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Crag & Route Beta

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Thailand


gordoste

15-Sep-2009
12:20:50 AM

we stayed in air conditioned comfort with old jean-claude vandamme movies on tv and fresh linen daily. $340 for 8 nights (3 of us shared). definitely worthwhile. i felt a little indulgent but i figure i work hard 48 weeks of the year so i deserve it. and i was glad to have a flushing toilet when i was throwing my guts up.
i don't remember the name of the place but it's the one on the southern end of tonsai beach and you can abseil into the bar.


SteveC

15-Sep-2009
4:15:09 AM

On 12/09/2009 Paulie wrote:
>On 12/09/2009 Eduardo Slabofvic wrote:
>>Have the Phi Phi island have a dose of re-equipping? If so they really
>>are excellent, but if not they would be death on a stick by now.
>
>Everything seemed fine to me, I whipped on a couple of routes and I'm
>still here... the hangers and bolts certainly looked new and bombproof
>with new slings on most things. That was 3 years ago now tho...

If indeed they were hangers and bolts, then new and bombproof are not the right words to use. Some
might say 'lucky' is a more fitting word. Or possibly 'new' and 'wrong'
I was in Tonsai last year and was appalled not by the bolts (there are bad bolts and old bolts in a lot of
places where we climb, its your job to recognise what is what) but more so the ignorance of the
general populace of sport bumblies there; the 'its a bolt, trust it' mentality was prolific. But to be fair the
problems are complex and hidden there.

Most things seem fine but you get to recognise the generations of bolts after a little while, from the
galvanised expansion bolts (by now old, rusty, obvious death on stick, if you clip one of these you
probably make bad choices regularly in your life), stainless expansions, stainless glue-ins with a
variety of glues through to the current standard of titanium glue ins.

For a basic appreciation of how stainless steel does actually corrode despite not staining and why
expansion bolts are bad, skim over this for key words such as 'corrosive environment', 'applied' and
'residual' stress and my personal favourite 'catastrophic failure' .
http://corrosion-doctors.org/Forms-SCC/scc.htm
Then read this if you still dont care.
http://www.safeclimbing.org/education/deepbluesea.htm

I found another common mode of failure- rattly bolts, where the glue to rock bond had failed, but the
bolt itself is fine. After the 3rd or 4th I noticed that the problem was unique to one type of bolt, the
petzl ss ring with a white glue. I lobbed onto one of these repeatedly before noticing. Am still here
also, but that doesnt mean I am any richer for the experience.

While I am at it, I reccomend to bring a bunch of tat or old rope to replace worn out fixed threads. They
get worn out at the back where you cant see it.

And have a blast, the place is amazing. Make sure you eat as many curries and coconuts as you
possibly can!


NZclimber

15-Sep-2009
10:19:18 AM

Myself and a mate stayed here last time:

They had some tents set up at Krabi Mountain View in the old open air restaurant.
Also gave us a small security locker each for small valuables- passports etc.
100 baht a night? Sweet


Rich

15-Sep-2009
10:27:46 PM

On 15/09/2009 NZclimber wrote:
>Myself and a mate stayed here last time:
>
>

>
>They had some tents set up at Krabi Mountain View in the old open air
>restaurant.
>Also gave us a small security locker each for small valuables- passports
>etc.
>100 baht a night? Sweet

Oh no, what happened to the pool tables?? :-O


NZclimber

16-Sep-2009
9:24:22 AM

On 15/09/2009 Rich wrote:

>Oh no, what happened to the pool tables?? :-O

Don't worry there was still a pool table there, these were just 3 tents tucked into one corner.

Pool playing was made a bit difficult when the grounds keeper was asleep on it half the time tho... haha


NZclimber

7-Oct-2009
12:52:12 PM

Anyone know the likelyhood of meeting climbers in Lao Liang?
Looks pretty sweet for DWSing with a kayak, as well as roped climbing and general mellow time.

Am in Thailand on a solo mission in Feb and wondering if it's worth the venture all the way out there by myself if there might not even be any experienced climbers to meet..


Doc

7-Oct-2009
2:57:07 PM

I will let you know after November


Doc

27-Oct-2009
9:29:15 AM

Anyone got any suggestions re currency! Not the rate just whats best to take? Is it all just electronic
banking ie using atms or do people still do the travellers cheque thing?

Monica Wormald

27-Oct-2009
11:19:59 AM

On 11/09/2009 NZclimber wrote:

>Just impulse purchased rtn tickets to Krabi from Melb for $400 and now
>sussing what to do.

NZclimber would you please please let me know where $400 return flights to Thailand were found?


NZclimber

27-Oct-2009
1:23:14 PM

On 27/10/2009 Monica Wormald wrote:
>
>NZclimber would you please please let me know where $400 return flights
>to Thailand were found?

Hi Monica, I got them through Air Asia no frills style online. Every now and then they advertise $99 MEL to KL, but it usually costs around $200 from KL to MEL. I got those rtn and then they fly around a lot of Asia from there.
I got KL to Krabi for $40, and I'll go overland to Bangkok. Bangkok to KL for $60. = $400

All flites connect fine (fingers crossed) and I can have a look at KL on the way back for a day.

I usually check Air Asia for these, the cheap ones are a little random and dotted around sometimes but its easy enought to work leave around it.


gordoste

27-Oct-2009
2:35:53 PM

On 27/10/2009 Doc wrote:
>Anyone got any suggestions re currency! Not the rate just whats best to
>take? Is it all just electronic
>banking ie using atms or do people still do the travellers cheque thing?

If you're going to Tonsai then there's ATMs in Ao Nang. Take normal precautions e.g. cover your hand as you type the PIN.


NZclimber

27-Oct-2009
3:26:20 PM

There was also an ATM in Railay in one of the resort lanes in the side of a shop.
Saves the boat ride to Ao Nang

Monica Wormald

27-Oct-2009
3:39:41 PM

>Hi Monica, I got them through Air Asia no frills style online.

Cheers NZclimber. Now scanning site for cheap flights..... awesome distraction from study. Man, I went to Tonsai in Febuary this year and flights cost me $1200 return. Oh well, it was totally worth it.

Thanks again!


JimboV10

28-Oct-2009
10:59:12 AM

On 27/10/2009 Doc wrote:
>Anyone got any suggestions re currency! Not the rate just whats best to
>take? Is it all just electronic
>banking ie using atms or do people still do the travellers cheque thing?

Hey Doc,

Wouldnt bother with the Travellers Cheques. I would go cash or a Travelex Cash Passport - more secure and less fee's than your own Bank Cards...

daave

21-Dec-2009
11:09:02 PM

I'm heading on a 6 week trip of Thailand and vietnam on friday and just had a few quick questions.

Re: Chalk. Someone said above to take firetruck loads as it's expensive over there. How expensive is it? Was kinda being paranoid but, would there be any trouble taking loose chalk over? Ie. are they going to see our 'white powder' then take us and shove us in some cell for the next few years while they figure out if the powder does more than improve climbing grip?

Re: Bolt plates. Yes? No?
Thought i'd ask just to make sure.

Cheers

DSPIES

22-Dec-2009
5:13:17 AM

We had no problems with chalk an we were carrying a fair bit. It doesnt look as suspicious when bundled into your climbing gear. If you get stopped just challenge your customs agent to do a line :)

We also didn't use bolt plates in Thailand. Not sure about Vietnam.
Ohh and there are 2 ATMs on Tonsai - one on either side.

I'm so envious. have fun.

daave

22-Dec-2009
7:46:34 AM

Thanks for the info!

Yeah, I kinda figured it wouldn't look soo bad if the chalk was with all the climbing gear.

Even though I have no idea, I'm fairly sure that bolt plates arn't needed there as they seem to be a fairly australian thing. Although, does anyone know if i'll need any at all?


Doc

22-Dec-2009
9:44:55 AM

Hi there,
Having just returned from Thailand I can tell you there is definatly no need of bolt plates there. all climbs
are bolted or slung.
As for chalk I took a bag still in original packaging and had no problems at all. I used heaps too so do
take spare. At climbing shop in Railay they sold loose chalk small bag 100 baht bigger bag 200 baht so
pretty cheap if you dont want to carry too much. No idea on the quality but the amount you use it really
wont matter.
Wish I was going back, you will have a ball. Stay safe


NZclimber

22-Dec-2009
11:10:49 AM

On 7/10/2009 NZclimber wrote:
>Anyone know the likelyhood of meeting climbers in Lao Liang?
>Looks pretty sweet for DWSing with a kayak, as well as roped climbing
>and general mellow time.
>
>Am in Thailand on a solo mission in Feb and wondering if it's worth the
>venture all the way out there by myself if there might not even be any
>experienced climbers to meet..
>

Hi Doc, welcome back.

Any feedback on my above query?

Cheers!


Eduardo Slabofvic

22-Dec-2009
11:44:52 AM

I was on Lao Liang about 10 days ago. I was there for a week. Most days there were several people climbing, there were 2 days when my partner and I were the only ones climbing. I didn't do any DWS, as the tides didn't work out. You'll want to go a high tide. Kayaks are available on the island.

If you book over the web, you'll end up exchanging messages with an American guy named Michael - who lives in Ao Nang. He's really helpfull, and will go climbing with you if he's rostered on while your there. There are other guys who work on the island that climb, but I don't know if they'll charge you a guiding fee.

See if you can put a line up on the Western side of the Island. A fixed access route (from a kayak) up there would be fantastic.

There are 51 messages in this topic.