánh mì for breakfast with tomatoes and egg. I have a coffee as well while we sit mountainside and prepare for another day of climbing.
After our second day of climbing is complete, we go back to our homestay and begin packing. The sun is starting to set, and our drive home is gorgeous. In the car, with the windows rolled down, one of us says “wow” at least every 40 seconds. Again, I’m stunned by the amount of beauty this country has shown me.
Where will I go next weekend?
