FAQs

1. CLIMBING

Finding a partner is easy during the climbing season ( 1 October –  15 to 30 May ). The camp is occupied almost exclusively by climbers, many of them travelling alone. So, just come to GCH and don’t be too shy to ask people to climb!

Definitely not! Only very few climbing minor accidents occurred in the camp and we hope, it will stay this way in the future. Bring in your own contribution to the good standing of GCH in this respect by operating cautiously and responsible throughout! Call the attention of those, who are about to make mistakes! A compilation of things “to do” and “to avoid” can be found under “Safety” in the Laos Climbing Guide and on our web-site: https://www.greenclimbershome.com/safety/

Most routes in the Thakhek region are fixed up with 10 mm expansion bolts in A4 quality of stainless steel, fitted with loops made from certified climbing rope. Different from climbing regions, located  in southern Thailand, bolts and hangers getting rusty are not a problem. If any rust is recognized, the item is being replaced within short time.

How should I react e.g. when. a bolt is loose, or a plate (or a nut) wobbles or in case a loop is broken? In such case (and other damage, noticed while climbing a route) try to imprint in your mind: What exactly is the problem and which dimensions does it have:
– Which route?
– At which height (which bolt?)
– What really is wrong?

In case, a nut/plate is loose, try to fix it temporarily by hand as good as possible. Get aware of your actual condition: Do I feel able to climb the route without endangering myself or others, or should I better break off. In any case, let us know about the problem as soon as possible, so we can take repair measures. If you want to climb the route again and feeling fit to solve the problem yourself, ask us for the proper repair tools.

 

If the rock is loose and can’t be extricated by hand you should mark it clearly with an “X”, using your chalk. This way others can stay clear of this grip. Please notify us as soon as possible so we can remove the wobbling rock, with a hammer or a breaking iron.

  • Swim in the cave behind GCH 1, the rivulet behind GCH 2, or even in the deeper river at the Tha Falang.
  • Try one of the many slacklines or brave the water line over the river at GCH 2.
  • Play some badminton, boules or beach volleyball.
  • Play one of the many board games, card games, darts or chess available at each camp.
  • Try out juggling or the kendama. 
  • Why not just relax or read a book at our ‘sand beach’ besides the cave.
  • Take a bicycle out and explore the nearby villages.
  • Go caving and explore some of the many caves on site or nearby.
  • Rent a bike and do the Thakek Loop. There are many blogs that provide more info.
  • Go on a tour with Green Discovery Laos for one or several days e.g. to the spectacular cave Kong Lor.

During the rainy period (June – September) many routes may be not climbable. Sometimes, the whole valley, where GCH is situated will be flooded, making access to the rock impossible. On the other side, you might be lucky and everything is more or less dry. Our advice: Pick-up the actual weather situation from the internet, before you make your decision.

The GCH camp will be shut down then, but you find accommodations at the Travel Lodge or at the Inthira Hotel in Thakhek. A moped brings you to the climbing grounds 15 km away from town. Camping at the climbing premises is not allowed!

No. We are completely closed-down during the rainy season from Mid-May/June until September.  There is no lodging, food, rental of equipment and or climbing courses to be offered.

2. WATER & FOOD

We obtain our water from a groundwater well on our premise. Tap water on the resort comes directly from this well and can be used without restriction e.g. for brushing teeth. Drinking water and the water used for cooking undergoes an additional filtering process.

Fresh food and victuals are bought daily from the market in Thakek.

Green Climbers Home is not an agricultural enterprise. We could not produce the necessary amounts of foodstuff for the camps.

Chicken meat is delivered deep-frozen from chicken raising enterprises in Thailand. Pork and beef comes from farms in the Thakhek area; we never heard about meat mass production in Laos. Thence, we assume that cattle are raised according to acceptable standards.

We have loads of vegetarian and vegan options to choose from on the menu! All meat dishes can be made with tofu and we always provide a vegetarian option for the daily special. Many dishes are already or can be altered to be vegan (symbols on the menu can help you find the vegan dishes and the staff are all aware of what constitutes vegan food). We even offer a vegan protein shakes with soy protein powder.

At the end of the menu you’ll find special menu variants which should help cater to any allergies. If you are unsure about something please ask the staff and they’ll be happy to help you out.

3. MONEY

This will vary depending on your demands but could range between 12 US$ (3 main dishes, water, 1 beer) and 25 US$ (3 main dishes, dessert, shakes, water, Cola, 2 beers)

We now accept credit cards but there is a 6.9% fee on card payments. If paying by cash you can pay with: Laotian Kip (LAK), Thai Baht (THB), American Dollars (USD) or Euros (EUR). Be sure to have enough cash with you when you check out.

There are many ATMs in Thakek to withdraw Lao Kip from. BCEL bank ATMs let you withdraw up to 4,000,000 Kip (in two withdrawals of 2,000,000) from Visa or Mastercard cards. Many other ATMs can be found around town as well.

ATM’s are sometimes empty – especially so on Sunday evenings and Monday mornings and will not let you withdraw money if this is the case. It’s reccomended to visit on other days if you need to reliably take out cash. ATMs tend to have a withdrawal limit per transaction as well as a daily cap on the amount you can take out, you may need to visit a few different ATMs to take out enough cash to pay for your stay. Alternatively by presenting traveller checks or a Visa-Card at the local banks, you can get Thai Baht, US$ or any other (common) currency.

Notify your bank to freeze the card. A new card can be sent to our postal address, which is listed under the contact section of our site. Please inform the GCH management that you expect to receive this mail.

If you are in urgent need of money, you can have money transferred rapidly to you by Western Union (Thakhek office) at additional expense.

4. SURROUNDINGS

It’s of course possible to go hiking in the area surrounding Green Climbers Home. You must however be aware that there are no marked trails. As an alternative, you may join guided tours which can be booked at the “Green Discovery of Laos” office in Thakhek. Additional information is laid down in their file, displayed at the GCH bar or on their website.

Principally this may be possible, but we strongly advise against trying! There are no marked trails and the rock is brittle, crumbly and sharp. Furthermore, many trees are not solidly anchored in the ground. Hence, a mountain tour could turn out to be very dangerous.

Yes! A short description of all caves located close to the Green Climbers Home including a map, can be found in the “Rest Days” section of the Laos Climbing Guidebook (together with other recommended rest-day activities).

There are 3 primary areas to swim in nearby. The first is located in the cave just behind GCH 1. There’s a small sandy beach and a large section of river to swim around in. Alternatively you can take a dip further upstream closer to GCH 2 and even try out the slackline over the river here. Finally for a larger area to swim in you can walk for around 30 minutes to Tha Falang and either take a dip at the resort there or for free in the river before it.

5. Getting around

Just before GCH 2, after you turn of the highway, there’s a small shop with a handful of bicycles and motorbikes available to rent. Alternatively there are many motorbike rental agencies around Thakek. If looking to rent a bike for the Thakek loop we recommend “Mad Monkey” to the left of the Inthira Hotel “Mad Monkey” offers not only heavy-type scooters, but also enduro-type motorcycles and quads.

No! The busses to GCH, pulling-out from Thakhek or Nakhom Phanom can’t be booked in advance. The same holds true for the long-distance and overnight busses. Tickets can only be bought for the present day at the bus stations. If your connection is on narrow schedule or your journey is urgent for some reason, then you are better off taking an earlier bus. During the high season, be aware busses could be overcrowded.

  1. By Tuk-Tuk
    The fare is 250.000 Kip divided by the number of participating people. For 4 or more people the price is 300.000 Kip (This is our rate from our partner tuk-tuk drivers. Expect to pay 300.000-400.00 Kip to get back from town). It takes about 25 min to get to the bus station and 30 min to Inthira Hotel in the center of town. You can request a tuk-tuk to pick you up from GCH by speaking to the staff at camp, please ask at least 4 hours in advance.
  2. By Bicycle or motorbike
    The rental fee/day at Mr. Leng´s Bicycle rental (100m from Camp 2) is 100,000 Kip for a bicycle and 250,000 for a motorbike.
  3. Hitchhiking
    You could offer some money to the driver (in the range of 10.000 to 20.000 Kip) or even some food or drink. Hitchhiking is of course not a guarantee, sometimes you will be picked up immediately and sometimes you may have to wait a while however in our experience you’ll normally be picked up relatively quickly when attempting to hitch during the day. Not all Laotians understand the principle of hitch-hiking and some drivers plainly ask for money after arrival. It is important to know that in Asia the typical hitchhiking gesture is a stretched-out arm and hand (palm down) which is then waved up and down.
    When attempting to hitchike back from town, we recommend heading first to the intersection between highways 12 and 13. Locals will most likely not know where Green Climbers Home is and may not understand google maps so try asking to be dropped off at Xiangliep (the town and cave near GCH) or Tha Falang, you can then direct them to drop you off by the turning for GCH, shortly after the town or walk for 10 minutes more down the highway

The first bus to the airport leaves Thakhek at 8:30 AM and takes takes approx. 1.5 hrs. A taxi takes about 30 min. As such you cannot get to NP airport much earlier than 10:00 AM. If your flight is scheduled for earlier than 10:30AM., you must either travel to Thailand the evening before or charter a minibus.

You can order airport shuttles with the staff at Camp 1 or Camp 2. A shuttle for 1-4 is 80 USD. A shuttle for 3-8 people is 100 USD. These can be reserved from the Nakhon Phanom airport to GCH or from GCH to Nakhon Phanom airport. You pay the driver directly and he accepts Lao Kip, Thai Baht or USD.

The shuttle will pick you up directly from GCH at whatever departure time you need. The shuttle will drop you off directly at the airport or anywhere else you want and does not have to wait in line at customs so should only take 1 hour. Even in case of early flights you can spend your last night at the GCH instead of being forced to depart the day before take-off.

6. THE GCH SYSTEM

We urge you to convey your wishes with regard to climbing-courses to us as soon as possible. We cannot promise, though, that at very short notice a course for you can be arranged but we always try our best.

At any time you can borrow a book, provided it is returned in the same condition as before when you leave the camp. Alternatively, you may exchange this book for another one, in the same or a better shape. Please do not exchange books marked with “GCH-no exchange”. In case, the book shelf spills over from books, single books can be taken without replacement, but please ask us first.

You can request an interim bill at any time. We will get this for you as soon as possible, but you may have to wait until next morning.

We are not able to guarantee this as GCH can often be fully booked, especially during high season. We will try our best, but if you do not inform us in advance we cannot guarantee availability of tents / dorm beds.

On departure-day you must pay your final bill between 6:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. At 11:00 a.m. the bungalow must be cleared and the key given back at the reception. Likewise, dorm-beds or tents must be vacated. Make arrangements with the staff if you want to stow away your luggage, the cost of this is 20.000 per day.

Items which you take personally must be noted in your billing-book (this will be explained on check-in). Everything you order at the bar or from the waiters is recorded in the book by staff members. You may take things from the two refrigerators, drinking water from the two fountains, hot water from the water boiler, and tea bags and coffee powder and then note this in your book. If you want milk for your tea or coffee, please use the ‘powdered milk’, placed on the tables or ask for fresh milk at the bar. In the latter case you have to enter “coffee (tea) with milk” in your book.

Please do so as early as possible but 5 days in advance minimum, (maybe even more during peak season). If you have to unexpectedly depart early, we may not be able to refund you. This also applies, if you want to go on the ‘Loop’ during peak season without making prior-arrangements. Regardless please notify us as early as you can and we’ll try 

Please do so as early as possible. During December until February, our resort is extremely busy and often booked-out.

7. THE RESORT

The menus, services offered and climbing facilities are identical between the camps, there are however a few minor differences. All the bungalows at Camp 1 have private bathrooms and are slightly larger than those at Camp 2. Camp 2 has 6 bungalows with shared bathrooms and 6 with private bathrooms. Camp 1 has two 6 person dorms whereas Camp 2 has two 4 person dorms. Finally only Camp 2 has cell service. Guests are welcome to eat and hang out at either camp regardless of which one they are staying at.

The distance between both camps is approximately 500m. Approaching the camps from Highwa 12, GCH 2 is reached first. Following the dirt road a bit further, you get to GCH 1.

Between June and September, during the monsoon period, heavy rain may cause the small river adjacent to the camp, to flood the campsites. The houses in the area withstand this flooding, because they rest on concrete poles founded deep in the ground.

Each resort (GCH 1+2) employs about 13 local people: waiters, cooks, room waitresses and 2 people in charge of buying food and related stuff. On top of this volunteers from around the world help out at reception and with climbing courses in exchange for free food and accomodation

We always need volunteers, who – in the first place – assist with the execution of climbing courses, but may be engaged also at the reception, and in restaurant service. If you have worked in gastronomy and also have some experience as a climbing guide, you are a candidate for such a job. Being a sympathetic person, willing to give a good performance as a team worker, please contact Fai & Tom or Melissa & Sam directly or send an email to: Fai (fai@greenclimbershome.com) or Melissa (melissa@greenclimbershome.com).

We do not offer WiFi at GCH, but you can get cell service with a smartphone (and then hotspot to any other devices). Sim cards and top-ups for them are available for purchase at both camps. Note that not all of the available SIM providers in Laos will have good reception at GCH. To garuntee cell reception we reccommend buying a SIM from camp.

GCH 1 has no cell reception at the bar or accomodation. For cell reception you will have to walk 50m away to the Yoga Hut which typically receives a little bit of recpetion.

GCH 2 typically has good cell service but this can be variable and outages are relatively common. Video calls and streaming should be possible at most times.

Many cafes, bars, restaurants and most accomodation in Thakek will have WiFi available if you need a more reliable connection.

Green Climbers Home is not connected to the Thakhek sewage system. Instead, we are operating a multi-step filter system in order to clarify our waste water. In a first step, microorganisms break up and degrade the coarse material. In the second tank the sewage is forced through layers of charcoal and sand. The last unit is a drainage tank, which finally releases the reconditioned water into the ground. Spoilage of our clear-water resources does not take place since the GCH is provided with water from 30 m below ground level. Furthermore the camp is closed down for four months every year (during the rain-season), thus being “rinsed-through” thoroughly. Hence, in all probability fresh waste and waste water certainly do not interfere.

You may smoke outside of any of the buildings but make sure to use an ashtray and collect your cigarette stubs and dispose of into waste bins. During dry season fires can easily be started so take care to ensure ash and cigarette buts are disposed of properly.

During the rainy season, i.e. from June until September, both resorts are closed down. In this period, rain storms are heavy enough to partially or even completely flood the climbing area. Even when this is not the case, the gravel road to GCH, departing from Highway no. 12 is so slushy and soaked with water that it hardly can be passed. Consequently, e.g. food couldn’t be brought to the camp. On top of this most climbing routes get so wet and slippery that they couldn’t be climbed anyway

Some of our Laotian employees live in the camp permanently to maintain it and keep a look-out. Others visit there regularly during rainy season in order to keep the bungalows clean.

8. TRAVELLING TO LAOS

If arriving by plane or certain land borders you may be eligible for a 30 day visa-on-arrival. This typically costs between $30 – $45 (depending on your nationality). You can also apply for an e-visa online in advance or get a paper visa from a local Laos embassy.

Please check your local government’s website for the most up to date visa information for your respective nationality.

There are 2 ways to extend your visa if you want to stay in Laos for more than 30 days.

  1. Make a short trip across the nearby Thai border and re-enter right away (“visa-run”). When doing this you will pass through the visa procedure a second time, and receive another 30 day visa-on-arrival.
  2. You can extend your visa at the visa-extension-office in Thakek. You must drop off your passport and are charged US$1 per day of extension. You can then pick up your passport with the extended visa after a few days.

On leaving the country you will be charged 10 US$ for each day you’ve exceeded your visa for.

This depends on what you want:

If you don’t like to have too many people around you: Then we recommend the months October, November, April and May. It may then be pretty warm but in any case you can climb those walls which are positioned in the shade.

You don’t like it too hot: Then you should visit Green Climbers Home during December until February. January is the coldest month, temperatures dropping to about 15 Celsius. Yet, during daytimes it warms up to approx. 30 Celsius.

You like it to be lush and green: Then October and November will be perfect. After the previous rain season the natural environment is still green and lush. This also means that there is more wildlife around to see.

Note: Climbing is possible all the time from October until May. The valley offers great shade all day (at different crags).

You should leave around 4 hours to get from Suvarnabhumi to Don Mueang-Airport:
Around 1hr for passport control
30 min for picking-up your luggage
15 min. to find the free transfer bus
1 hr for transfer between airports
30 min for check-in at Don-Mueang Airport

The last bus to Thakhek departs from Nakhon Phanom at 4:30 pm and is hard to catch, as it’s about a 20 minute to drive from the airport to the Nakhon Phanom bus station.
Therefore, you should take a taxi at the airport directly to the Thai border. After the baggage claim, you will be directed to the taxi / limousine stand where the taxi will be ordered and paid in advance.

Once you are at the border …
– You can board the 4:30 pm bus, which may arrive at the same time as you.
– If there is no bus: hitch-hike over the 800m long ‘Friendship Bridge’ to the border of Laos. (It is forbidden to cross the bridge as a pedestrian).
– Pass the Laotian border. You must have your passport (valid for at least 6 months) and US $ 30-40 (depending on your citizenship) + passport photos at hand.
– You can probably get on a bus behind the border.
– If there is no bus: get a tuk tuk called by the officers to bring you to the Green Climbers Home.
– Here’s the phone number of the tuk-tuk driver Mr. Noy: +856 (0) 20 52978936. The trip costs 150,000 kip.

2nd possibility:
We can arrange a private pick up service from the airport directly to Green Climbers Home (via Green Discovery Laos).
Price: $80 to $100 USD per trip.

9. ANIMALS

Yes. There are snakes, scorpions and centipedes.

The most dangerous snake is the bamboo viper which can be fatal if you do not get to hospital in time. Our advice is to keep away from all snakes you see.

Scorpions can be found in different sizes and colours; all of them are poisonous. Their attack is painful but not dangerous. Remember, the smaller their claws are, the stronger the poison.

Centipede bites are extremely painful, however not fatal. Consult a hospital immediately if bitten.

None of the animals listed above, are vicious or will attack you ‘just for fun’. You will only be bitten if the animal feels threatened. In any case, try tread carefully around all dangerous animals and do not provoke them and it’s highly unlikely you’ll be bitten.

Further information can be found in the Laos Climbing Guide

No. Wild apes do not live in this part of Laos anymore; people have nearly extinguished the ape populations.

10. MEDICAL PROBLEMS & PRECAUTIONS

It is recommended to bring some medicine for an upset stomach. In Asia, it is almost inevitable that you’ll sometimes get in trouble, and it’s better to have the drugs directly to hand. In addition, a small emergency medical kit for dealing with minor injuries, along with some painkillers, is recommended. 

Common drugs can be bought in one of the many pharmacies in Thakhek. The drugs are very cheap, and you can get antibiotics without prescription. The difficulty may be to communicate to the pharmacist what your ailment is or what drug you’re looking for.

Laos is not considered a high risk area for malaria. The main danger of infection lies during and shortly after the rainy season, when there are more mosquitoes, ie in the months of May to October. In the months of November to March we have few to no mosquitoes, so the risk of catching malaria is less. However, if mosquitoes are present, try everything you can to not get bitten: mosquito coils (available here), mosquito spray (available here) and long clothes. Malaria mosquitoes are active only from dusk and at night.

In case of suspected illness (high fever) you should consult a doctor directly. A test in the hospital is made quickly and gives certainty. The doctors are well versed in the tropical disease and suitable medicines are also available there.

It is not recommended to take a prophylaxis against malaria. To take a standby means of travel, e.g. Malarone, won’t hurt.

Further information on the page “Travel Tips for Laos”: https://www.laos-reise.info/malaria-laos/

Laos is considered a risk area for dengue fever. The main source of contagion is during and shortly after the rainy season, in the months of May to October, when there are more mosquitoes. From November to March we have few to no mosquitoes, so the risk of catching dengue fever is low. But if there are mosquitoes you should try everything not to be stung: mosquito coils (available here), mosquito spray (available here) and long clothes to help. The dengue mosquito is mainly found in cities and is active all day.

In case of suspected illness (high fever with severe muscle and joint pain) you should consult a doctor immediately. There is no prophylaxis against dengue.

Please do not come to our camp if you suspect you have a case of Dengue. 

Please consult your doctor about which vaccinations are currently recommended when traveling to southeast Asia. 

11. HISTORICAL FACTS

The climbing area Pho Tham Kham which surrounds the Green Climbers Home was found by Volker and Isabelle Schöffl. As soon as the government authorities had forwarded permission the first 50 routes were established. This was accomplished by a group of seventeen, headed by Volker Schöffl. Further information on this subject can be found under “Short History of Rock climbing in Thahkek in our Laos Climbing Guide.

Tanja and Uli Weidner got to know about this area after reading a report, written by Volker Schöffl in the German magazine “Klettern” (“Climbing”).

Construction of Green Climbers Home started in April 2011. We welcomed our first guests in December 2011. In May 2012 the construction-stage was finished. Further information is included in the under “Short History of Rock climbing in Thakhek” in the Laos Climbing guide.

As a consequence of the immense demand from climbers all over the world, which want to order a stay at the GCH, it was logical to extent the capacity of the camp. Thus, in April 2015 we started to build a second, separate climbing resort nearby. Camp 2 opened December 2016.

Due to a terrible misunderstanding we launched some fireworks on New Years Eve in “012/13. One of the rockets, we thought of to be loaded just with confetti, made a landing on the roof of the restaurant which at that time was made from of bamboo leaves. Within five minutes the restaurant was fully inflamed and burned down. Subsequently a chain reaction burnt all but three of the bungalows.