Hon But (the “pen island”) is pretty famous for its tiny base supporting a big but willowy piece of rock, like a stilt karst peak. It’s a nice place to start deep water soloing as the routes are easy and short, with a comfortable final edge to jump from. If you want to check out the bay from the very top, climb it in trad. A few meters further Hon But in the South-East direction, there is a wide wall with some nice DWS lines in a steep angle.
Hon But and the S-E wall in a glimpse
- Cat Ba to Hon But : 1h
- GPS coordinates: WGS 84, 20°47″31.5′ N / 107°06″38.4′ E, Lang Ha Bay
- Number of routes: ~3 routes on Hon But, ~3 routes on the South-East cliff, 1 trad route to get to Hon But top
- Tide accessibility: use a ladder for Hon But when the tide is low. Tough start when low tide for the South-East cliff
- Grades: 4c ->7
- Water depth: ok
- Rock quality: good
- Other: depending on your interlocutor, this peak might be named Hon Dua (Chopstick island), One Pillar Pagoda or Polish Pillar
Climbing guidebook
Check the photo with drawings for the 3 most evident lines.
Blue Line, 7a
Start below the weird horizontal stalactite to climb on it then to jump from it
Red Line, 7
Start with some jugs, some long reaches later there is a big hole to rest before a small roof
Yellow Line, 6
Fair climbing with good cracks
On Hon But, there is a lot of easy lines going to the main edge, which is a good base to hang out and to jump easily. A trad route is going to the top. Abseiling in the ocean to get down.
