This year’s trip was pretty much the same as last year’s. Great routes, excellent food and awesome team, albeit without the visit a visit to a midget bar. We stayed at De Chai in the old town and drove out to Crazy Horse for six days of climbing. The weather was excellent, albeit a bit warm and long story short, we climbed at pretty much all sectors and had an excellent time. The weather was quite warm, but nice in the shaded areas, and the company was excellent.
Crazy Horse and Chiang Mai are incredible for the low-stress, Asia climbing trip. I would say its my favorite venue, leaving aside the ongoing challenges around access and the fact that severely overhung limestone is my least favorite climbing medium. The recent additions of new crags and areas, as well as the CragFinder App, make a huge difference, as does the Skugga Café at the base of the crag. This part of Thailand feels quite prosperous and very cosmopolitan, with visitors from all over the world and the more times I come, the more it feels like a second home.
This team was bolstered by Donald and Hannah, who are both very capable and passionate climbers. Most days, Donald was get a rush of blood to the head and head up a hard route, which provided more amusement than inspiration for the rest of the group. It felt like everyone had an inspired moment or two, but in general our mission was to find the best looking lines, rather than the hardest ones. I got out-voted on the idea of abseiling into the Anxiety State Crisis Cave, which seemed a ridiculous choice, given the good path down.
Easy mornings with lots of coffees (and cokes) was the order of the day, followed by relaxed meals in the old town. The foodie highlight was a trip to Dash, but the general standard is high and not too expensive. Honestly, there are quite a few dodgy looking characters around this part of the world, but then maybe others think the same of me. It all seems to coexist in quite an Asian way, if that is possible to imagine.
This now feels like an annual trip, so hopefully more of the same in 2025.
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