Rock Climbing at Crazy Horse Near Chiang Mai

Crazy Horse rock climbing crag was a big part of what enticed us to stay in Chiang Mai for a few weeks. The crag is located about 40 km east of Chiang Mai where the landscape quickly turns to countryside and rice paddies. Chiang Mai Rock Climbing Adventures (CMRCA) is a rock climbing shop where you can rent or buy gear, guidebooks, and apparel. They also offer guided climbing classes. For those who don't need a guide, but need transportation to the crag CMRCA charters red taxis for the day (8:30 am to 4:30 pm) and provides lunch for 300 baht per person. Or you can rent a motorbike and make your own way to the crag, which we enjoyed doing after taking the red taxi the first time out. 

Route from CMRCA to Crazy Horse

CMRCA has done a lot to develop Crazy Horse. The trails to the rock climbing walls are fairly groomed with bamboo railings to help ascend and descend the steep areas. The climbing walls are a 5 to 20 minute hike from the parking lot. The routes are new and well bolted and the anchors are safe. The gravel parking lot has two squat toilets and drinking water is provided by donation. It's a small area that is still being developed (the guidebook could be a little more user friendly), but the organization is better than in Tonsai. It's really cool to see a rock climbing community growing in Chiang Mai. 

Access to Heart Wall thru a bamboo forest

CMRCA gear shop

Crazy Horse is named for the horse-like rock formation peering down over the parking lot. I see the horse, but I also see a more prominent moose formation. But I think horses are more common than moose in Thailand. 

Crazy Horse (the two peaks on top are the horse ears)

Crazy moose. The middle boulder looks like a moose head and the two large rock structures above it with the greenery in between look like antlers to me. Anyone else see it? 

Our first day at Crazy Horse we climbed the following routes: 

• Heart Wall: 
• Duang Jai (Heart), 6a+, 25 meters, led by Brandon
• This route had a really neat crack line to follow on the way up
• Ruam Jai (Together), 6a+, 36 meters, initially led by Katie and then finished by Brandon
• Katie led the very overhung, frustrating part at the beginning. Because of frustration and time constraints in getting to lunch back at the parking lot, Brandon finished leading the route and made it all the way up the 36 meters with impressive endurance. 
• Furnace Wall:
• Love Me, Love My Route, 6a+, 23 meters, led by Katie 
• This was our favorite route of the day with interesting moves and multiple features to work through
• Solarise, 6a+, 24 meters, led by Katie
• Katie had 7 or more falls while projecting the 4th bolt crux. She eventually triumphed over the crux (extremely proud moment), but was too tired to continue onward with the route. Brandon tried to continue leading, but agreed it was difficult for the end of the day. Instead he finished and cleaned the gear by taking a detour after the 4th bolt crux and leading the rest of the route to the right called Fire In The Mind, 6a, 24 meters  

Katie topping Duang Jai

Part of the Heart Wall

Heart Wall had a lot of what we thought was dark brown/reddish rock. As it turned out, it wasn't the color of the rock if was the color of hoards of ladybugs hanging out on the rock!

Brandon cleaning a route on the Furnace Wall, which was well named in the scorching sun

Our second time at Crazy Horse was a really fun day. We climbed the following, which you can read about in more detail with pictures here: 

• Furnace Wall
• Sideshow (1st pitch), 5c, 27 meters, led by Katie
• Backburner, 6a+, 24 meters, topped with the anchors from Sideshow 
• The Rooftop
• Heun Fah (Ascending the Sky), 5b, 21 meters, led by Katie
• Skyscraper, 6a, 29 meters, led by Brandon
• Crazy Horse Area
• The Muppet Show, 5b, 27 meters, led by Katie

On our third visit to Crazy Horse we explored a lot of cave climbs. Climbing in a cave is really cool, literally and figuratively. 

• Crazy Horse Area
• Reindeer Request, 6a+, 22 meters, led by Brandon
• This route had interesting moves that we've done in the gym, but had never experienced outside. Super fun.  
• Magic Drop, 6b, 18 meters, topped using the anchors of Reindeer Request 
• Very balance and slab driven, playing to Katie's skills
• Anxiety State Crisis Cave
• Beautiful Mess, 6a, 19 meters, led by Katie
•  Simple climb made cooler by being in a CAVE! 
• Windy Cave
• Morning Glory, 6a+, 31 meters, led by Brandon
•  To access this cave we had to squeeze and squat our way through a tunnel which opened into a large room with one small skylight. The route had a lot of features for both hands and feet, but we had to climb with a headlamp on to see where we were going! Such a cool experience! 

Reindeer Request (right) and Magic Drop (left)

Beautiful Mess route in a cave!

The skylight of the cavern was the same hole we saw from above at Gatekeeper Buttress 

Katie leading Beautiful Mess

Over halfway up

Brandon looking down from the top of Beautiful Mess

Brandon surveying Morning Glory in the dark cave

Morning Glory route with a small skylight at the top

With all our gear it was a tight fit crawling in and out of the tunnel to Windy Cave

We were considering getting out for one more day of climbing, but both Brandon and I agreed that there wasn't much else at Crazy Horse that we were interested in climbing. And then on top of that, yesterday we were able to sell our rope to an ecstatic fellow traveler, which was a huge blessing. Now we don't have to lug the rope around anymore or pay extra baggage fees on our flight home in the States. The rope served us well, gave us flexibility in choosing our climbing days, and was cheaper to buy then rent (now that we've been able to sell it).  

Rock climbing had been a huge highlight of Chiang Mai and of Thailand in general. We've certainly had some wonderful adventures together.