Got up and had some breakfast (with “Friends”), then headed to the tour spot (still proudly displaying my sign) to depart for rock climbing. There were only two others in the group, Stefan and Magnus from Sweden, and our guide, Apple. Like me, Stefan and Magnus had tried climbing for the first time at Railay Beach, and loved it.
We took a tuktuk to the river, then crossed the river by boat to the climbing spot, None Cave – or, more precisely, the crevasse leading to the cave. We did four climbs there, then took a break for lunch. Stefan and Magnus were both pretty good at climbing, so we didn’t spend a lot of time waiting.
We had lunch next, at a bar near the river. Toobing is very popular in Van Vieng, and tourists float down the river, stopping at the bars (where kids throw ropes to pull them ashore) there for a drink, before heading onward. After lunch we headed to another section, to do more climbing. This one was not very high, but quite difficult – with one part that proved especially difficult. Magnus went first, and got stuck, then I had a go, and after a bit of difficulty, managed to get my way to the top. Stefan didn’t get past the difficult point either, and Magnus failed to complete on his second try either.
Our last climb was a doozy. An overhang, that might have been possible if it was at the beginning of the day, but by this point our muscles were exhausted from the previous climb. I had no delusions that I’d be able to do it, but I gave it a try. We all took a couple of stabs at it, but none of us finished. Maybe in a few years, after some practice, I’ll go back and tackle it again. I think I may have stood a better chance in January, but having not been to the gym in months can’t help.
I met Magnus and Stefan for dinner later (“Friends”, but a different bar this time), but we were all pretty exhausted from our climbing, and decided to head to bed fairly early.