Today was my third and final consecutive day of climbing in Vietnam. I’d say that the excursion was a success: I met and cragged with a superb and strong group of Cat-Ba based climbers, on-sighted seven climbs on lead with grades ranging from 5b/5.8 to 6b+/5.10d, followed (and sent!) my first 5.12, and found the perfect pre-crag bowl of breakfast pho and egg sandwiches for lunch.

Butterfly Valley is astonishingly beautiful, and I feel so grateful to the Asia Outdoors crew for whisking me away on their motorbikes to this slice of climbing paradise. Though I’ve only been there twice thus far, I can’t imagine that I’d ever tire of this breathtaking place. Remote, wild, and full of diverse routes from crimpy aretes to overhanging roofs to tufas and chimneys and super bouldery starts, the array of climbs in such a tucked away area is astonishing.