Tonsai Tower Rock Climbing
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Elevation: | 30 ft |
GPS: |
7.7347, 98.7657 Google Map · Climbing Area Map |
Page Views: | 40,811 total · 200/month |
Shared By: | Ryan Kelly on Jul 31, 2007 · Updates |
Admins: | Brian Boyd, Tao Techakanon |
Access Issue: Warning! Stainless steel bolts are suspect near the coast!
Details
You can read about the warning here. There is extensive rebolting being done by the Thaitanium Project, which has already rebolted the vast majority of popular routes in the main areas. Be informed!
Description
The main climbing wall on the beautiful island of Ko Phi Phi Don; not to be confused with Tonsai Wall or Tonsai Beach on the Phra Nang Peninsula. A large wall with nearly 30 moderate routes and a few hard ones as well. Two routes summit the 450 foot tower.
The protection on Tonsai Tower is completely made up of titanium and stainless steel glue in bolts, and all have been placed after the year 2000. The stainless bolts are much newer, and were of better quality to begin with, than most of the bolts in Railey. The correct, Red Hilti RE-500 Glue was used as well. There have been NO failures... compared to about one per week in Railey! The slings and anchor threads are regularly changed and can be trusted, but as always in Thailand, inspect all of the protection you are clipping!
EVERY SINGLE ANCHOR on Tonsai Tower has at least one Titanium Bolt.
The wall is popular with climbing schools, but the guides rarely work on the left side of the tower, or on anything above 5.8. Most of them are very accommodating if you really want to climb something they are using.
The increasing number of gumbies climbing here in high season is the largest hazard, followed by monkeys that will take your food if you leave it laying around.
The tower is packed full of routes and this does take away from some of the climbs. However, the features allow the entire wall to be climbed so that is what happened. See the route descriptions to find out what routes to do and which ones to skip.
The protection on Tonsai Tower is completely made up of titanium and stainless steel glue in bolts, and all have been placed after the year 2000. The stainless bolts are much newer, and were of better quality to begin with, than most of the bolts in Railey. The correct, Red Hilti RE-500 Glue was used as well. There have been NO failures... compared to about one per week in Railey! The slings and anchor threads are regularly changed and can be trusted, but as always in Thailand, inspect all of the protection you are clipping!
EVERY SINGLE ANCHOR on Tonsai Tower has at least one Titanium Bolt.
The wall is popular with climbing schools, but the guides rarely work on the left side of the tower, or on anything above 5.8. Most of them are very accommodating if you really want to climb something they are using.
The increasing number of gumbies climbing here in high season is the largest hazard, followed by monkeys that will take your food if you leave it laying around.
The tower is packed full of routes and this does take away from some of the climbs. However, the features allow the entire wall to be climbed so that is what happened. See the route descriptions to find out what routes to do and which ones to skip.
Getting There
Head out of Phi Phi town toward Tonsai bay and continue west along the beach towards the towering (aptly named) Tonsai Tower (“Tonsai” meaning tower). You can’t miss it. When the Tsunami Evacuation Path turns right toward the Drinking Wall, stay straight on the beach and you'll see the tower.
Follow the beach to the end and say hello to Pi Dar and Bong Dot at Phi Phi Popular Beach Resort. Walk UNDER the left side of the last bungalow, and head up and right the rocky scramble with fixed ropes, 5 min to the wall.
The trail comes out where Gladiator heads up and left, and three other climbs are packed in on the right.
Follow the beach to the end and say hello to Pi Dar and Bong Dot at Phi Phi Popular Beach Resort. Walk UNDER the left side of the last bungalow, and head up and right the rocky scramble with fixed ropes, 5 min to the wall.
The trail comes out where Gladiator heads up and left, and three other climbs are packed in on the right.
Classic Climbing Routes at Tonsai Tower
Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
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