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Clairesj

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Clairesj's Travel Blog

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The Arc of Asia 2009-2010. Bring on the climbing!


corrupt border guards, granite climbing and off-putting locals!

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

I have arrived in Cambodia! we set off from the islands in the morning and arrived at a very unofficial border! it was a tin house and a wooden barrier! the offical then charged us $2 for an exit stamp from Laos which was probably corrupt, but the Cambodians did it too on the other side of the border! it all went surprisingly smoothly and off we drove into a new country. it felt quite similar to Laos if not quite as pretty and a bit more dirty. the first night we stopped by the side of the road to camp, infront of a half built house that was relatively expensive by Cambodian standards, and had a fence around it. as we started setting tents up infront of the gates, the owner appeared, and rather than getting cross, he invited us to set our tents up inside the house (it was currently a concrete shell), then helped bring us fire wood for our cook team! it was quite a comfortable nights sleep a bit away from the road. next it was on to the climbing destination, which was in the province Kampong Cham. we camped by the road, by a poor village and right next to the rocks. the climbing area was small but a pleasant change as it was slabby, crimpy granite rather than limestone. some routes had only had anchors bolted so you had to top rope them but they were nice easy climbs. i found a 6c that i toproped, which had a boldery start, then gradually got easier as you went up. it took me quite a few goes of holding lots of different horrible crimps until i found a nice sidepull and suddenly the move felt easy. i came back to the route this morning and led it which i was pleased about.
the weather here is rediculously hot, so we ended up climbing at 6am until 10 then having breakfast and sitting around until 3 or 4 as it started to cool down. the locals surrounded us, especially the school kids, so it was noisy and a bit intense, when we were being stared at by 20 people when we were just trying to eat our lunch! we quickly ran out of routes at this crag so voted to leave the area early and come to the capital city today after a mornings climbing.
the city is not bad for a city. i went into a pharmacy today and it was actually like going into Boots! it had make-up by known brands, Olay moisturisers, hair dye, etc etc! i was not expecting to find the most Westernized shop so far on the trip in Cambodia! a small area by the river is a westerners haven with the usual hippy restaurants and bars that sell pizzas and burgers and play american music. the killing fields are on tomorrows agenda which should be interesting.

permalink written by  Clairesj on November 18, 2009 from Phnom Penh, Cambodia
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the shocking history of Cambodia

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Our hostel in Phnom Penh is really nice, by the river, or i should say on the river as it is built on stilts. we headed out to the killing fields, getting a tuk tuk between 6 of us and first going to the area where there were lots of mass graves uncovered. it was shocking to see so many skulls together, especially when therewere childrens skulls amoungst them. 300 people would be brought there in a day and they would all be executed then buried in one grave. they were all innocent people, killed becasue they were educated or someone in their family was.
we then went to the school which was turned into a prison camp when Pol Pot took control of Phnom Penh. there were rooms and rooms of mug shots of the prisoners, of all ages, and some photos of dead men laid on stretchers. all this was so recent, which makes it more shocking. anyone above the age of 30 in the city, lived through the period and have probably lost friends and family becasue of it. apparently there is an age gap of Cambodians in their 30s becasue the conditions were so harsh 30 years ago, and there was so much starvation that it took women a while to recover enough after the revelution to be able to have children again. it was surprising how well Phnom Penh had recovered in a relatively short time. there was no evidence of the suffering that had existed, in fact it came across as a modern and thriving city.
two hours was enough time to look at the school before it became a bit intense. it is scary how such radicals can take over a country and empty a capital city.
to lift our moods, we went back to find a western restaurant and i had the best beef burger in a long time.

permalink written by  Clairesj on November 18, 2009 from Phnom Penh, Cambodia
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sunsets, soldiers, and a belated bonfire night

Vientiane, Laos

we had a beautiful bushcamp in a small village somewhere in Laos, which was very picturesque. we camped on a small part of a locals field that was about 20 mins walk from the climbing area. we were surrounded by fields and a river not too far away with water buffalo bathing in it, mountains framing the area. the stars were awesome, and so were the sunsets. the climbing however was not so hot! there was one route at 6b, a couple of scary 6cs and everything else was much harder. so i tried a 6c a few times, which was a thuggy climb with an awkward roof in it. i took the opportunity to relax and enjoy the area. there was a huge cave we found on the last day, which we think went miles into the mountain. i would have liked to swim right into it if it wasnt getting dark.
we had some nice bonfires, one we made a guy falkes as we had missed bonfire night while we were in Vientiane. Ed added some petrol and guy falkes disappeared very quickly!
we were all ready to move on after 4 days, and get back on the road. we stopped by the side of the road on the first day as it got dark and set up tents and cooked. just as a few of us started going to bed, a car pulled up and 3 guys got out telling us we shouldnt stay here- it wasnt safe. we tried to communicate with them that we were fine, but they hung around trying to persuade us to move. then another car stopped and more people were saying the same. we eventually found out that Laos is hosting the South East Asia Games soon and they were worried about bad publisity if anything happened to us. the cars went away but soon the first one came back and 2 more stopped. in the end, one man told us there were 200 soldiers around, and he sent 7 soldiers to come and stand around in the road and protect us. they had guns, and some of the unofficial men had guns- one was a machine gun. it all felt very intimidating becasue you didnt know who we could actually trust, when we were in the middle of nowhere surrounded by men with guns! i tried to sleep, then moved into the truck and slept their. it was a relief to wake up in the morning and see an awesome sunset. the soldiers left us as we woke up.
we are now in an area called 4 thousand islands, known as Si Phan Don, so yes we are currently on an island! we picked an island and got a boat across- Don Det. its small with lots of cheap guesthouses and restaurants. we sat and watched the sun set over the water last night, went to a few bars before they closed with curfew and found some other people with a bonfire on the beach. today we will do some relaxed exploring before crossing back to the mainland and on to the border to Cambodia.

permalink written by  Clairesj on November 13, 2009 from Vientiane, Laos
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beetle spirits, and capsizing!

Vientiane, Laos

Kayaking was awesome! to start at the beginning of the day- we woke up for a special breakfast at 8, put on by the owners of the hostel. they wanted to thank us for staying with them, and send us off in a traditional Laos style. this meant that they cooked us a rice pudding type dish with pork in it. it was delicious. we then had to gather in a circle on the floor while the man said a few words of luck to us. then cme the surprise- we were each given shots of locally made alcohol- in fact one of the bottles was full of crushed beetles on the bottom and we had seen the girl catching the beetles the day before! unfortunately there was no way of refusing as they came round giving us blessings and each family member tying a bit of white cotton around our wrists while saying a prayer. the older lady had a great chuckle and found everything hilerious. she then kept giving some of the guys more shots that htey couldnt refuse!! the alcohol was strong, and i escaped after 3 shots feeling a bit drunk! it was not a good way to meet the kayake tuk tuks!!
we drove for an hour in the tuk tuks to reach a section of the river where we put the kayakes in the water and had a very bad description of what to do down the rapids and if we capsize. we were also assured that we probably would capsize as all 11 of the last group had!! the kayakes were tourist ones that sit above the water and so are quite wobbly. they were also 2 person. i went with Dan as he is normally a raft instructor and pretents he knows what hes doing! so i wouldnt need to worry about capsizing! the first rapid was quite fast with very strange currents. i got excited and forgot to paddle! but luckily i started again, only to fnd we had gone too far right and quickly capsized! we got back on the boat without too much trouble and followed the others round the courner, almost going over again when we headed straight for a rock! 2 other kayakes capsized too. i was glad to capsize as it seemed all part of the fun! the next rapid was easier and we made it through fine. after that we stopped for a great lunch- barbequed chicken kebabs, fried rice and bagettes that the guides prepared on the river bank. then a short stretch of easy water to meet a taxi to take us the rest of the way to Vientiane. it was too short asnd i was just getting into the rapids when we finished them, but it was great fun.
Vientiane is nothing special- its a capital city. they have a lot of western food but unfortunately at western prices if not even more. we will see a temple today to do the touristy bit. we relaxed at a waterpark yesterday. next is bushcamp which i am looking forward too.

permalink written by  Clairesj on November 5, 2009 from Vientiane, Laos
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tubing paradise

Vang Vieng, Laos

Yesterday was halloween so we joined the rest of the tourists in Vang Vieng by going tubing. tubing is what this town is known for. it has evolved from taking a blown up tube (like a dougnut) down the river on the current, to end up in town, to a bar crawl. all the hotrockers dressed up in the fancy dress box clothes (ie all the guys wore dresses!) then we set off to get a tuk tuk to town with a few strange looks! the first 5 bars of the tubing were right next to eachother, on the edge of the river. the first bar had a swing where you grab the bar and jump off the platform, wizzing over the water until you let go. it was a bit scary and it took me a few swings before i eventually let go and fell a good 6-10 metres into the water (it was hard to judge how high it was but it felt really high!!). it was a good day as the whole of hotrock came and tubed, apart from Jerry. it was a nice way to bond with everyone again, and great to be in a big group. we got the 3rd bar to play some hotrock tunes which got everyone singing along. we saw a few other people dressed up as super heros and a blue smurf. most of the bars had a swing, or later on they had mud pools and volleyball etc. it was great to watch people hitting the water in bad positions as they let go of the swing-constant entertainment, or the risk of being pushed off the side into the river when you were least expecting! danny hung upside down on the swing then jumped off doing a backflip! and the first casualty was when danny and Mustard jumped together then fell off really awkwardly and mustard got a nose bleed. by about 5pm we decided to float down the rest of the river to return the tubes in town, and get our deposit back before 6. the rest of the way was quite slow and it got cold really quickly. we eventually arrived at a bridge we recognised at 6.40. we soon met up with most of the hotrockers again in a bar in town that played really bad music. but it was a good end to the day.
we now have 2 more days after today before heading to Vientiane, which is the capital of Laos. im hoping to rent a kayake and go down the river rather than have a drive day sitting on BiRT. the river has a good current so it shouldnt be too hard work, but im not sure if there are any rapids!
climbing wise, i completed a 6b lead eventually, which i had backed off the other day, and tried to lead a really scary 6b+ that involved going around tufas and out of a cave, and was so awkward. so getting half way up i was quite happy with! it was one of those climbs i hated when i was climbing it but as soon as i was safely on the group again, it suddenly seemed like an awesome climb! perhaps my leading head is getting better and im remembering how much fun it can be to feel exposed and scared on a climb!

permalink written by  Clairesj on October 31, 2009 from Vang Vieng, Laos
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The jungle adventure: ants, river wading, bushwacking, oh and some climbing!

Vang Vieng, Laos

i have finally uploaded some photos from Yangshuo, hope you like them.
Vang Vieng is still not that exciting, but i did have an awesome day yesterday!
I was gonig to go climbing to one of the normal climbing areas, until Danny came and asked me if i fancied climbing the 6c+ multipitch (Graham had pulled out), so i thought why not?! We went with Shaggy and Pete, as there are 2 routes that go up the face next to eachother, and as Pete had been here last year, he would be very useful in the bushwacking up to the beginning of the route.
it started with a walk to the river, then a short boat ride across the river to the otherside. then it was dense jungle, where a path used to be to get to the crag. Pete brought his mashette and tried to clear a path, but we struggled to find evidence of any path from the previous year. we kept going through all sorts of plants and insects- including standing on a ants nest- they had painful bits that made me jump around until i could flick the ants off! after probably about an hour of this, or maybe 2, we got to a river which was a few metres down. we had to climb down the muddy side into the river, then cross and climb up the other side. it was slippery so Danny tied a bit of string to a tree to help. then on the other side the path turned more rockyso that sharp broken rocks mad up the path, and it was a case of climbing and balancing from one to the other without falling between them. 20 mins later and we saw the rock face! it was now about 2pm so we needed to get moving if we wanted to get up the climb and out of the jungle in the day light- there was no way i was going througfh the jungle at night- we would get lost and who knows what extra and possibly worse creepy crawlies came out in the dark!
Danny quickly led up the first pitch which was really nice, if a bit steep when i was carrying a backpack with 3 litres of water in it! then i led the next. the bolts were nicely close together. the 3rd pitch traversed slightly, and we presumed this was the 6c+ pitch, even though it felt like a nice 6b. so i was up to led the next pitch. i looked around the corner at another traverse and after clipping a few bolts, decidedthis looked far too hard! so backed down to the belay and danny led it- this was actually the 6c+ pitch! 2 more wicked pitches after this and we reached the top. we passed a snake skin on a ledge on the last pitch which made me more cautious of putting my hands in pockets!
2 abseils later and we reached the ground. it was 4.30, so time to make a move on getting out of the jungle. the other 2 had gone back earlier becasue their route was unfortunately wet. we walked back to the river, then decided that it would be easier and quicker to walk up the river to get to the main river where we could easily get a boat to our hotel. we were going to climb down into the river using the rope we had left from before but it was completely covered with ants- the white rope was now black!so it was harder to climb down. we then waded up the river, which came up to our waists (still with full harness, quickdraws and chalkbag on! occationally slipping in the mud! it was brilliant. the river was about 3 metres wide and covered with trees and low branches. it went on for a good 20 minutes as we got more anxious that it might not lead to the main river! but eventually we emerged from the jungle and hauled ourselves out of the water. we found a boat to take us straight back to the hostel.
straight in the shower, was bliss! what an adventure!
unfortunately it didnt end there- i got so many stings and bites from the jungle, and one was particularly bad- i think it must be some kind of plant or bush. i cant see much on my leg but it is incredibly itchy and has stabbing pains. this contiunued through the night and today- so i didnt get much sleep!
therefore an easy day today uploading photos and watching family guy!

permalink written by  Clairesj on October 27, 2009 from Vang Vieng, Laos
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police, leaches and torential rain!

Vang Vieng, Laos

Bush camping 20 minutes to the north of Vang Vieng did not go well! We arrived and set up camp in a sort of forest area by the side of the road and cooked dinner successfully. It wasn’t until most of us had gone to bed after a camp fire that it started to go wrong! The police turned up with quite a few villagers, and talked to Graham, (who was covering as leader for Danny as Danny had to pick up a new guy whos 75 years old!) saying that we couldn’t stay here. They said it wasn’t safe for us and wanted us to move immediately. Eventually Graham reasoned with them to come to the police station the next day and talk to their boss. As I was falling aslepp it then started to pour with rain. The rain got worse and worse through the night, and some of the brightest and loudest thunder and lightening I have ever heard. I actually woke up to what I was convinced was a bomb or explosion of some kind in a nearby town, as the thunder crashed and echoed. It was not a good night sleep and I woke up in a puddle inmy tent. I soon realized my whole floor was soaked. My tent is quite a disappointment- boo MSR. I managed to hang it from a tree to try and dry it out! That morning we went climbing and got very lost- nowhere in the guidebook did it mention having to cross a river- we had to wade through it- and eventually got to the climbing area. I then had to pull off about 6 leaches from my legs and feet. Yuck! The climbing was ok- a bit dirty and not too easy- I got stuck on the crux of a 5, but could do the crux of the 6c next to it! I think the grading is a bit odd!
Luckily even though Graham fought the police hard to let us stay- they refused and we had to move to a hostel in Vang Vieng- it was a happy moment!
The hostel is nice- the owners are lovely- they have free tea and coffee, and the older lady brought us hot potatoes and pumpkin when we were sitting in the communal area.
Vang Vieng is a real gap-year tourist hot spot. The normal town abruptly turns into a row of Western cafes and bars then back to normal laos again. It’s a bit strange and tacky.
The climbing again is not brilliant- it took us ages of jungle trekking to eventually turn back and try to reach it from the other side- again getting lost- we then got a boat across to the area. Most of the rock was dripping wet, but there were some nice overhanging routes with only a few slimy holds!
Unfortunately this is the next climbing area on the trip so we will be here for about 2 weeks. I took a day off today while the others search out another crag. Every bar plays endless ‘Friends’, or ‘Family Guy’ on TV, for everyone that really wants to get into the local culture…mm!

permalink written by  Clairesj on October 22, 2009 from Vang Vieng, Laos
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rolling hills, reed houses and nutella!

Luang Prabang, Laos

Im in Laos! and my first impression is that its great!! We had to wait an extra day on the Chinese border as usual because paperwork wasnt orgaised. then a day driving to get to Luang Prabang, and the scenery is beautiful- rolling hills covered in greenery and reed houses on the side of the road, some on precarious looking stilts. the kids are all pretty and their expressions when they saw the big red truck go past was pure amazment! the city itself is laid back and quite touristy. when we got here in the evening last night, we immediately found a cheap market buffet with potatoes, noodles, pasta, and lots of different vegetables. barbequed meat was nextdoor- and its quality meat rather than chunks of bone and fat, like in China! then there are real french bagettes everywhere, cake and fresh fruit juices. i got a juice with dragon fruit in it which was very tasty. we also wandered along the night market that had so many nice touristy bags, pictures, shoes, etc that i may be spending some money here! Laos was a french colony and you can see the french influence in buildings and food, and perhaps thats why it feels friendly here because it has Western (and therefore familiar) influence.
we are staying by the river in a little hostel. and tonight going up to a temple with a great view. we will then decide whether to stay here a day longer or carry on to the next climbing destination.

permalink written by  Clairesj on October 17, 2009 from Luang Prabang, Laos
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ducks and broken waterpipes

Kunming, China

After 2 drive days we arrived in the centre of Kunming having got lost for 2 hours until almost 3am in the morning. We checked into a hostel and enjoyed a comfy nights sleep before driving about 2 hours out of the city to a village and all the climbing. we found a beach area near the river and road and set up tents here, racing to get the flat spots! It had the usual Chinese litter, but after I had pitched my tent I lent into the porch of it and suddenly saw a needle and syringe sticking out of the sand a few inches from my knee. It was a little scary.
The first day climbing we walked up a track to the right of our campsite, (you could see the crag above the campground), and searched for a dirt track to walk left to reach the climbing. 3 hours later and we guessed we may be on top of the crag because we couldn’t see it anywhere! Deciding to give up after eating lunch at a really nice spot with awesome views, we finally found an obvious path further down that led to the crag. I actually enjoyed the unexpected hike. The scenery is lush green hills, with some farmed land cut into the sides of the hills, and the river running through the valley. It reminds me of Italy if there were olive trees! I managed 2 climbs that day, one a good 6a lead.
The climbing is more underdeveloped here, although there is a guide book. We found some routes were loose with flakes falling off, and when trying a pumpy 5 for ages and eventually giving up as it seemed ridiculously hard, we stepped back and looked at the rock and saw the remains of where a massive tufa must have been once. We weren’t as bad as we thought we were! I also did a really nice 5 pitch multipitch route with Betina. The first 2 pitches were each 40 metres so feltvery long, and also fairly hard, followed by shorter easier pitches. At one point I pulled off a big hold and fell off- luckily on second! I started tapping the holds after that to check they weren’t hollow!the way down was a walk off and covered with spiders webs the whole way down. There are some big spiders and colourful ones too. The walk to camp we passed a spider that was almost 2 inches big and its body was green and yellow zig zags with red and black. It was actually quite pretty from a distance!
I got cook duty on 2 days of climbing- which was a big pain. But our second dinner was a big success. Spencer (whos actually from Maidenhead!) and I went to the market searching for chicken. When after doing embarrassing impersonassions of chickens, we were shown the live chickens, I then tried to demonstrate a dead chicken and even drew a bad picture! Instead the helpful Chinese lady showed us to some cooked ducks. Why not, we thought! So after buying 5 ducks for equivalent to 10 pounds, the butcher then got his butchers knife and cut all down the neck, body and legs. He then got the head and was going to slice down the centre of the head and beak before we stopped him and signaled that we didn’t need the head! It was a very successful meal with hoisin sauce and fresh noodles.
on the way to the hostel, we drove up a side road to park and got to a metal pipe that crossed the road that was a bit low, so danny lifted it up over the roof of BiRT and we drove as it clunked along the roof. as it came off the end of the roof it collapsed in the middle and started a flood all over the road! we had broken the mains water! some o fthe locals got a bit upset and the police were called. everyone walked to the hostel as it was just around the corner while pete, danny and jimmy delt with the police! im not sure what the outcome is yet! hotrock cant help but get into trouble!!
We are now on the truck to Kunming for the night before an early start towards the Laos border tomorrow. We have said goodbye to more people, a lot who were only briefly HotRockers and have 3 more people join yesterday. Im excited to leave China as im ready to leave and Laos sounds like a great place with great people. Im also looking forward to a week off climbing as I feel tired from the non-stop climbing of the last 5 or 6 weeks. Then I will be refreshed and ready to tackle Laos limestone and its soft grading- yes!

permalink written by  Clairesj on October 13, 2009 from Kunming, China
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i cracked a 6b+ !

Yangshuo, China

What a successful day! I led the 6b+ today (that i mentioned in my last blog, getting half way up it). i did take on the rope at a few quickdraws but i got up it. i did the crux first time when i just committed to the move and was very releived to find a hidden crimp hold next to the next bolt! the route was 27 metres and pretty strenuous so im probably quite far from leading it clean. shame i cant try it again in a week! then in the afternoon we did the 5 pitch multipitch, with 6 of us. we got there just after a chinese pair had started on the first pitch. they didnt really know what they were doing and took ages. the climbing was nice and easy apart from the last pitch that felt exposed a you moved over a vertical drop. we all met on the last belay point after i had sorted out the chinese guys prussik so it actually worked! they also only had one rope when you needed 2 ropes for a 50 m free hanging absail! so we untyed their rope for them! eventually we got to abseil but it got dark as we did so. the abseil was awesome. really wicked views of all the limestone karsts in the distance, the sky red behind them, and the river with bamboo rafts going up and down. next we walked through a cave to the other side of the karst and abseiled from there to the ground. it was now pitch dark and again i had forgotten my headtorch so a good cycle back to camp! its matts birthday today so the multipitch was a big thing for him, especially as he is scared of heights and looked very pale on a free-hanging belay point!
one day left of climbing and i have 2 projects for tomorrow. lets hope my confidence lasts! perhaps i am finally making a bit of progress!!

permalink written by  Clairesj on October 5, 2009 from Yangshuo, China
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