COVERT CRAG
Covert Crag is located in Donglan Forest Sport Climbing area, the first sport climbing area of Khon Kaen developed by Khon Kaen Climbing Club (KKCC). It is in Amper Si Chompu. About 2 hour drive from down town Khon Kaen. There are a lot of tall lime stone mountains in the area and bolting process started in 2016 and still on going. KKCC is trying to set up more routes and put more bolts in. This crag is facing north, so it is reasonable shade all day.
Entrance to the unnamed road, it’s located just after a big Thai style house with a long brown fence (see photo), and it is 1.6 km north of Wat Wang Kon Daeng. Local people call it ‘road to the sugarcane field’ (thanon kao rai aoi).
Access by the same dirt road to Shangrila’. Once you turn left into the road heading to the mountains, turn left at the next intersection, fallow the dirt road to ‘Covert Crag’. The road condition is not always good, so drive careful. Will take 3 min walk to the wall fro Parking. Coordinate are 16°49’35.7″N 102°01’56.9″E.
70 meters rope is RECOMMENDED for this crag. We bolted long routes.
SHANGRILA
Description
This is in the Dong Lan Forest, same mountain with Covert Crag. Stand tall lime stone mountain with white overhang behind the sugarcane / cassava field. You can park at the end of gravel road under a big jackfruit tree. The land owner also made a small access road to allow climbers to drive and park at the base of the wall. High clearance vehicle is recommended though.
Khon Kaen Climbing Club is developing the area and more bolts and more routes will be put on the wall.
As of Mar 2021, there are currently 12 routes ranging from 6a – 7a+.
Most of the routes are long, upto 34 meter. 70 meter rope is required.
Getting There
Access by the same dirt road to ‘Covert Crag’. Once you turn left into the road heading to the mountains, instead of turn left at the next intersection, go straight to the right Access by the same dirt road to ‘Covert Crag’. Once you turn left into the road heading to the mountains, instead of turning left at the next intersection, go straight to the right ( white wall ) on the right hand side of the mountain. The road, gravel, is not always good, park by the mango trees. Will take 20 min hike. Coordinate is 16°49’35.7″N 102°01’56.9″E.
BONEYARD WALL
Description
Boneyard wall is located in Pha Nam Thiang temple. As you may have knew before that Thai monks love caves and they arrived to the mountains before any climbers. It’s a beautiful limestone cliff that has slab, vertical and overhang. It’s a crag in development and every season there are more lines add it to the crag. As in Jan 2020, Khon Kaen Climbing Club managed to put up 17 routes and many projects in the range of 5b-7b (5.9-5.12b). KKCC is working hard to develop sport climing in the area. If you are an experience developer and want to give us a hand in bolting, please let us know. If you go climbing at our area in Khon Kaen, consider in to donating bolts and anchors, Donate what you can, it can be one or it can be hundreds, any donation is more than welcome.
For more in formation, please contact us facebook.com/khonkaenclimbi…
Getting There
Search “Wat Tham Pha Nam Thiang” in google map, and you will get there. The access to the crag is on the back of the temple, behind the kitchen, 5 min easy walk, flat. The trail is obvious and clean. Just walk to the tall mountain with a white wall behind the kitchen. There is water available at a water tower near by. Toilet is available in the temple too. The monks are well awared of climbing activities. Donation to the temple is recommended to maintain facility and good relationship with the monks.
Be careful of the monkeys. They are gangster. Watch your food. If you drive a truck, don’t leave anything in the truck. Monkeys will get to them.
PHA NOI WALL
Description
Not far from Covert Crag and Shangrila wall. In Thai, Pha = cliff and Noi = little.
So it’s a nice little wall that is only 1 min walk from the parking spot, white smooth limestone, and it’s in the shade all day long.
Bolting is still in progress. The routes are about 19-20 meter height. As in Feb 2021, there are 10 routes bolted by Khon Kaen Clmbing Club (KKCC). Grade range from 5 to 7b+ (French grade)
It’s next to the planation field and a local road, so there will be local people working or riding motorcycles near by. Be respectful and keep your noise minimum and road clear.
Thailand Mountain Sport Club (TMSC) donated 100 of SS316 bolts to KKCC to make the development possible.
Getting There
It’s not far from Ban Sam Champa School. From the school, drive south till you meet Ban Sam Champa Child Development Center (Kinder garden school). Then turn right to the dirt road and you will see the wall at the curve in front of you. Parking along side of the road. We have cleared space for 2 vehicles only. Please don’t block the road as there will be agricultural truck passing by often.
SILANT MOUNTAIN
