We’ve been fortunate enough to host a whole batch of International Student Volunteers (ISV) at Crazy Horse this month. At the beginning of each of our student programs we ask everyone to set a goal for the day and write it on a piece of tape on their helmet. Let’s do a quick tally from some of our favorite goals yesterday…
“Survive”..Check!
“Build my guns”…Check!
“Laugh a lot”…Check!
Thanks ISV! Climb ON!
13 December 2011
It’s cool season in Thailand and with it brings sweater weather (we swear!) and hoards of International Student Volunteers! High-energy students from Australia and New Zealand have been climbing, caving a rappelling high above and below Crazy Horse Buttress.
Thanks ISV for always showing up to the crag with a smile and reminding us of our core values…Live Adventure and Love What We Do!
Our friends from Kardinia International College visited the crag for a full-day of climbing and rappelling. It was an action-packed day from the hilarious animal group identities to the big rappel to the base of Crazy Horse Buttress.
Thanks, Kardinia! Your energy and motivation to reach for the top was contagious. We look forward to seeing you in Chiang Mai again soon!
School is out for the month of October! Motivated Chiang Mai kids are branching out of their school-time routine — in this case facilitated by Kids Corner, a language school based in Mae Jo.
During Kids Corner’s week-long October Break programs, students spend half the day learning English and half the day exploring new activities. We were excited to welcome a group of bold young climbers to CMRCA. After a quick warm-up and demonstration of how to climb, they took to the wall like monkeys and were soon climbing all the way to the top!
Thanks Kids Corner for a fun bouldering session! We love your energy & enthusiasm and hope to see you again soon. If you’re interested continuing to climb, come check out the CMRCA Rockstars kids climbing program every Saturday morning.
Climb on!
It’s no secret that the International Sustainable Development Studies Institute offers one of the coolest study abroad experiences available worldwide. Barely two weeks into living in Thailand, the ISDSI students have already experienced living with host families, decoding public transportation, studying local politics and ecology, and the whole-body strain of crossfit. Gluttons for challenge? One hundred percent… so it makes perfect sense that an Ultimate Rope and Rock Adventure is part of the curriculum!
With rain early in the morning, one group started out climbing inside the massive dome of Anxiety State Crisis Cave. Meanwhile, other students were learning how to rappel, exploring the muddy marvels of smaller cave systems, and hauling themselves across the Tyrolean Traverse. The sun came out around lunchtime, and the day culminated with several heroic ascents of Crazy Horse classics like The Muppet Show (5b / 5.8), Ayah! (6a / 5.10a), Magic Drop (6b / 5.10c).
Thanks ISDSI for an amazing day at Crazy Horse! It was a real treat to share your enthusiasm for exploring Thailand. We hope to see lots more of you this fall!
Read more about the day on the ISDSI Blog.
Just back from two days of non-stop adventure with the latest group of rockstars from Pacific Discovery! Rock climbing, rappelling, hiking, caving, camping, squatting, speaking Thai… CMRCA’s Karst Exploration Adventure represents a pretty typical itinerary for these folks on their epic tour of Southeast Asia, but we were still impressed by everyone’s enthusiasm.
In addition to the many action highlights, we spent time connecting the experience of outdoor adventure — and the personal adventure of sticking with something that challenges you — with the experience of travelers engaging in a new place. As we said goodbye after an exhausting and rewarding two days, we noted that you don’t need an adventure playground like Crazy Horse Buttress to make every day a day to write home about. With a dedication to living in the growth zone, it’s as simple as waking up and asking yourself…
What kind of experience will I create?
Thanks Pacific Discovery!! We are so psyched for you and can’t wait to hear about your next 6 weeks in SE Asia… Climb on!
Thanks to another group of Insatiable Super Villians … that is, International Student Volunteers … for a fantastic day at Crazy Horse! From the opening “Mingle” in at the base of the cliffs to the exhilirating flight across the Tyrolean Traverse, the positive energy never faltered. On days like this, there are so many reasons to love experiential education in the great outdoors.
ISV, You Rock! Good luck on the rest of your trip. We know you will make the most of your time in Thailand!
Climb on…
Sawadee kha, Sawadee khap! It was another energetic, high-impact Karst Exploration Adventure with Pacific Discovery. The opening day of rock climbing and rappelling ended with an evening of campfire games, cultural skills, and personal leadership exploration. Emerging from our tents to a peaceful morning, we bought lunch from the village market and then descended into the darkness of Anxiety State Crisis Cave. The program finished with a spectacular Tyrolean Traverse and return to the light after nearly 8 hours in the cave!
Karst Exploration is about tackling personal growth, from language barriers to underground mudpits, and this group made the most of every challenge. We wish you the best on your remaining travels in Thailand. We hope that you will experience the best it has to offer.
What kind of experience will YOU create?
Climb On!
CMRCA recently had the pleasure of welcoming a fantastic bunch of ISV volunteers to Crazy Horse for day of rock climbing, tyrollean traversing and rappelling. ISV were fresh from volunteering at a range of projects from helping to build jungle roads to caring for elephants and rehabilitate gibbons. Taking it all in their stride ISV still had enough energy for a day of adventure. With total enthusiasm they set themselves some ambitious goals for the day and cries of “No I can’t do it!” were quickly proven wrong and replaced with shouts of triumph and “Can I do it again?”. Those who started the day nervous on the easiest climbs ended the day with tackling the hardest. ISV throughout showed great commitment and encourament for each other. Once again proving that ISV has what it takes: Fears were conquered, limits pushed and generally a great day had by everyone.
Keep up the great work! Climb On!
What builds libraries, explores caves, and knows the meaning of kaeng raeng (???????)? After spending an action-packed week exploring northern Thailand with Into the Wild, the freshmen of Carnegie Mellon in Qatar certainly do.
We ask one question at the beginning of a program: What kind of day do you want to create? On the last full day of their Thai adventure, these students set bold goals and really pushed themselves to acheive them. “Push my Limits,” “Get to the Top,” “Party Up High,” and “Survive” were among the ambitions chosen. Pursuing these, needless to say, led to an exceedingly fun and rewarding experience.
Thanks Into the Wild and CMU! We look forward to working with you again soon. Till then… Climb on!
