When I got down to Krabi from Northern Thailand I was overwhelmed, to say the least. Thailand wasn’t touristy my first 3 weeks there so I was like what the heck is going on!? SO MANY TOURISTS. So, I tried to look up activities where I knew there wouldn’t be a ton of people around. I hopped on TripAdvisor because other than blogs, Airbnb Experience and TripAdvisor are where I’ve found some great ideas for activities when visiting a new place. Here, I found a Beginner’s Half Day Rock Climbing Tour at Railay Beach for just $40 and knew I had to do it! I was so excited to climb in a different country again!
WHAT DOES THE HALF DAY ROCK CLIMBING TOUR INCLUDE?
Morning Half Day Rock Climbing Itinerary:
$40 includes pick up and drop off at your hotel in the Railay Beach, Krabi Town, Ao Nang, Ao Nammao, Nopparatthara & Klong Hang areas and everything else listed below.
- 7.30- 8.00 AM hotel pick up
- 8.30 AM arrive at Real Rocks shop for check-in and gear fitting
- Transfer by taxi and long tail boat to Railay Beach
- 9.00 AM-1.00 PM rock climbing on the beach
- 2.00 PM end of climbing activity, (return by long tail boat to Ao Nang/Krabi town)
You will learn:
- A basic introduction to top rope sport rock climbing.
- A basic introduction to simple belay and rappel techniques.
- Basic outdoor climbing safety measures.
- How to use rock climbing equipment.
- Basic climbing top rope movement and holding techniques.
WHAT TO BRING
- Sunscreen (you’ll be in the shade most of the time but just in case)
- Athletic Clothing
- Water
- Snacks
- Water Shoes
- Remember, no need for rock climbing gear they provide it!
MY EXPERIENCE WITH REAL ROCKS CLIMBING SCHOOL
After they pick you up from your hotel and you get your equipment you hop back in the truck and drive about 10 minutes from the shop to the An Nam Mao Pier. From the pier you’ll take a ten-minute long-tail boat ride to Railay Beach.
Your walk from the dock is just a few minutes and then you’ll arrive at the towering limestone cliffs overlooking the Andaman Sea. That’s when you know you’ve made it to Railay Beach.
The rocks are absolutely stunning, and the best part about it is you are in the shade so you stay cool even though it’s 90 degrees! This is when the guides start explaining all you need to know to have a successful day.
The guides were absolutely incredible. There were two groups of 10 so it didn’t get too busy and there were plenty of guides to make sure everyone could climb a lot but also have a break in between routes.
IS THIS TOUR JUST FOR BEGINNERS?
This tour is for beginner and intermediate climbers. I’ve rock climbed many times before and so had a few others, but most people in my group were trying it for the first time. The guides do all the belaying so you don’t need to worry about doing anything yourself. It’s like glamping for rock climbing you literally just show up and get to climb. A few of us “intermediate” climbers talked to the guides and they set a few more routes for us. Overall, our group ended up with six different routes- ranging from novice to intermediate.
I’ve got to be honest here. My experience with “extreme sports” has been a bit dodgy traveling in SE Asia and other parts around the world. Many other countries’ regulations are much different than ours in the United States and I always feel a bit uneasy. Fortunately, I never felt that way with Real Rocks Climbing School. Your safety is their number one priority and it was seriously just like rock climbing in the states. The guides were kind, professional, so helpful and encouraging!
Oh and to top it all off, these are the views the entire time you climb!
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT GRADES OF CLIMBING OFFERED?
So if you are an intermediate or advanced climber, you can let the company know ahead of time and they will book a more private session for you. For me, I don’t climb that often anymore so it was perfect. The hardest route I did was a 6B and that was all the challenge I needed when climbing on vacation and for the first time in a year.
CAN YOU GET PICTURES OF THE VIEWS?
I knew I would write a blog about my experience so I took pictures for some of the climbers and then asked them to do the same. for me. As for the views, I stuffed my phone in my sports bra and took a few pictures of them! I was shaking like crazy so they are a bit blurry, but I am so glad I brought it up with me!
Once everyone in the group is done climbing, you’ll head back to the boat. There is a little shack selling fruit and snacks so if you’re hungry you can get one there or bring one with you. If I were you I’d bring water shoes because the tide starts to come up right as you are heading back to the water.
I seriously can’t recommend booking a tour with Real Rocks Climbing School more. Their guides spoke perfect English, were super accommodating and encouraging and overall, everything was super professional! As I mentioned earlier, they offer many different types of tours. Click on the link to learn more about all the tour options with Real Rocks Climbing School. Also, click the next link if you’re interested in learning more about my other Thailand adventures.
