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Story and Photos: Weerasak Chansongsang
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"One of the most distinct characteristics of rock-climbing is the high level of coordination that occurs between your physical being, your mental state and your equipment. Training will make your body stronger, keep your mental state from wavering, and allow for higher concentration while also training your perseverance and decision-making skills. These are the things that may not be found in any other sport," ponders Narin Ngamwong, a rock climbing guide currently employed at the King Climber shop. Narin has been rock climbing and teaching others the joys of the sport for the past four years. He confesses that, "the greatest happiness in my rock climbing profession comes from being fully challenged by the sport and from the knowledge that others are being introduced to the same fun and happiness I derive from the sport." While certainly not intending to belittle anyone's personal reasoning for what they do and what they love, some might ask - is that the only or even the most distinct appeal of the sport? Is there something more, something that would make someone endanger their lives to climb mountains and scale walls with what seems like little guarantee of safety?
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It must have been over 10 years ago that the sport of rock climbing first made its way to Rai-Lay. Numerous guidebooks, the only written source that provided an account of a sport the locals never had any special interest in, attribute the introduction of the sport to Rai-Lay to Dominique Potard and Francois Burnier. But it wasn't until a large group of American rock climbers, led by Todd Skinner, came to Rai-Lay when a real effort was made at establishing a rock climbing trail. Since then, rock climbers from all over the world have come to Rai-Lay as the first stop rock climbing destination in Thailand. For locals, however, it's a different story. Shops catering to rock climbing attest to the fact that 90-95 percent of their customers are foreigners. Rock climbing apparently holds no allure for the large majority of Thais. It soon became apparent to this Sarakadee writer, that a rock climbing trial was in order, and the resultant experience was an eye-opener and truly enriching...
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It's been a very long time since I have ever had to fight against anything (or was really challenged by anything). The completeness of city life always quickly responds to our every need, as long as we have the power to buy that fulfillment. This society focuses only on consumption, and values material and physical pleasure and fulfillment. All the while our hearts and spirits shrink daily. But when I came down from Diamond Cave that day, I only then realized that my spirit had been uplifted...
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