CHIANG MAI ROCK CLIMBING ADVENTURE

(Monday) These past two days have been the most mentally and physically challenging days I have ever experienced. We drove 45 minutes outside of Chiang Mai to go rock climbing, caving and rappelling. We went with a sustainable company called Chiang Mai Rock Climbing Adventure (CMRCA). I'm all for sustainable tourism. I think Josh does a great job with the company! His philosophies are worth listening to. He also incorporates leadership practices in his business. It was the rose and thorn of my week. I have never done any of these activities, but at first I did not feel nervous. I was actually very excited to try something completely new.

Blair and I

Climb to the top

When we unloaded, the guides had us play some fun games to wake up and get our bodies moving. We did silly little camp things including three awesome handshakes. It was nice to act childish and loosen up. Our guides made us feel comfortable right away. My group did the rock climbing first. I was Blair's belay while she climbed. She is really good. Blair is an outdoor enthusiast, and I really admire her strength. She helped me a lot the next couple of days. After I was done being a belay, it was my turn to climb. The first part of the climb was fairly easy, but then I got stuck. There was a giant rock without cracks to put your hands or feet. I felt my heart racing and anxiety kick in. I was ready to give up. My legs would not stop shaking. The thing about rock climbing is if your toes are stable, a small surface can be used as a step. Our minds prefer to believe otherwise. It is definitely a mind over matter sport.Thankfully I had Pui (my favorite guide) and Blair helping me out. A couple of deep breaths and some mental resolution, and I was ready to continue my climb. I did make it to the top. I felt a great sense of accomplishment. We all know what goes up must come down so I put my feet against the wall, sat back and rappelled down. The initial step is the worst. Once your body is in a "L" position you feed the rope and walk downwards. This rappel was not so bad. It was good having a belay to assist.

Belaying for Blair

After lunch we switched with the other group. It was our turn to rappel down a larger cave. We rappelled about 55 meters. The cave was really nice. I definitely overcame some of my boundaries and fears today. I had to put a lot of trust into myself and my own strength. Trust is not exactly something that comes easily for me! Every muscle worked simultaneously to bring my body from one place to the next.I feel good after today, but I am exhausted. I could easily fall asleep, but we are camping. Our climbing guides have many more games for us to play and Thai phrases for us to learn.
In the evening they built us a fire. We danced around it playing more games. It was really fun to let loose and enjoy. We also made Thai Marshmallows. They are nothing compared to our marshmallows which I crave every time there is a camp fire. For these we used sticky rice and coconut milk. We roasted them on long bamboo sticks and enjoyed. Blair and I sat outside with Matt after everyone went to bed. The night air was too warm to go into a tent. I would have slept outside had the sky not promised rain.
http://www.thailandclimbing.com/
(Tuesday) I can hardly believe it's the 1st of February! I feel like I've been away for much longer than two weeks. My days are blended into one. If it wasn't for my agenda, I'd have no recollection of the date.
We woke up early today to go to the morning market. Our whole group went so we could buy our lunch for later. The market was just being set up which is funny because they said we had to get there early otherwise everything would be gone. The opposite happened. Most of us went with fried chicken and rice because that was our main option for dining. After the market and a quick breakfast we head over to the cave for some rappelling.
Today was the scariest and hardest day. We rappelled down into Anxiety Crisis State Cave first. To get to the spot we had to do some rock climbing and a few smaller rappels. On the 1st rappel my nerves were shot. I couldn't see much except there was no safety line. Natalie was scared the whole way down, and it made my fear grow as well. There were tears. Pui talked me through it, and it was not as bad as I had anticipated, but it wasn't over yet. I had to climb across other rocks and on the edge of the cave to get to the real rappel. It was a scary trek. I decided to go to the second rappel site because there was free rappelling for the most of it. To get there I literally had to hug a rock and scoot my feet inch by inch around the rock. I was terrified. It was absolutely horrific. Then he hooked up my line and told me to sit down. I looked at him and said, "I'm sorry you want me to do what?!!?" Constant conflict ran through my mind. After a brief moment I sat down. There
I was dangling in the air with nothing but a rope for support. I began my descent into the cave.
The cave was absolutely beautiful. Many parts of the cave are still alive. These parts sparkle and shine. We could see formations of stalagmites and stalactite.There were also a few soda straws that we were able to see! A few of us waded across the water and saw bats. There were also a ton of millipedes on the floor that feed off the poop of the bats. The cave was pretty slippery, and we had to be careful. For lunch we met the entire group at the rappelling base. We all ate inside the cave. Our hands were covered in dirt, but there was no where to wash them. On top of it, we ate with our hands. It was quite the experience. We had to be careful not to drop a single grain of rice on the floor so as not to disturb the normal habitat. We got to try some desserts made of rice and custards. There were also hard boiled eggs that had been drained, mixed with herbs and spices and put back into the egg shell to be cooked. Interesting but tasty.
I was not happy after lunch when I discovered the only way out of the cave was the way we came in. We had to climb out of the cave and although there was a ladder that was very shady. It was about six inches wide if that and it was not connected to anything at the bottom. You could literally sway in any direction and crash into the rocks. That's a pleasant thought! I absolutely hated climbing this part. Halfway through I lost my strength to go on. I was hanging on to the rocks with one hand while one foot was on the ladder. I tried to keep my focus and my strength, but they both left me quickly. I felt weak. I paused and had to fight back my common sense and continue climbing. Step by step I climbed on up. It wasn't easy; I have no idea how I managed to make it to the top. I hardly had the strength or courage. It wasn't over yet. I had to cross more rocks and climb a bit more. Another shady ladder with no other way out. I asked the guide to keep his foot at the bottom of this one for some more support. He did. I switched my safety line and took a seat when I reached the top. I was overtaken by emotions. What a challenge. Matt was recording me as I climbed even more to get to our second to last stop. I cursed this to be the worst thing I have ever done. Meanwhile he questioned whether it was the worst or the scariest. Okay. Fine. I will admit it. It was the scariest thing I have done because at the end of it I was gleaming with joy.
We came to a traverse (similar to a zip-line) that connected to another rappel line. I could traverse and transfer to the line literally in mid-air or I could climb out. I was content on climbing out, but after the first three people did the traverse I wanted to as well. It was actually the easiest and most enjoyable part of the experience. My mind and body was in total conflict today. I definitely felt a sense of accomplishment after finishing the climbing and rappelling. I owe a huge thanks to CMRCA. They have the most amazing staff. I could go on for hours about how helpful and supportive they were. They are so motivating and fun.  I already miss them!

Small note about the Tourist Cave we visited after. It was so disappointing! The entire cave was completely dead except for one section. It was covered in gold cloth and dying towards the bottom. People believe the relic of Buddha lies within. Will they still believe that if it is no longer living? There are large Buddhas in the cave because it is a good place for meditation. The guides said we had to climb more ladders which turned out to be cement stairs into the cave. Their definition of a ladder is a bit broad in my opinion. It's amazing how much human impact can harm the environment. It was a bit sad to see especially after exploring the beautiful caves earlier in the day.