At 58, I am a brand new climber. My kids all do it so I had to give it a try. My experience with Mon and Karst Climbing... read more was fantastic. He was so encouraging and patient I was pretty much at ease from the beginning....More

  We had an awesome time climbing with Mon from Karst Climbing. We opted for the three day lead climbing course and were joined for a half day with another couple... read more but after that it was just us and Mon. He was a fantastic instructor - the perfect balance of relaxed while also being completely focussed and vigilant the whole time we were climbing. We have a few years experience bouldering indoor but Mon was really patient when teaching us about the knots and techniques involved in lead climbing. We had time to build our confidence too rope climbing in the morning and by the end of the first day we were confidently lead climbing on more challenging routes. He pushed us to our limits (in the best way) and we felt really happy with the difficulty of routes he was choosing for us. Unfortunately I injured my ankle on the second day but Mon was very flexible and allowed us to reschedule to the following week. When we were then unable to do that date anymore he gave us a full refund for the day we missed. Amazing customer service and very kind and understanding. Thanks Mon!

  One of our top experiences in Thailand. Mon was an excellent guide - friendly, knowledgeable, and also had a very relaxed demeanor that put my wife and I at... read more ease. We were picked up at our hostel in Krabi and did a half day at Railay. Amazing views and challenging runs.

  Me and my wife had a full day climbing with Mon. I have climbing expiriance and my wife had no expiriance. Mon is a great guide! I... read more was leading and Mon was teaching me all the knots and my wife did top rope climbing. Unfortunately...More

  We had a brilliant half day of climbing with Karst climbing. Mon was our guide and he made sure everyone in our group of six was safe and happy. We... read more were able to do a lot of climbing (6 ascents) in that short period of time, which was awesome. There were also difficulties for all skill levels, we have a bouldering background so we were very happy that we could choose climbs that were a little bit harder. Would definitely book here again!

  My partner and I did the full day climbing and it was amazing. We are both intermediate climbers. Mon was a very skilled climber and friendly. He did a great... read more job at choosing routes for us that were interesting and varied. Would definitely recommend!

  Karst Climbing was a 10/10 experience. I took a 2 day Lead climbing course with Mon and then continued practicing with him for a series of half days thereafter. Mon... read more was a brilliant teacher - patient, attentive, safe - and always knew how hard to push to me. He kept things interesting by taking me to a variety of different climbing areas each day and by pushing me to top rope more challenging routes. If you’re an indoor climber looking to transition outdoors, learn the ropes for how to lead, or just have a good time - Karst is the place to be!

  My partner and I booked a full day of climbing through Karst Climbing. Mon (our guide) picked us up from our hotel (we were already staying on Railay) and... read more took us out to our first wall. We instantly felt comfortable as his knowledge of the...More

  Fifteen years ago, my now husband and I came to Thailand. We stayed on Railay, and learned to climb. Our trip ignited a passion, and we continued to return to... read more Railay every year to climb on the limestone rocks progressing from top roping to lead climbing. Leap forward to 2020, and we wanted to bring our children (aged 5 and 7) to Railay to enjoy some rock climbing too. We haven’t done any lead climbing since 2011, so wanted to have a guide for our trip to Railay.
I looked at various guides, and they generally all have the same marketing, so our choice came down to reviews and availability.
Karst Climbing is a fairly new outfit, with good reviews, and they could do our dates. Communicating with Karst climbing was easy, with quick, comprehensive responses to our emails. We booked an initial half day, paid online and were met by Mon at our hotel on the morning of our first session.
He drove us in his truck to his shop, loaded up with gear, and we headed off to the pier to travel to Railay.
He set up a rope on 123 wall and got a feel for our abilities, and worked well with the kids, our daughter was very keen to climb, but found the transition from indoor climbing wall to rock very challenging, and Mon showed great patience and kindness towards her. Our son, who is older and has more experience, got a bit shaky on one climb, so Mon chose another route which was better suited to him, and helped build his confidence back up.
He also set up ropes for me and my husband and was happy for us to belay each other or the kids using his gear whilst he belayed another one of us, enabling us to maximise our time with him.
Our first day was so good, we booked the following morning with Mon, and went up to Diamond Cave for another great few hours of guided climbing. Our daughter didn’t climb on the second day, but was so taken with Mon that she has declared she will climb with him next time we come to Thailand, and was chatting to him all the way back to the long tail.
We have been very lucky to have only had good climbing guides in Railay, but we have witnessed plenty of disinterested guides who don’t support their customers to get the most from their climbing experiences. Mon was a fabulous guide, he knows the climbs well, he was brilliant for our family with our mixed abilities and ages, and I would recommend him to anyone looking to climb in Railay.

  I had 2 great climbing days with Mon. I never climbed with a rope before, but Mon showed me how to set up everything for safe climbing. Mon knew... read more every route in his sleep and always gave me tips from below where the best grips were. I can recommend Karst Climbing for beginners as well as advanced climbers.