Adventure climbing

As much as it is possible to call sport climbing adventurous, I think we did a pretty good job on finding some unexploited crags in Northern Thailand. After climbing some days at Crazy Horse Buttress near the tourist-hub city of Chiang Mai, we decided to go in search for new climbing sectors recently bolted by local people. We were supplied with a hand-drawn map of the area, as well as some rough topos, which we soon found out to be quite incorrect. 

My partner-in-crime was Jedy, with whom we used to be colleagues before leaving the company. (Yep, once we even talked about our previous work projects between climbs.) We rented a motorbike and drove up to Chiang Dao, an ordinary small town surrounded by beautiful mountains. Having picked the cheapest guesthouse available, we slept on the floor and were served by its charismatic owner when ever she felt like being serviceable.

Guest house terrace evening view

The climbing sectors are located right next to crop fields, so local farmers helpfully pointed us to paths leading to the cliffs. Had we had machetes to cut off sticky spiky plants from our way, would we have ended up with less scratches and torn pants. However, the stunning scenery and excellent routes made it worth the trip! Having very little information about the rarely climbed routes, Jedy set out to explore them; estimate grades and safety, look out for wasps/spiders/lizards/flying ants (found all of them!), and on one route to drop down a plate-sized stone right next to my head.

Dense approach path

My star moment was climbing my first clean 6B. For the first time at outdoor leading I dared to climb at my true skill level, which was a mental victory for me. I would not have done without Jedy, who kept on encouraging me. Having a reliable and committed belayer has a notable part in successful climbing, as at all times the climber must feel that s/he is there for you. For me it is especially important to build a good relationship with my belayer and take test falls on him/her. Taken that, it is a bit frustrating to keep changing belayers as I travel to new places.

The long and technical 6B route

(Expensive) sparkling wine to celebrate!

One day we were joined by three more friends to hike up to Doi Luang Chiang Dao, which is Thailand's third highest peak at 2225m. We managed to avoid hiring a guide, so we simply followed this clean path revealing us lush views over the mountains, colorful butterflies and rare flowers. It was enjoyable times indeed, and the next day we visited Chiang Dao caves, that form long tunnels with narrow bottlenecks and wide chambers underground. There we got to see animals of darkness, such as pats and spiders.

Pre-hike hotpot dinner

Nap at the top

Buddhist cave decorations