Krabi, Thailand 11/18/06

Railay Beach Area, Krabi, Thailand 18/11/06

This will be a short entry. I can barely hold the pen. I have been rock climbing for the last day and a half and my fingers feel like they are raw. My arms are OK. It's my hands. As my guide Nuu said, “You have climbing muscles but consultant hands.” For 25 years old he is a wise man in more ways than just climbing.

I have LOVED the climbing though and I leave in the morning so I knew I had to get an entry done. This is passion. This is the feeling I crave; a sense of accomplishment. The feeling that the last two days are experiences I don't get very often but, or as a result, will remember vividly the rest of my life. I also feel like I need to change the rarity of it. I love climbing and I need to find a way to do it more often.

I wish I could write well enough to document every climb but I can't; the natural beauty of a huge rock face next to bright blue water, the warm sun and a shaded climb, the feel of the cliff face, the challenge, both physical and mental. There is no way I could convey how all these things combine to create an amazing experience.

The mental aspect goes pretty much like this:
1) I can't wait to climb.
2) Gear is on, rope is checked, uhhhh I don't even know where to start. Don’t tell me…I’ll figure this out.
3) Wow, that's a long way to go. I probably won't make it.
4) Hey, I'm half way up! How did I get here?
5) I'm starting to fall, better find another hold quick
6) Ahhh, found a good hold where's the next one?
7) I'm starting to fall, better find another hold quick
8) Ahhh, found a good hold where's the next one?
9) Holy $#%*! I'm at the top! F#@*^ Ya! Wow, what a view.
10) I can’t wait to climb.

Of course each climb is different so this isn’t always the case. Some are more challenging than others. Each climbing route is rated for difficulty and I basically max out at the 6A area. One 6A I made it the first time. Another 6A took me 4 times to beat. I’m better than I used to be from my Wisconsin days so that’s nice to know.

The routes were each uniquely beautiful but I will probably always picture the cliff known as Taiwan Wall first. Roughly a 30 meter, 6A climb, set about 50 meters up the face of the cliff and with about another 50 meters to go from the top of the climb to the top of the cliff. We made it to the start of the climb by entering through a series of caves on the other side of the mountain and repelling down to the start point.

If a picture is worth a thousand words I would fill this book and a few others trying to document its beauty. Thanks to my climbing partner, a girl, oddly enough from Taiwan, I think I have about a dozen pictures of it on the camera, and a crystal clear memory of it, so I will rely on them instead of my feeble words. The feeling I had when I reached the top was amazing!

I have a new Lottery goal. That dream you have that says "If I was to win the Lottery I would...." Ever since Ben got me the AC/DC Box Set I have not had a good Lottery dream. (I love AC/DC but could never bring myself to spend $50 on a bunch of songs that basically sound the same) There was no item that I could think I wanted but would only get if money wasn't a factor. Now I have one. I want to put a mountain in West Palm Beach! I want to dive in the morning and climb in the afternoon. I want to read in my hammock as the sun sets and be surrounded by all my friends. I want to be able to hike and kayak each day. I want to be able to run a hill when I feel like it and lay on the beach when I don't. I think a mountain in West Palm Beach would make this dream possible.

I think I would put it just west of 95 on Okeechobee Blvd., right on top of all those corporate Box stores. I'll check on the zoning restrictions with Josh when I talk to him next. If I'm lucky it will be zoned for Multi-Mountain C3-23.000 or something and I'll be able to put a couple mountains there. Maybe I’ll put one big one and a couple smaller ones. You know, for days when I am not feeling ambitious. Maybe a nice stream too.

I better start playing the Power Ball. This could get expensive.
MJF