Over the past 10 years, rock climbing has become one of the fastest growing outdoor sports in the world. So it was only a matter of time before Vietnam caught on to the craze.
With the city’s only rock climbing outfit about to open its second climbing gym in Ho Chi Minh City, there has never been a better time to put away your white-collared shirt and step into a harness.
In December 2006, Ken Fudge founded X-Rock and opened Vietnam’s first artificial climbing wall in HCMC’s District 2. Originally built as a 26-metre-high water feature by a wealthy Vietnamese entrepreneur, the man-made rock juts out of District 2 like a take on Disneyland’s Thunder Mountain. The aborted water feature project marked the arrival in Vietnam of rock climbing as a sport.
Back in 2006, the city wasn’t exactly bursting with budding climbers. However, in a country starving for recreation, it wasn’t long before the wall created its own market. The vast majority of climbers remain first-timers who want to try something new. X-Rock caters primarily to the expat community but the Vietnamese market is growing, as an increasing number of businesses send their staff on corporate team-building exercises.
But don’t be put off. X-Rock’s activities aren’t just limited to conflict resolution between office workers. It’s open to all ages and abilities, no prior experience required. Children as young as four are encouraged to give it a go.
One of the common misconceptions about climbing is that you need a lot of upper body strength but as I discovered when I went to X-Rock’s District 2 location, the majority of the strength used comes from below. Still, I had some initial nerves about scaling a 26-metre vertical rock face belayed by a woman about half my body weight. But all the staff at X-Rock are extremely safety conscious and I was made to feel completely at ease.
At one point, about 20 meters up, I had to go against all my natural instincts and lunge for the next hold, which lay just outside my grasp. While this leap of faith was terrifying, I knew that I would be caught and lowered to safety if I didn’t make it. The adrenalin rush made me realize just why so many people are getting into this sport.
Two-and-a-half years since its founding, X-Rock is now expanding with two purpose-built walls in Phan Dinh Phung Sports Complex in HCMC’s District 3.
One of the walls is for bouldering, a style of climbing undertaken without a rope and therefore limited to short climbs over crash pads. The other is 16 meters high and utilizes top ropes, allowing climbers to scramble up with the rope always safely anchored above them. The wall also includes a four-meter overhang designed to test the limits of more experienced climbers.
The new walls have been supplied by the French company Entre-Prises and meet competition climbing standards. This means that Vietnam can now host international competitions. With the new interest in extreme sports, thanks mainly to the recent Asian X-Games, it’s quite possible that the new facilities will attract a diverse international crowd.
With all this positive attention, X-Rock is already making plans for the future. With the country’s newfound enthusiasm for climbing, the company is looking into supplying artificial rock climbing walls to international schools, resorts and even the Vietnamese military. Also in the cards are climbing centers in Nha Trang and Hanoi.
In northern Vietnam, the climbing craze is also slowly taking hold. Specialized climbing trips of Ha Long Bay are now available through SloPony (www.slopony.com) and have proved immensely popular among tourists.
The foundations have been laid, but Vietnam is still bursting with climbing potential. The country has many natural rock faces in stunning locations that have yet to be developed for rock climbing. If the sport continues to grow in popularity as it has in HCMC and Ha Long Bay, climbing in Vietnam may well flourish and prove to be a major tourist attraction in the future.
The best climbing spots in the surrounding area:
Climbed all there is to climb in HCMC? Want to explore further afield? Check out these five great climbing spots in Asia:
Krabi, Thailand
The monumental limestone rocks of Krabi attract climbers from all over the world. There are more than 700 routes ranging in difficulty. For those brave enough, there’s a selection of rock faces above deep water where you can climb without ropes. Be sure to check out the Railay and Ton Sai climbing sites. For more information visit www.thailandclimbing.com.
Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
Climbing enthusiasts Slo and Pony came to Vietnam in April 2008 with a mission to promote rock climbing in a safe and sustainable way. They run climbing trips all year around, as well as a number of other outdoor activities including sea kayaking, trekking and abseiling. It’s hard to think of anywhere more beautiful and thrilling to climb than Ha Long Bay. Located only a few hours drive from Hanoi. Check out the website at www.slopony.com.
Long Dong, Taiwan
Taiwan’s premier rock climbing spot features over 500 climbs on seaside sandstone cliffs that reach up to 80 meters high. Only 30 minutes from Taipei in an area of outstanding natural beauty, Long Dong (Dragon Cave) is a world-class climbing destination that is easily accessible for tourists in Taiwan. For more information see www.climbstone.com.
Skek O Cliffs, Hong Kong
Contrary to popular belief, Hong Kong has numerous cliffs and crags scattered throughout its National Park territories. Located on the southeast side of Hong Kong island, the crags of Skek O offer some of the best sea cliff climbs in the region. See for yourself at www.hongkongclimbing.com.
Vang Vieng, Laos
Like Vietnam, rock climbing is relatively new to Laos. However, there are now a few areas officially open to climbers. Vang Vieng, just north of Vientiane, boasts a beautiful limestone landscape and offers climbers free access to the crags. One-to-three-day courses are also available and equipment can be rented from adventure and ecotourism agent Green Discovery. For more information see www.greendiscoverylaos.com.
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