Page Type:
|
Area/Range |
|---|---|
Elevation:
|
820 ft / 250 m |
|
Overview
Laos is a great country with friendly people, beautiful surroundings and an interesting culture. Vang Vieng is a small town surrounded with beautiful limestone cliffs with some nice rockclimbing areas. |  |
Getting There
Vang Vieng is about 160km north of the capital Vientiane on Rte 13. It's a 3 to 4 hour ride by pickup or VIP bus (2,5 US). From Luang Prabang it's a 6 hour ride by bus to the south (170km). There are 4 climbing areas.CLIMBING AREAS:
- Sleeping Wall: take the road north of Vang Vieng and after 2 km turn to the left, following the sign Tham Non Cave (Sleeping Cave). As you get to the river (Nam Song) a boatsman can take you across . The wall is just behind the visible wall next to the river.
- Sleeping Cave: same as Sleeping wall, only after crossing the river turn right to the Tom Non Cave. As a private guide has concession to the cave there's an admission fee of 3000 kip (30 cents) to be paid at the right little hut at the river.
- Tham Nam Them: leave Vang Vieng north on the main road, after 7km turn left, just where a house with a blue roof is on the right hand side. Follow a dirtroad up to it's end onto rice paddies, traverse these to the left where a small path leads to the river. After crossing follow the mostly dry small river bed for 10 min, just before it's end at a little cave follow the trail right to Tham Nam Them cave. Go through the cave, the climbing area is just at it's opening on the other side.
- Pha Daeng mountain: in Vang Vieng cross the Nam Song river and hike in the direction to Pha Daeng Mountain or Lusy Cave. At the base of the mountain turnh left and continue the trail ubtil you get to a small cave. Keep left until a trail leads up to the cliff.
 |  |
Red Tape
A permit is required, and to be paid at Wildside Eco Group (outdoor activities) in the town of Vang Vieng. They are the only people with a climbing permit at the moment. It's 5 US a day for the whole climbing group together. |  |
Climbing areas
- Sleeping Wall: 14 routes, 4 to 7b+- Sleeping Cave: 9 routes, 5b to 8a
- Tham Nam Them, 15 routes, 5c to 8a+
- Pha Daeng Mountain: 8 routes
 |  |  |  |  |
When To Climb
November to February is the best period to visit Laos (rains the least and it's not too hot). The hot season is from March to May. Rainy season is July to October.Camping
Vang Vieng is a very nice and cheap place to stay + eat. There are many guesthouses and restaurants. You can already have a decent room with private bathroom from 2 - 3 US.External Links
- Wildside
Page of Wildside, the agency with the climbing permit
volker.schoeffl - Feb 8, 2005 4:12 am - Voted 10/10
Untitled CommentIMPORTANT: due to hard work from my friend and manager of Wildside Inty Deansavan the whole permit issue is dropped - just go and climb
Second: we added another 6 pitch fun climb on the tubers paradise wall in oktober 2004, fora link to all my new topos goto:
http://www.sportclimbing.de/allimg2005/volker_laos/laos_kletterfuehrer.pdf
or topos and pics:
http://www.softrock.de/
cheers volker schoeffl
volker.schoeffl - Feb 8, 2005 4:51 am - Voted 10/10
Untitled CommentThe tubers paradise wall is the one on the left picture above...
volker.schoeffl - Feb 8, 2005 8:35 am - Voted 10/10
Untitled CommentA brandnew little Guidebook is availiable at the Wildside Office in Vientiane and Vang Vieng
volker.schoeffl - Mar 19, 2005 1:22 am - Voted 10/10
Untitled Commentlast weekend i completetd my old project on the right side of the critton (see topo).
name: Ferbruar 5th. (proposal 8a/b)
didicated to those innocent people who died on feb 5th 2003 on a stupid uselees bandit ambush attack on the roadnoth of vang vieng, right where the trail leaves for tham nam them, exactly at the time when i was bolting the route.
fossana - Dec 31, 2008 4:52 am - Hasn't voted
tham nam themWe were in Vang Vieng last week and were told by the guy that runs the climbing shop/guiding service that Tham Nam Them is currently off-limits due to bolt corrosion. There's a newish moderate area about 5-10 minutes from Sleeping Wall called Secret Canyon.
mormugao - Sep 12, 2013 4:07 am - Hasn't voted
guide bookHi, Did you know if the book : guide to climb in Vang vieng is still available somewhere else than in green discovery office. I have been to the office in luang prabang and they don't have anymore. I will go next month to climb for 4-5 days in vang vieng and would have been great to find the book before. Cheers Chris