Climbing Equipment List Thailand Chiang Mai. What you need, what you don't, and what the locals never climb without....
The Ropes - The climbing at Crazy Horse Buttress is long, and access to some of the best climbing depends on the length of your rope. The majority of routes are more than 25 meters.
- A 60-meter rope is necessary to have full access to Crazy Horse. You can descend from every multi-pitch route with a single 60-meter rope. On really long routes, this means stopping half-way down, pulling your rope, and rappeling/abseiling to the ground.
- A 70-meter rope will allow you to link up multi-pitch routes, giving you access to long and stunning climbing that will leave your forearms screaming as you reach for the anchors.
- For those who are truly dedicated, an 80-meter rope will allow you single-pitch access to the entire crag.
- The Rock Climbing School carries Sterling Ropes in 60-, 70-, and 80-meter lengths at highly competitive prices.
The Hardware - We value safety at Crazy Horse. All routes are bolted for climbers who are at their limit at that grade.
- 15 quickdraws is ideal for Crazy Horse. You can get by with 12, but you will most likely have to skip some bolts to do it. 20 quickdraws will help if you choose to link two pitches together or switch leads with your partner.
- We recommend you carry a handful of longer draws in your rack as longer routes often meander, and sometimes formations such as tufas and roofs create rope drag.
The Shoes - The climbing at Crazy Horse is on limestone, often with small edges and pockets.
- A performance velcro shoe is ideal although slippers also perform well. Shoes designed for very steep climbing are not recommended, as the climbing at Crazy Horse tends to be mostly vertical or slightly overhanging.
- Extreme Sports Cafe's partner Chiang Mai Rock Climbing School is a proud distributor of Mad Rock climbing shoes, so they can provide you with the best friction at the lowest prices.
The Chalk - You will need a lot of chalk in Thailand, especially in the hotter and wetter months (April to September). Thankfully, there is plenty of chalk available here.
- Extreme Sports Cafe's partner Chiang Mai Rock Climbing School carries Mad Rock Addiction Chalk in blocks, bags, and balls. They also stock chalk bags, which can make a great souvenir!
The Rest - A rope bag is recommended to keep dust and dirt off your rope.
- Extreme Sports Cafe's partner Chiang Mai Rock Climbing School sells rope bags with huge tarps that provide incredible ground coverage. Helmets are recommended on routes in the caves as well as at newly developed areas.
- Most of the highly trafficked routes are relatively clean. Please remember that it is always safer to climb with a helmet.
Water and Food - Please help us take care of the environment by using reusable water and food containers. There is enough plastic in the world that climbers don't need to be adding more of it to the mountains of SE Asia.
- Extreme Sports Cafe's partner Chiang Mai Rock Climbing School stocks polycarbonate and stainless steel water bottles that you can refill at water vending machines throughout Thailand, or for free at the crag. The machines use reverse-osmosis filtration to produce clean water for less than one Baht per liter.
- Extreme Sports Cafe's partner Chiang Mai Rock Climbing School also carries reusable food containers that anyone can use when they buy food "to go" at the market or from street vendors. A typical take-home Thai meal for one requires 3-5 plastic bags or syrofoam boxes: what a waste!
- We purchase reusable containers locally and sell them at cost so that you can take your food home without the hassle of finding a lunch box or the guilt of using plastic!
- Once you are stocked up with your bottle and box (whether you got them from us or not), ask anybody at the climbing School to teach you how to ask "Where can I find a water machine?" or "Can you put my food into this reusable box?"
Just five short years ago, it was difficult to find climbing gear in Thailand. Fortunately, that is no longer the case! Extreme Sports Cafe's partner Chiang Mai Rock Climbing School is Thailand's only importer and distributor of Sterling Rope and Mad Rock climbing equipment, so they have everything you need at prices you can afford. The retail space is located in central Chiang Mai, and check out the latest shoe models, replace that old sling that's caked in salt, or pick up a super-skinny rope to help you ascend your hardest projects. They also sell first-aid kits, finger tape, chalk, and other odds and ends that you can't find anywhere else.
Not looking to buy? Our partner Chiang Mai Rock Climbing School also rent everything you need.
Once you're all set with gear, you can pick up a a T-shirt, some stickers, or a guidebook to remember your trip by. Or, if you're staying for a while, browse our library of climbing books and movies to keep you motivated through your rest days.
- The retail shop is also home to the Chiang Mai Climbing Club, and Chiang Mai's only bouldering wall, with routes of all difficulties that change daily, so there is something for everybody, and you'll never get bored!
- Retail hours: 08:00 - 19:00 every day.
- Wall hours: 13:00-21:00 Monday and Thursday; 13:00-20:00 Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday; 13:00-18:00 on weekends
Check out our Beginner & Intermediate Climbing Courses in Chiang Mai or our Technical Climbing Courses in Chiang Mai and also in Chiang Mai check out our Caving Courses and continue to expand your horizons, develop your climbing technique and learn new climbing skills.
- All Caving Courses & Climbing Courses include: instruction, transportation from climbing centre to caving site, caving equipment, lunch, snacks, fruit, water, and insurance.
- Multi-day courses do not include lodging or other meals.
- Arrive time at climbing centre at 8:15 in the morning.
- All climbing courses / caving courses will return to the shop before 18:30 in the evening.
- Pick up from accommodation can be arranged by our partner Chiang Mai Climbing School at an extra cost.
Rock Climbing Courses in Thailand Chiang Mai from Extreme Sports Cafe
All of our Rock Climbing Courses in Thailand Chiang Mai can be booked online
