Climbing in Krabi

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Krabi. Definitely my favorite place in Thailand so far. Caught a ferry and then a longboat (travelling here is never direct!) to Rai Lay beach. We stayed on the more budget-friendly East side, just a few minutes walk from the gorgeous beaches on the dream-on West side. Nevertheless, for just over ten pound a night, less than a drink in a paris club, the resort is pretty luxurious, so why not ? After all, we have labelled ourselves as flashpackers, basically backpackers who enjoy the comforts of air conditioning, hot showers and the like.
Natalie opted for her own room as she wanted some space, so Hannah and I spent the afternoon till late on the beach. Warm sea, soft sand, sunset, drinks, what more could a girl want ? This place is incredible as it's got lots to offer in terms of activities (kayaking, hiking through the jungle, rockclimbing, etc) and is more tranquil than other beach towns we have stayed in. Definitely my sort of place.

On the second day here, I took on the challenge of a full day rock climbing adventure. Result : immense but exhausting day. By 9 am, I was kitted out and ready to begin and I headed out with my group (Chi, the Chinese man, Andy the Aussie and our unnamed guide) to the 1-2-3 limestone cliff wall. We were taught the basics : how to tie knots, how to belay, etc ad spent the morning doing some of the easier walls. Although, I'm certainly not an experienced climber, I love this sort of thing and although some of it was fairly challenging, I really enjoyed myself. Stopped for lunch and then the afternoon took a more intense note. We walked over to Phan-ngan beach and at the edge, enclosing the cove, we set eyes upon our mission. This wall was certainly a struggle, the holds were far apart and difficult to grasp, making movement and finding my balance very awkward. I'd often find myself spread-eagled over the rockface, stopping to think before I opted to shuffle left or right and continue my climb. After a terrifying few meter fall, which I admittedly was caught by my harness, I finally reached the top. No strength left, no energy, sweating profusely, knees bleeding, all I could do was sit back on the harness and enjoy the sense of accomplishment and the view. Immense. After Scorpion Wall, on which the guide thought it would be funny to warn me of scorpions..not funny, we clambered up to a massive cave in the rockface. With torches, we made our way through the darkness, up bamboo ladders, across thin strips of rock, ducking under overhangs. Eventually we escaped the blackness of exploration to a stunning view of the whole peninsula. The problem? We were still a good 30 m above solid ground. The solution ? Abseiling. A little bit more out of my comfort zone as I was actually in control of my own rope and descent, it soon proved to be a lot easier than it looked. Long walk back before collapsing on me bed.

24/07 - Got up early this morning for a little last bit of exploring before we headed off on the night ferry to Ko Samui. Although a little bit sore from the rockclimbing, this was the place if ever to wander, climb and scramble. Took a fairly treacherous path up into the jungle - luckily there were ropes for me to pull myself up over the slippery mud and climb over the craggy rocks. The work paid off at the viewpoint though ! Then continued through an eerily quiet bit of forest to the lagoon but as I sensed a storm coming, hastily headed back. Took cover in a hotel reception during the hour long downpour then off to the beach.

In the late afternoon, we began the epic trek to Ko Samui
1. Waded into the water to jump on a longboat to the pier
2. From the pier caught a bus to the central station
3. After a 2 hour wait, took another bus for a couple hours to a Tourism Office
4. After another hour wait, packed ourselves into an oversized Tuk-tuk to the Surat Thani pier
5. A while more to wait before the night ferry departed. This part wasn't so bad though as it was a "sleepy boat" which meant the entire cabin was lined with mattresses. Boat, bed, massive sleepover with 30 randomers...this is travel in Thailand.

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