Feb 14, 2017

Laos Trip

Since having kids, we haven't traveled overseas as much as we used to, but we've been able to tag team a few times and do some trips separately with friends while the kids are little.  Britt had been encouraging me to plan an international trip for at least a year, and I decided to sit on it until a good opportunity came up.  Sure enough, my friend Brian emailed me last summer to tell me about an amazing new climbing area in Laos:  "the best in all of Asia," he said.  He had been living in Thailand for the last year or so, working as a climbing guide, and he planned to visit Laos again in November.  That was an easy decision.  My friend Bryce was also looking to take a vacation so we decided to fly out together an meet Brian. Here are some photos from the trip:

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Taking a tuk tuk out of Thakhek to our destination in the countryside


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Our bungalow at Green Climbers Home, a camp built and operated by German climbers Uli and Tanja Weidner

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Camp headquarters/restaurant

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Bryce enjoying the limestone tufas



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Fish dinner

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Good company from all over the world


  016Massive cave with a river running through it, two minute walk from our bungalow. It was a great place to take a dip and cool off on hot days.
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 Finishing a fun 5-pitch sport route called Chinese New Year

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Brian summiting

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We ended up renting a couple motorbikes to get in and out of town easier, and visit the local attractions

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Sunset on the Mekong River. Thailand is on the other side.


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 Come to find out our motorbike's headlight didn't work. Luckily we are climbers and had headlamps with us to make the long ride back to camp.

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I led this route called "Finally Home" a couple times but didn't have enough time left in the trip to finish it clean.

  034Classic roof climb called "Jungle King". One of my favorites of the trip.

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Wild rock! Three climbers are seen. I'm near the top of the photo, climbing Jungle King

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 Brian tunneling through the birth canal on "Saugeburt"


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 The gecko that lived in our roof. It tormented us with its chirps every night.

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Motor scooter adventure to visit one of the many Buddha caves
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Moments before I fell. Somehow it a feels much more difficult when you're above water.

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Back in Bangkok before flying home

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The recently deceased King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand

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Mourners outside the Grand Palace in Bangkok

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