[Control freak]

Ok folks, Im off to Krabi for 2 weeks of blissfull bolt clipping in September and I need some knowledge

Which guidebook should I get?
Where should I stay?
What are the must ticks up to 8a?

Cheers

[Carnage]

Try here:

http://www.simonfoley.com/climbing/

 

[Houdini]

If I was going to Thailand I would check Sikhiu (3 or 4 hrs NE of BKK @ Wat Khao Chan Ngam/Ban Loet Sawat) out.  Recently discovered in late '05.  And sandstone. 





(If you fancied some bouldering too.  Or meet up w/Chappers on Tao)

[Bonjoy]

 All the routes on the steep left hand side of Tonsai wall are very popular and polished but great fun nonetheless and very over graded. Old Chicken Makes a Good Soup and Phet Mak are both total giveaways at 8a, the most fun one was the 7c+ on the farthest left bit.
 I think the best route I did there was a 7c+ at Low Tide Wall, it takes the line left of centre on this photo, finishing up the brown stand-alone tufa, the 7a+ there is also exceptional.

 

 Happy Island has some amazing routes on scalloped smooth rock very like Huntsmans leap.
 Fire Wall has some brilliant photogenic pumpfests, quite tough for the grade by Thai standards.
 Did a very good multipitch 7b on Thaiwand wall, Lord of the Thais i think it was.

[Control freak]

Cheers for the info folks. I would go bouldering Houdini but as i spend most of the year having to boulder on sandstone in the boiling heat, I thought Id give it a miss

Good knowledge on the link Stu, heaps of useful info there

[hongkongstuey]

a few shots to get you all excited:















that little nostalgia trip is almost enough to tempt me back there for a sixth visit....

places to stay - anywhere on Tonsai, aircon bungalows should onlt set you back 600 baht a night at the minute

guidebook - any of them really, I've got the King Climbers one cause thats all that existed when i last went but think the Wee one is meant to be good and Sam Lightener Jnr has recently done one which should be good as he bolted most of the routes

Bonjoys suggestions are musts and Cream of Sum Yun Kai seemed ok for an 8a (one hard move, rest pretty do'able)
Tidal Wave (7b) and Hang Ten (7c) are both good - both Tonsai
K1 on Tyrolean Wall is a good 7c
Knights in White Satin -one two three wall- is a fantastic (and easy) 7b+ and Quarkz is a short ok 7b
The Keep is fantastic for a morning bagging in the 6b to 7a range - all the 6c's are superb
Definately Makes you whinge is the 7c Bonjoy was talking about on Low Tide Wall - the 7a+ (Strider) and 6c+ (Narcillion) are both excellent too but bring you're stamina for anything on this wall as its massively pumpy
Orange Juice is an amazing 7b+ on Thaiwand Wall and Caveman and Out of Sticks are both good 7a+
Humanality, Circus Oz, Lord of the Thais and Ao Nang Tower are all must do multi-pitch routes
Dont do anything in Escher World as its a bag of .....

That should keep you busy

[Adam Lincoln]

Hey Stu,

Iam going to be there for about 3 months from March onwards. What am i looking at paying for a bungalow? Dont want air con, jsut something secure!

[hongkongstuey]

I am going to be there for about 3 months from March onwards. What am i looking at paying for a bungalow?

March is getting towards the start of low-season so prices should be similar to now - 300'ish for a bungalow with fan would be my guess (although you'll be able to haggle prices a lot due to the length of your stay) - my mate Bon (who's been resident on Tonsai on and off for about 3-years now) should be back in HK soon so I'll quiz him for you.

If you feel like a break from the sun, sand and sea in favour of crowds, buildings and pollution feel free to drop me a line and pop over to HK - although from March onwards is when the weather starts to turn a bit pants over here...

[Adam Lincoln]

Cheers Stu, just what i wanted to hear ;-) Cheaper the better reallyh, and dont mind staying in somewhere cheap as long as its secure. I presume i would need to being my own mossie net for that price as the building wont be sealed?

How many pounds roughly is 300bht?

Will bare Hong Kong in mind. You do make the bouldering look amazing! And developing new stuff looks great!

[dave]

its about 75bht to the quid. so 300 is about 4 beans.

[hongkongstuey]

March is getting towards the start of low-season so prices should be similar to now - 300'ish for a bungalow with fan would be my guess (although you'll be able to haggle prices a lot due to the length of your stay) - my mate Bon (who's been resident on Tonsai on and off for about 3-years now) should be back in HK soon so I'll quiz him for you.

Scratch that - Bon thought you might be able to get something for about 100 (oor less) if you play the three-months card on them

[chappers]

yeah, the huts up in the woods on ton sai are cheap at that time, last year i paid 150/night during a two week stay. as for routes, some greats have been suggested, make sure you get up early, its fucking hot out here........in the airport flying home now

found some boulders on paulo tioman (malaysia). very snappy/shit granite. not worth the trip, dont bother. good food there though. fully scared the shit out of myself nearly swimming into a black tip reef shark, followed by speedy retreat to the beach, only to be told by some dive jocks that the are harmless...well it looked pretty fucking dangerous

adam, in three months you should find the time to hit up tao for a bit, there are some class lines to go at, so many that i had to leave behind for another day coz of heat, skin etc... its so easy to travel in thai (full of wankers off to the full moon from BKK, get on the same bus!!) krabi to tao will take a day via surithani (spelling!!). watch out on your moped, sketchy is an understatement. and the jungle...

didnt make it to krabi this time due to avoiding rain at all costs and trying to spend maximum time in malaysia.

have a good time