Categories
climbing general

Blast from the climbing past

Seeing as I’ve been sitting around at home with a sick little one – and not feeling so crash hot myself – I’ve been going through a lot of old photos and videos. I’m mostly trying to get a little film/slideshow cut together from our Moab trip earlier this year, but got sidetracked with our climbing trip to Tonsai Bay, Thailand, way back in February 2004. So here’s a mix of photos and footage from that trip! Jack Johnson playing in the background because that was the only CD that the bars along the beach ever seemed to play, and I’m pretty sure we heard it hundreds of times over the month we were there.


A month long climbing trip at Tonsai Bay, Thailand (including Megan's epic ascent of Cafe Andaman 7b/5.12b – I'll never climb that hard again!)

Categories
climbing general

tonsai and the tsunami

Some photos of the tsunami taken in and around Tonsai Beach, Thailand. My flatmate was rockclimbing there – she was actually up on the cliffs by the beach when it hit. This area was lucky, and there was relatively little damage, and very little loss of life – I think none on Tonsai Beach itself. Things didn’t go so well for Phi Phi (which is actually where climbing first kicked off in Thailand). For anyone who is interested in more information about the people from those climbing areas you loved (or how to donate to those affected areas) look here, here, and here.

tonsai bay

This photo is from a series that was taken up on Thaiwand Wall. It was actually printed in a few different newspapers.

freedom bar

The wave hitting the Freedom Bar on Tonsai Beach.

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climbing general

vale stalagasaurus!

stalagasaurs - the climb that was

news just in: stalagasaurus, that well loved beach warm-up climb at ton sai beach, thailand, is now no more… *sniff* the enormous stal pictured in the images above decided it was no longer happy where it was, and fell to the beach (as someone was climbing).

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climbing general

thailand development

looking back at photos of ton sai beach from just 2 years ago, it’s alarming how much it’s been developed, and how much busier it is now. five years ago, there was only one set of bungalows there; a lot of people stayed over at railay beach. and now the entire beachfront has been developed – there are bars, and a travel centre, massage places, a sports bar with muay thai (thai boxing) …. and then there are more and more bungalows being built further and further back into the jungle. it seems like there’s construction madness everywhere throughout thailand – well, everywhere i went in the south anyway, everywhere there were areas of jungle being hacked down so more buildings could be built. you can’t really blame people though, when there’s so much money to be made from tourists.

Categories
climbing general travel trip reports

thailand!

weeee! back now. thailand was fantastic. there were chickens everywhere. some photos below, but there’s a proper gallery coming.

Thailand trip: 27th January – 19th February 2004



Jackie coming up the first pitch on Ao Nang Tower.


Playing hacky sack on Ton Sai Beach.


The longtail boatride home from Krabi.


Ton Sai Beach.


The view from the top of Wat Tham Seua.


Val on the Lion King (6c+).


Bouldering at Railay East.



Kicking back outside the Chillout Bar.


Chickens!!!


Roar.


Sunset from Ton Sai Beach.


Wat Tham Seua.


Jungle internet.


A longtail all dressed up for the cliff wedding.


Catching the local bus to Krabi.


Val on Babes In Thailand.