How long of a rope, how many quickdraws, rappel or lower?
THE ROPES
The climbing at Chiang Mai and Lampang 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 both Chiang Mai and Lampang. 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 rappelling/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 HARDWARE
We value safety at the crags in Chiang Mai and Lampang. All routes are bolted for climbers who are at their limit at that grade.
15 quickdraws is ideal. 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.
Most routes at the crags in Chiang Mai and Lampang are equipped with 10-12mm glue in anchors with equalized chains and rappel rings. We constantly check and update the hardware and want it to last! Rappelling/abseiling when cleaning routes will make it last longer!
THE SHOES
The climbing 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 in Chiang Mai and Lampang tends to be mostly vertical or slightly overhanging. CMRCA is a proud distributor of Mad Rock and Evolv climbing shoes, so we 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. CMRCA carries Mad Rock Addiction Chalk in blocks, bags, and balls. We 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. CMRCA sells rope bags with huge tarps that provide incredible ground coverage. Helmets are recommended on routes in the caves at Crazy Horse 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.
