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Elevation: 1,672 ft
GPS: 18.71698, 99.24422
Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views: 119,794 total · 683/month
Shared By: Tony B on Oct 24, 2009
Admins: Brian Boyd, Tao Techakanon

Getting There Suggest change

The easiest way to get there is to come from the climbing shop in town, Chaing Mai Rock Climbing Adventures (CMRCA). This is in the "quiet" SE corner of the Old City at the corner of Rajchapainai and Soy 3. Do not expect that your tuk-tuk or airport cab will know where this is. Maps are also foreign to most of them, so, like, ehhh... well, good luck.

They will, however know where the Julie Guesthouse, the T.K. Guesthouse the J.J Guesthouse or the Same Same Guesthouse. If you can make it there and walk down the street just past Pooh EcoTours, you will find the small and barely marked shop next door.

CMRCA will provide transportation for 395 baht per day; add another 75 baht if you want a hot lunch. You'll ride in a red truck taxi, which leaves town at 8:30am, and returns at 4.30pm. You will want to reserve your seat in advance. Your transportation fee also includes fresh drinking water at the crag.

You can also pick up a map and rent a scooter and drive. The directions are in the guidebook for the area.

Description Suggest change

Crazy Horse Buttress is the jewel of northern Thailand climbing. It is a very different experience than Railay: You are swapping seaside views for arid jungle. You also lose the convenience of hopping out of your bungalow and and being able to clip your first bolt five minutes later -- instead, you have a 45 minute commute from town. The upside is that the climbing here is rarely crowded, and many of the routes are less polished. Crazy Horse also offers the opportunity to climb inside some substantial caves: Morning Glory, for example, is a 5.10 about 100' feet long in the Windy Cave. The Anxiety State cave has some short and easy routes, as well as multipitch classic testpieces. Routes are generally well bolted. And, although Crazy Horse does not have the corrosion problems of Railay, the area is gradually being rebolted with titanium glue-ins. Chiang Mai is also a vibrant city, with lots of opportunities for rest day activities.

The entry to the lower Anxiety State cave. The (upper area of) cave is a popular caving spot for the CMRCA.

There are three seasons for climbing in Chiang Mai: hot, hotter, and hot and wet. Daytime highs will often hit 100F by April (Note: temps at the crag will often be several degrees cooler than in town). Summer gets quite warm, and there is a rainy season in early fall. Overall, the rainy season for Crazy Horse is shorter than for Railay, and average humidity levels are a little lower as well. Here's a link to the Wikipedia entry for the seasonal weather norms:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chian…

It is possible to chase shade all day. Also, it can be quite cool on winter mornings, particularly if you are riding a scooter from town.

Dangers and hazards: Honey bees build large nests on the underside of roofs, and are aggressive. In contrast, wax bees have short tube-like nests, and are pretty harmless. You will find wasps on occasion as well. There are also centipedes, scorpions, and red ants which can inflict nasty bites. The dogs that live at the cliff are generally friendly, and the monkeys here are rarely seen. Some of the tamarind plants are painful to touch, ditto for nettles found along the trail.

There is often a monk living by the cave system on the right side of the Ant Hill. Please be respectful in this area.
Honey bee hive

wax bees

134 Total Climbs

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Classic Climbing Routes at Crazy Horse

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
 30
Morning Glory
Sport
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b
 32
Skyscraper
Sport
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
 27
Ruam Jai (Community)
Sport
5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b
 23
Jai rawn (Hot Headed)
Sport
5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b
 17
Flushed
Sport
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
 17
Black Hole Sun
Sport
5.11a/b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
 21
Dee Jai Ti Dai Geud (It's Great…
Sport
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
 15
Dtang Jai (Determined)
Sport
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
 31
The Tree Surgeon
Sport
5.11b/c 6c+ 23 VIII- 24 E4 6a
 31
Blood, Love and Steel
Sport
5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a
 17
Jai Yen Yen (Patience)
Sport
5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a
 18
The Wasp Factory
Sport
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
 19
Jai Glah Reu Blao (Are You Coura…
Sport
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
 18
The Balance of Power
Sport
5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b
 17
Intensify
Sport
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
Morning Glory Windy Cave
 30
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a Sport
Skyscraper Rooftop
 32
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b Sport
Ruam Jai (Community) Heart Wall
 27
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b Sport
Jai rawn (Hot Headed) Heart Wall
 23
5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b Sport
Flushed Ant Hill
 17
5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b Sport
Black Hole Sun Furnace
 17
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c Sport
Dee Jai Ti Dai Geud (It's G… Heart Wall
 21
5.11a/b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c Sport
Dtang Jai (Determined) Heart Wall
 15
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c Sport
The Tree Surgeon Archway
 31
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c Sport
Blood, Love and Steel Crazy Horse Buttress
 31
5.11b/c 6c+ 23 VIII- 24 E4 6a Sport
Jai Yen Yen (Patience) Heart Wall
 17
5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a Sport
The Wasp Factory Ant Hill
 18
5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a Sport
Jai Glah Reu Blao (Are You… Heart Wall
 19
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a Sport
The Balance of Power Furnace
 18
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a Sport
Intensify Ant Hill
 17
5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b Sport
More Classic Climbs in Crazy Horse »

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