[TR] Thailand- 1/8/2006

[Winter]

Climb: Thailand-

 

Date of Climb: 1/8/2006

 

Trip Report:

Pictures from trip to Thailand. 12-24-05 to 1-8-06:

 

wat pho

 

 

beaches

 

 

some NEY parties

 

 

 

 

thai food

 

 

some monkeys

 

 

and some climbing

 

 

 

 

 

Basically its a climbing paradise. Steep walls, huge jugs, and soft grades. Christened the 2nd annual climbing honeymoon. Two weeks is WAAYY too short for this place. Plan for at least a month - preferably much much more.

 

Notes for Thailand:

 

- Plan to sweat

 

- Bring a rag and your worst tee-shirts.

 

- Take slings and old rope to donate for protection and climbing anchors

 

- Try to plan trip for sometime other than XMas/NYE holiday. Euro families everywhere. Higher prices. Still no real waits for climbing.

 

Gear Notes:

14 draws, 60 m rope

 

Approach Notes:

4 flights, a minibus ride and a longboat ride

 

Edited January 10, 2006 by Winter

[TrogdortheBurninator]

looks awesome!

[John Frieh]

Nice pics d00d!

 

Two weeks is WAAYY too short for this place. Plan for at least a month - preferably much much more.

 

If I had a month I would fly south but I guess it comes down to what you get stoked about.

[Winter]

I know I know. I wouldn't spend a free month sport climbing either. Just meant that you need at least a month to really get a feel for this place.

[cj001f]

Don't forget to leave BKK as soon as possible. Sounds like fun

[corvallisclimb]

im curious is it strictly sport there, or is there any limestone trad in thailand?

[catbirdseat]

im curious is it strictly sport there, or is there any limestone trad in thailand?

From what I hear, they've bolted every crack and protectable pocket there is. French style.

[Winter]

You could climb trad there if you wanted, but there aren't that many lines, and it isn't really worth it to bring the gear unless you want to go exploring on a boat/motorcycle/car. Most of the routes protect with a combination of bolts and slings passed through holes in the limestone. There were perfectly good cracks that had been bolted.

[corvallisclimb]

You could climb trad there if you wanted, but there aren't that many lines, and it isn't really worth it to bring the gear unless you want to go exploring on a boat/motorcycle/car. Most of the routes protect with a combination of bolts and slings passed through holes in the limestone. There were perfectly good cracks that had been bolted.

 

 

right on sounds a little bit like the limestone in sinks canyon in wyoming. i would go in there with a rack and just push my limits knowing that there would always be a bolt within reach

[tytyler]

Spent a month there myself right b4 the tsunami. How did everything look, we were pretty shocked after it hit. We stayed at Ton Sai (Ralay) and did as much climbing as the muscles allowed. What a great place to go. We also spent a week or so in Chaing Mai in the north, a beautiful city filled with Buddhist temples and incredible food. Nice pics though, brings me back to our trip.

[drater]

I disagree. There is huge potential for trad climbing there, some of the best I've ever done. Every formation and many new routes was first climbed trad style, cams, nuts and kevlar slings to thread pockets (kevlar is stiffer and easier to thread one handed while hanging off some tufa pumped stupid than tubular webbing...

 

In short, fun, dangerous, exciting trad climbing. And afterwords it gets bolted into submission for the fun of the masses. But you could still go to Tonsai or Rai Ley today and not climb out the trad and new route potential in a year.

 

Any semi obscure wall back in the jungle with only a handful of routes is waiting for your cams and hooks and machete action, get after it.