Thailand Travel Krabi - Tonsai

by Juan Pablo De Wes



Now to bring things slightly more up to date it's now time for my thoughts and musings on the 2 fun-filled weeks i spent in a little stretch of paradise called Tonsai. Tonsai is currently riding the crest of the wave and winning the race for the much sought after Wes' Most Wonderful Place in the World award. Previous front-runners Vang Vieng and Ko Chang are still highly commended but Tonsai offers that little bit more. It's strange actually. You move round, fall in love with a place, leave, and realise that as great as it was, you may well never see it again. Tonsai though i think has found it's way into my affections and i definitely see myself returning one day... eventually... so what makes it soo great?

Well, as a beach Tonsai is not much to write home about. So let me tell you about it anyway. It's pretty, but unremarkable. The water is warm but shallow. The seabed muddy and rock filled. Railay next door fairs much nicer in the beach stakes if you're in search of some serious sunbathing action. This said Tonsai look goods as you come in. It's not over-developed and a lot of what is there is set back under the palm trees. As you chug in on a longboat you see a tree-lined beach surrounded by large limestone caves with little specks of human existence.

But anyway Tonsai isn't a place for lazing around and improving your already impressive tan. Though some do. It is a place to come and take on the Rock. Tonsai's location, snuggly situated between the headland containing the twin beach resorts of Railay East and West, and the more secluded Phra Nang on one side and the busier, more town like Ao Nang on t'other, sees around 80 climbing walls virtually all within walking distance. Talk of places such as the Fire Wall, Wee's Present Wall, Thaiwand Wall, Monkey Wall and so on and so forth soon becomes as familiar as the usual Thai traveler talk of Ko Pha Nagn, Ko Lanta, Chang Mai and Pai. Walls contain varying numbers of sports routes (i.e. bolts and an anchor already placed on the wall) and all have their own characteristics. Some cater for nervous beginners. Others for psuedo-superman climbing some of the most demanding routes in the world. Some are on nice gentle rock. Others are sharp and nasty and rip your hands apart. Some go straight up. Others involve the most ridiculously steep overhangs. Some start from the beach. Others start 30m above sea level giving rise to spectactular views (and frustration about my continued lack of camera).

This time round i started doing some lead climbing, whereas i had always seconded routes previously. When you get to a wall there is simply rock, with a series of bolts and an anchor at the top. You bring your own rope. And someone has to put it up. That person is the lead climber. Lead climbing isn't quite the extreme of solo climbing (i.e. no rope). Instead as you climb you clip the rope into the bolts that mark out the route. However once passed a bolt, a slip would see you fall as far below the last bolt you clipped in at as you have climbed above it. Additional slack in the rope may see you fall further still. This makes lead climbing tougher and much more of a mental battle. If you're seconding a route and are 90% of the way to the next clip and get stuck you can sit in your harness, let the rope hold you, relax and think about how to move on. If you're lead climbing you need to work it out, move on and clip in before you can relax. Or take a big fall. Route planning and technique become much more important. Keeping calm becomes much important. The tenser you become the quicker you tire. The more your muscles begin to burn. And making those last moves becomes a lot harder still.

Needless to say this lead to some hairy, scary moments for yours truly. But it also lead to some real feeling of accomplishment. Of pushing myself to my limit, and then pushing through it. My confidence increased rapidly, one day i climbed my first 6a+ route, the next i lead my first 6a, the next i flew up a route i'd struggled with before. Then i took a rest day. And my confidence disappeared. Then it slowly came back again. I climbed my first 6b and lead a 6a+ (very badly). Some days are good, others are bad. Some days i wondered why was i was doing this at all, and other days i remembered exactly why.

But anyway, enough about the climbing. Apart from a quick recollection about DWS. DWS? Deep Water Soloing! You go out on a boat, swim or kayak over to the rock, climb up without a rope and jump/fall off when you've had enough!! A great day out. The second route was a bit tough, with few people (myself included) able to climb it. Rich impressed the most out of group getting a good 30m or so before realising he actually had to jump back down! Initially i thought climbing above water would be less nerve wracking. And at low heights it is. But you get higher and you become more aware of having no rope. And more aware of how inelegant, and painful, your entry could be if you slip while swinging out from the wall.

One guy did take a bad fall. A bit of rock broke off under his foot. He wasn't particularly high but he slid down the wall opening a massive gash in his leg. To his credit he was remarkably calm about it. Luckily there were nurses on the boat to seal the world, and after a trip to the doctors, and 18 stitches he was out drinking that evening!

But now, enough about the climbing. What else was good about Tonsai? What will i remember?

A lot of good times and crazy banter with Rich and Jay. Getting addicted to learning the firestaff (so far, no fire, just staff). The boat boys constantly shouting "Ao Nang, Ao Nang, Ao Nang" at anyone who wanders past. Our amusement at shouting "Ao Nang, Ao Nang, Ao Nang" at them before they had a chance to reel off their catchphrase. Our even greater amusement when this started being returned with a good humoured "F%^k you". Yow (sp?), one of the waiters at the Andaman permenently struggling with having to work while being incredibly stoned. The lovely Tonsai t-shirt i bought, and then left in Tonsai (perhaps where it belongs). The lovely Tali Leaf Indian Restaurant where i seemed to amuse the staff by turning up with different dining partners. The wonderful Masaman Curry at the little restaurant next to the Freedom Bar (possibly the best curry in Asia soo far). Meeting a Canadian girl who had wrestled crocodiles. Being amazed at people on the slackline (i.e. a kind of low tightrope on the beach). Running to kick a sandcastle and instead hitting rock much to others amusement. The nice people at the Viking Bar. Interesting conversatons with Ele, the nurse at a gender reassignment clinic. Films at the Andaman. The nice relaxed friendly atmosphere and easy camaderie between climbers where anyone you meet at the wall is willing to chat with you. Rascal the Frenchman. The journey over to Railay, a choice of a hike over the headland, or wading round over the slippery rocks. The wildlife. Waking up to 10 monkeys outside a bungalow, all misbehaving as monkeys should. I could go on and on but you probably get the point, i loved Tonsai.

This said though after 4 weeks i was ready to leave and begin, you know, travelling again. You can get too settled in a place. And leaving has resulted in 2 of the most random, bizarre, and in one case scary stories so far of my travels. But it is not for me to talk about these here.

Tonsai is great, that's the point and and i don't need to say anymore.