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The intrepid members of Pacific Discovery‘s Southeast Asia Semester program swept through Chiang Mai this week, exploring the airy heights and darkest depths of Crazy Horse Buttress on a 2-day Karst Exploration Adventure.  These keen and conscious travelers took on the action-packed itinerary of rock climbing, rappelling, vertical caving, and cultural immersion with admirable energy and humor.

From shopping at the local morning market to sailing across a Tyrolean Traverse; From reaching the top of a difficult climb to attending a very thorough squat toilet lesson; From a discussion of growth, challenge, and culture shock around the campfire to a strobe-headlamp disco dance party far beneath the earth; This was our third program with Pacific Discovery, and we couldn’t have asked for more.

Thank you, Pacific Discovery, for another outstanding and worthwhile adventure!  We know you will continue to thrive in the growth zone as you continue your tour of Southeast Asia.

Kids Day (Wan Dek) is celebrated all over Thailand on the second Saturday of January.  This year, CMRCA staff spent the holiday in Mae On, the beautiful village right next to Crazy Horse Buttress.

We set up a slackline, played a suite of adventurous group games and activities, showed climbing movies, gave out prizes, and laughed our way through a brilliant morning.  So many smiles!  We wish every day was Kids Day!!!

This month we welcomed a delightful swarm of aspiring young climbers from the Home of Joy and the School for Life, two children’s organizations in Chiang Mai.  On CMRCA Kids Day, once a month, climbing is about much more than strength and balance: it’s about trust, fun, challenge, adventure, and engaging with the local community.  CMRCA staff and volunteers from the climbing community had a terrific time spotting, coaching, and playing with these amazing children.

The American Community School of Abu Dhabi blew us away this weekend with their energy, enthusiasm, and willingness to tackle challenge.  Over two days at Crazy Horse Buttress, more than 100 students (ages 13-14) and chaperones belayed each other on tough climbs, explored caves both narrow and enormous, learned about the cultural and geological history of Northern Thailand, danced with their fear on a Tyrolean Traverse more than 40 meters above the ground, and engaged in hilarious, meaningful team-building activities.  The CMRCA staff loved working with such an exciting group of students!  Thanks and congratulations to ACS for creating a truly phenomenal experience.

We had another fantastic day with International Student Volunteers.  This is an amazing group of students who come to Thailand and volunteer at amazing sustainability projects throughout Thailand.  They then go on an incredible adventure including climbing, caving and high rope adventures.  We love working with ISV.  You had positive attitudes and gave us an outstanding effort.  In return, here is our first ever CMRCA video.  We hope you enjoy it.

Yet another day with new Volunteers from all around North America. They all dedicated themselves entirely to the activities we offered even though they had a rough week with all of their other adventure activities. During the next few weeks we will keep having a group of these students once per week.

9 teenagers from the America’s Adventures program learned how to rock climbing today. They took part in our Introduction to Rock Climbing Course and saw themselves zooming to the anchor points and rappelling down 60 meters in a cave. All learned how too belay and tie their figure height knots for top roping. Some even challenged themselves in achieving overhanging routes! If you are interested in booking this course follow the link : Introduction to rock Climbing Course

A great day in company of The ISV group. CMRCA had a great contact with all of the people attending this program and we hope you had a wonderfull time before leaving Chiang Mai. Everybody acheived their goal that day : althought some where having second thoughts about going on the tyrolean, all managed to overcome their fears.

What an incredible day we just had with Emirates International School of Dubai.  Congratulations to all of you for successfully passing the Gold Level of the IB International Award.  Today you showed incredible leadership, teamwork, effort and commitment to adventure.  Thank you for helping us create a truly memorable day of rock climbing, caving and tyrolean adventures!

We had a fantastic program over the last two days with Yew Chung International School of Shanghai.  We have worked with Yew Chung for four years now and the students never cease to amaze us.  Fresh of a three day leadership workshop, the students demonstrated incredible leadership skills, supported each other and gave everything they had.  Thank you Yew Chung!  We look forward to working with next year’s leadership class.  Keep after it and keep us posted on your next adventure!