Back from climbing

Lonely Planet apparently rated Phra Nang Beach (Railay East, Krabi) as one of the Top 10 beaches in the world.

And that, my friends, is where I lived and breathed the past week. Sadly though, the only time I got anywhere near the sandy beach is when I got off the boat on my first day and got on the boat to leave on the last day.

The rest of the time, I was going vertical on the limestone. Surprisingly, it really didn't take much for me to adjust to my new routine on the island. Each morning, we wake up at dawn to have a breakfast of muesli and eggs. After breakfast, me and my mates take turns to "relax" (in other word, 'purge') because this is our last chance being near a civilised toilet. After that, we begin our trek through various jungles around the island to hidden crags and climb all day. We only stop at dusk before it is too dark to trek back. Once we get back to our hotel, we get down to cleaning our gears and dressing our wounds before sitting down to a much deserved Thai feast (usually 3 dishes per person) followed by a 'goodnight beer'. Once in a while, we treat ourselves to a massage (going at S$12 an hour!). I am usually in bed by 11pm and nod off as soon as my head hits the pillow.



And the same routine continues the next day. And the next. For the next consecutive 5 days.

Although it sounds pretty much like military boot camp, it is actually quite enjoyable. There is something very zen-like in doing brainless feats such as traipsing through mud, fighting giant mosquitoes, breaking nails & skin and heaving oneself up a rock in the hot blazing sun. Although every night, we crawl home hurting all over and starving and despite all the pain, it is a very comforting repertoire - of not doing very much thinking and just getting on with the program.

Life on the island is also very easy and non-vindictive. You can wear or eat as much or as little as you like without any judgment. There are no cars or traffic to worry about and you go everywhere on foot. You can let yourself get as dark or dirty as you want and yet not attract any attention. And if you sit long enough by yourself on the beach, someone will come and offer you a beer. Best of all, people are friendly and you can start a conversation with anyone without getting the "What do you want from me?" look. Everyone who passes usually catch your eyes and say a quick hello.

Of course the highlight of the trip is still all the climbing. This time round, I explored harder routes and even lead a few climbs on my own which I am extremely thrilled and proud of. But there are things I am not proud of, such as (i) cutting my hands on sharp rocks and bleeding all over the place (ii) taking 30 minutes to tie a water knot to secure an anchor while suspended from 20m because I just cannot remember how to (iii) tearing the skin off my palm during abseiling because I let it get caught in my ATC accidentally and (iv) using a hand hole where a large bee hive nests despite being warned that it is somewhere in that area.


You see, climb injuries rarely comes from the actual climbing but happens largely due to lack of judgement and carelessness.Each mistake is painful (physically and mentally) and unnecessary which lead me to realise just how important it is to give optimum attention to personal safety in a sport which takes place in an inherently unsafe environment.

My BFF, Dailytoe, picked me up from the airport last night. She took one look at me and say that I look like I came back from NS reservist duty. She also informs me that I missed absolutely nothing in Singapore the entire week I was away. Zilch.

Still, it's good to be back. Now for some re-urbanization.....