This Monday and Tuesday, CMRCA got to run a very special student program. We were enlisted by the Boy Scouts of America Troop 731 to help the scouts earn a Rock Climbing Merit Badge!

Over two days this week, the scouts learned and then demonstrated their competency with an array of climbing and rappelling skills. Scouts learned to belay and climb with good technique, stay safe around cliffs and edges, rappel and backup rappels, tie knots and care for equipment, and take care of the environment.

In two days, each of the scouts successfully climbed 9 different routes of grade 5a (YDS: 5.6) or harder! And they likely would have made it up quite a few more, if they hadn’t been busy with 5 rappels in 3 different areas, including a 55-meter rappel into the beautiful Anxiety State Crisis Cave! Fortunately, there was plenty of time left over to have some fun and Go Bananas.

It was especially nice for me, Kreang, Add, and Pui to get to work with kids and parents who live in Chiang Mai, and who we will get to see again. It was really incredible watching the kids transform over the two days and become competent climbers and rappellers, and you could see that more than a few of them had a real passion for the sport.

Congrats to the Scouts who earned their badge! We hope to see you around the crag!