So Star and I are back from Thailand and all I can say is wow. Thailand is an amazing place. Even if you are not a climber it is worth going to. We took a detour at first and stayed a night in Phuket the second night and took a ferry to Krabi the next day. In Krabi you have to take a bus to Ao Nang, and then a longtail boat to Tonsi Beach. All of this seems easy but if you do not speak thai or the people speak VERY little English, it's tough. After three days of traveling we arrived on Tonsi. Tonsi is a breath taking place. We took an afternoon to get accustomed to the area and decided to climb at Dum's Kitchen the next day.

The next morning we climbed some very nice lines right on the beach. DK, along with the Tyrolean wall are in the shade until about 12 or 12:30. then the lines start to heat up fast, and in Thailand you never want to climb in the sun. We climbed three routes there and then walked over to the Tyrolean wall to climb some classic lines on being Missing Snow. We climbed a couple lines and went for lunch.

One of the best parts of the trip was has close climbing is to everything there. Our bungalow was 10 mins from the crags. The crags are 5 mins from the restaurants and the beach is between it all. That first day we figured out what areas were in the shade at what part of the day and which areas were accessible when due to the tides. After lunch the first day we climbed at the fire wall. Which is a cool place that offers lines in every grade up to 7b. One thing worth knowing is that because of this many guides take their clients there and it tends to be busy after lunch. Also, it tends to get more sun in the early afternoon.

If anyone tells you that it does not rain in the "dry season" they are lying. The truth is that it rains everyday. Now in the "dry season" it rains everyday in the afternoon or evening. In the "wet season" it rains the same times just for a bit longer. And its 5-10C warmer. It is a myth that the wet season is nothing but a down pour. Point being that it is still OK to climb there through May.

We stayed at a bed and breakfast called Country Side Hotel. It was a splendid place that I would recommend to everyone. The folks that run it are English and are a joy to be around.

The crags around Tonsi are very interesting and require a bit of information before you start to climb so be sure to buy a guide before you head out. Most of the info is about the types of bolts and how to identify the "good" bolts from the bad. This is very important. I bought Sam Lightners's guide before hand which was printed in 2005 with the intention to have beta and a general idea of where to go. It turns out his guide is not just a climbing guide but some what of a travel guide too. But because the guide was five years old. The bolt info is not entirely accurate along with the airport info. Since the guide was written there is a new airport. Just keep this in mind. So we bought the new guide with is great. Having both guides was a great idea. I highly suggest purchasing Sam's guide in the US and the new one in Thailand.

I will write more on my next post. I'm tired...........................