Climbing info for Northern Thailand

There are a whole bunch of areas being developed around Bangkok. Information is out there but a little patchy. I've tried to begin to put it together here. The map below is a pretty good place to start. Many of the topos which used to be free are now part of the new guidebook- Rock Climbing in Central and Northeast Thailand. I think these guys are in the slow process of rebolting these routes in Titanium and are using the guidebook to raise funds.

Nam Pha Pa Yai

This is probably one of the best areas to climb and it's just an hour or two out of Bangkok! It is a camp setup around a river gorge, complete with zipline across the gorge. The climbing there is really good. The camp is great (mattresses a little hard for my old bones though) and the food excellent. It gets more fun on the weekend as the Bangkok crowd come and play. During the week you will mostly have the place to yourself.

Their website is now nppy.camp and you can book accommodation and get detailed instructions on how to get to it. A very old topo to give you a taste is here.

You can probably spend up to a week here, with the harder stuff being excellent. It is very close to Bangkok, so expect the easier stuff (under 6c) to be polished- with any 5's being very polished....

The amazing river wall of Nam Pha Pa Yai

Lopburi/ Khao Jeen Lair/ Temple Area

Very close to Nam Pha Pa Yai, there are a few areas around here. Good climbing, some easier routes too. To get to the cliff you have to walk through the temple and up to the main face. The monks have been extremely nice to us climbers. The only request they have made is that climbers going to the cliff come by and say hello, and again when they leave so they know that you are safe. The best source for info is gonna be the guidebook. An older pdf is here.

Muak Lek crag

Another crag very close to Nam Pha Pa Yai- Bit of a long walk up the mountain, but you do get a little cooler air up top. Also it's kinda cool there being a monks retreat up there. Some info here.

Khao Yoi

Khao Yoi crag is the first rock-climbing destination to be developed within the Central region. It was developed in the mid-nineteen nineties by some Bangkok climbers and has also been bolted by expats and other visiting climbers. The routes range from 5’s to 7c+. There are some really excellent routes to be climbed here. It looks as if there has recently been a concerted effort to rebolt this crag.

Crazy Horse Chiang Mai

The best climbing in Northern Thailand is here- Unfortunately due to mad local politics it is currently closed. I think that you could probably climb here if you were sneaky, but that could mess up on going negotiations with the local government. There is talk of it reopening in 2020. A new climbing area is being developed- Lampang- but in 2020 it is still early stages for this crag.

Other great information sources

Bouldering Thailand- Great site for bouldering- mainly North Thailand around Bangkok- lots of topos and up to date info....

Great Facebook site for Northern Thailand

The Crag, as always is excellent if a little patchy...