Read Our Blog

Rain couldn’t stand in the way of a great adventure when Qatar Academy rocked out at Crazy Horse this week.  A steady drizzle kept us inside caves for most of the day.  Far from limiting the activities, however, staying in the massive underground chambers made the experience even more exciting!

From learning how to rappel and examining baby stalactites to climbing limestone cliffs and zipping across the Tyrolean Traverse, it might have been history’s least boring rainy day.  Thanks Qatar Academy and enjoy the rest of your time in Thailand!

Climb on!

Family adventure ruled last Saturday as the Chiang Mai U.S. Consulate community took on Crazy Horse.  Explorers large and small scaled limestone cliffs, scrambled around in gloomy caves, and sailed across the Tyrolean Traverse 40 meters above the ground!  Sounds of laughter, encouragement and delight echoed off the crag all day long.

We had so much fun working with these fabulous families!  I was a real treat to look after a group with so much enthusiasm and community spirit.  Congrats to everyone who achieved their goal of the day (which would be… let’s see… everyone!).  We look forward to seeing you again soon.  You can check out more pictures from the day on CMRCA Facebook.

Climb on!

Thanks Canadian International School of Singapore for a FUN full day of rock climbing, caving, rappelling, and Tyrolean Traverse!  CMRCA really enjoyed working with you.  What was your favorite part of the day?  Ours was seeing the smiles on so many faces in the parking lot at the very end…

We hope that you bring the same positive attitude to the rest of your activities in Thailand.  See you next time!

Climb ON!

Have you ever seen a penguin come to tea?  If you were at Crazy Horse last week, you would have seen that and a whole lot more.

CMRCA enjoyed two days of action-packed experiential education with the dancing penguins of Australian International School Hong Kong.  We explored the great limestone karst inside and out, climbing, caving, rappelling, and soaring across the Tyrolean Traverse in a pair of classic Ultimate Rope and Rock Adventures.

Congrats to AISHK for creating two terrific days on the rock!  See you next year… Climb ON!

Just finished up a string of fantastic programs with Yew Chung International School of Shanghai.  YCIS Year 12 students come to Chiang Mai to complete their Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) requirement for the IB diploma.  It’s our pleasure to work with these rockstars every year.  Excitement ran high as students tried climbing for the first time, wandered through giant, glittering caves, and rappelled into Anxiety State Crisis cavern after sailing across the Tyrolean Traverse.

It was so great to see YCIS students supporting and challenging each other to achieve an unforgettable day at Crazy Horse!  Check out these photos from the day, as well as this movie from last year’s Yew Chung International School program.

Climb ON!

Cheers to the American School Dubai 8th grade students for creating an outstanding Ultimate Rope and Rock Adventure at Crazy Horse!  After 7 days of non-stop service and experiential education with Into the Wild, these students took on the challenges of climbing, caving, belaying, rappelling, and the infamous Tyrolean Traverse like seasoned adventurers.

It was a spectacular finale to what sounds like a truly amazing Week Without Walls.  We loved working with you guys.  Keep practicing your service mind and your adventurous attitude, and see what kind of year you can CREATE!  Climb on!

24 February, 2011

Congrats to the International School of Bangkok for creating a fun and eye-opening Global Citizenship Week expedition.  Over the course of a week we traveled the full spectrum of tourism in Thailand, learning a new perspective on our home country.

The journey began with a day of orientation in Chiang Mai.  Traveling around town in a bright redsongtao, we practiced essential skills for living in the village, laid a framework for personal growth and development, and explored the first of many markets.  Master teacher / farmer Jeff gave a thoughtful introduction to the politics, ecology, and human history of the northern Thai highlands.  Ajaan Jeff’s insights sparked a discussion of expectations and stereotypes that would continue throughout the trip.

On the first full day in Huay Puling, we hiked to the summit of Doi Pui, the tallest mountain in Mae Hong Son province.  The visibly different air quality over Mae Hong Son gave us something to think about as we made our way back to Ban Huay Hee for a festive evening.  Laughing around a campfire with our host families, asking open-ended questions about their lives, and hearing about the role of tourism in the village was one of the highlights of the expedition.

The midpoint of the trip was marked by a 16 kilometer trek to Ban Huay Thong Goh, a village famous for their master blacksmith work.  We noticed a collage of similarities and differences: the food was spicier, and fewer people spoke Thai; but every house still kept two fires burning, and our host parents still woke up long before the sun to prepare rice or clear a field for cultivation.

Our final few days in Huay Puling District featured consisent, powerful experiences of cultural exchange.  Students studied traditional medicine, and tried out some of the cures on bug bites and stomach aches.  Our pa-ti and muh-ga (uncles and aunts) introduced us to an amazing array of crafts.  With expert coaching and no small amount of help, we created baskets from bamboo stalks, pounded graceful iron knives, and wove part of a shoulder bag using a backstrap loom.  Rowdy afternoon dagraw and football games made all of the kids in the village late for dinner.

Deeply impressed by our hosts’ hospitality and stewardship, as well as the complex politics surrounding their lives in the mountains, we returned to Mae Hong Son with a wide range of responses.  Some of us experienced a keen desire to rush into 7-11 and order all of the iced drinks that we could hold.  Others pondered the immense contrasts that can exist within one country — contrasts in cultures, markets, communities, environments, lifestyles, structures of tourism, points of view.  All of us finished the trip with the feeling that our education as global citizens had only just begun.

Da bleu to all… Enjoy the pictures!  Keep practicing for next year’s Bangkok-Ban Huay Thong Goh dagraw / football showdown.

Climb On!

Twice a year, CMRCA has the opportunity to work with an incredible group of students.  This spring, we spent two incredible days discovering Crazy Horse with Pacific Discovery students.  This group was especially engaged and committed to personal challenge and took the opportunity to explore personal development through cultural exchange and adventure.

What attitude do we bring to each day? each situation? each moment we experience?  This group brought passion, adventure and fun!  All of which are core values at CMRCA.  Thank you Pacific Discovery for your willingness to engage in such a challenging program.  We wish you the best on your remaining travels in SE Asia.

What kind of experience will YOU create?

Climb On!

We were so excited to welcome another group of International Student Volunteers to Crazy Horse. A great experience is always guaranteed with the ISV groups. Without fail they are fun, enthusiastic and adventurous. This time was no different and they did their very best to help reinforce the most positive stereotypes surrounding ISV. The students are a fantastic group who help and volunteer at sustainability projects all over Thailand. It’s inspiring to see such energy and eagerness maintained after such a demanding schedule as they commit themselves to making a difference and tackling challenges head on. Just as true for their volunteer projects as their approach to rock climbing, caving, rappelling and Tyrolean Traversing.

Next week, a group of 9 students from the International School of Bangkok will travel deep into the forested highlands of Huay Puling.  In a cluster of villages less than 60 kilometers from the Myanmar border, they will spend a week experiencing the life-ways of the Karen people, studying traditional trade work and modern political ecology, and exploring their own leadership potential on a CMRCA Global Leadership Expedition.

These students have chosen to dedicate their Global Citizenship Week to expanding their perspective on their home country.  The program kicks off tomorrow with a day of leadership training and orientation in Chiang Mai.

Check out these photos from our recent scouting trip to Huay Puling.  We can’t wait to continue exploring this amazing region!  Stay tuned for a report on what it means to be a Global Citizen…