Best Route in Minnesota (or Tonsai)

On one of my last few days, I led a route so spectacular, I feel like writing about it!  It is a climb on the Escher wall in Railay west. The Phra-nang peninsula is one of the best climbing areas in South East Asia, especially because of the tropical weather and huge amount of sport climbing routes. The quality of the rock/climbs and the amazing scenery makes this place a rock climbers’ paradise.

I’m not sure why the climb was named “The Best Route in Minnesota.”  I’ve never climbed in Minnesota, but this climb was amazing. It is twenty five meters long and is a beautiful line. It starts on the left side of an epic cave above a beautiful beach. The beginning of the climb started on slopey, SLIPPERY crimpers and side pulls. Once you get past the crux start and get the first two bolts, a traverse heads out left just above an overhang. The traverse is about twenty feet long and is on crimpy pockets, but generally solid holds. After you make the traverse over the overhang it is sustained face climbing on small pockets. You work your way onto a prow-like formation with stalactite "teeth" in the middle. The exposure is amazing as you go through the teeth and over a small roof on slopey dishes. Just above this is the crux at about twenty three meters or seventy feet high. It is so precarious in terms of balance and the holds are thin.  There is no rock that you can see on either side of you, or below you, which makes you feel like you are at the crux in the middle of the universe.  Open space everywhere around you…

After the crux you are at the anchor and life is AWESOME! The view looks out of the cave at that beautiful beach as you get lowered for what seems like forever and very far away from my belayer. I am very happy to have had such an amazing climb and amazing experience.

Dimity tried it on top rope and had two very scary falls that swung her into a rock wall once and another one that stopped her half a foot above the ground and she still hit the rock wall…(but she's ok!).

We decided that it was too sketchy a fall to continue. So a Polish kid came and led it and did it very well. I really wanted Dimity to experience such an amazing climb. Maybe we will do it one more time before we leave and she can give it another go.  (haha, she never did...!).

Cheers to amazing climbing routes all over the world!
Nolan