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If you want one Thai crag where you do not have to think much, North Wall is the most direct answer: it is in Ao Nang town, five minutes' walk from the beach, then a one-minute walk from the car park to the wall. All titanium bolts, toilets, gear for rent, transparent fees.
But theCrag hangs two warnings on this page, and both come from real incidents: parking in the wrong place, and people having climbing gear stolen.
What kind of crag this is
Limestone. theCrag's summary: "Sport climbing crag in Ao Nang town itself. Good mix of moderate to difficult climbs (5a to 8a with most being excellent 6s and 7s). All titanium bolts and well-maintained crag overall."
The development history is short: "The North Wall is the newest crag in Krabi and it's in Ao Nang — so on the mainland and not Railay-Tonsai peninsula. Developed in the last few years, all bolts are titanium set with Hilti 500 glue."
The first routes are on the page too: theCrag's History says the first routes at North Wall were opened by Rock & Sun (Trevor Massiah and Desiree Verbeek-Massiah) on Christmas Day 2016, and the first two were Santa Sends and Dr Desire. The Jurassic X-Mas sector history says the same thing. (Rock & Sun are also the developers of Tonsai's Mythical Beasts and King Kong.)
Six sectors
| Sector | Routes | Height | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rock'n Roll | 28 | 24 m | The most routes in the area; carries a bird-nest warning, and the 8a Air Jordan is here |
| Mythical Beasts | 24 | 28 m | The main wall with 1,303 ascents; some very long routes |
| Jurassic X-Mas | 24 | 24 m | 3,634 ascents, the most popular wall; carries a hornet warning (updated 2026-03-09) |
| Life of Leif | 19 | 22 m | 2,659 ascents, 8 routes in the 7s |
| Hello Welcome | 5 | 22 m | Only 5 routes but 188 ascents |
| NW Bouldering | 3 | — | Bouldering, theCrag marks it 6A+ |
Mythical Beasts is the main wall. theCrag: "Climbing is similar to Railay-Tonsai — steep and 3D with some very long routes, especially in the Mythical Beasts sector."
Jurassic X-Mas is the most popular wall (3,634 ascents), and it carries the most important biological warning in the series.
Why the routes are long
North Wall's routes are generally longer than the island crags: Mythical Beasts lists a maximum height of 56 metres, with Banshee at 35 m, Hercules 30 m, King Kong 32 m and Godzilla 35 m. That means many routes want 60 metres of rope or more, and your lowering needs working out.
Godzilla (7b+) says it directly: "Use a 70m Rope and tie a knot or use the midway anchor to lower down." Banshee (7a) likewise notes that "70m rope is a minimum. Tie a knot on the end!" And Dr Desire (6b) at Jurassic X-Mas says "60m rope is minimum. Tie a knot at the end of the rope."
When to go
North Wall is in Ao Nang town and can be climbed all year — theCrag lists no seasonal closure.
| Period | Conditions | Planning note |
|---|---|---|
| Sep–Feb | Dry season, Krabi's peak season | The best window, and also the busiest. The Jurassic X-Mas hornet warning was updated 2026-03-09 |
| Mar–May | Hot | Climb early and late. The wall faces north-west and is always shady |
| Jun–Aug | Monsoon | Most routes can still be climbed in the rain (see below) |
This is North Wall's biggest advantage. theCrag: "Majority of the routes can be climbed even on rainy days." That is rare at Thai island crags — Tonsai and Railay have walls that go completely wet.
But mosquitoes are the catch. theCrag's description says it plainly: "watch out for the mosquitos - bring spray and mosquito coils."
One more practical detail: theCrag tags the whole crag "Always shady", facing north-west. That makes it considerably cooler than the walls around it — a real advantage in the hot months.
Getting there
Public transport
You can get here entirely on foot and by boat, which is the biggest difference from the other crags in this series.
- From Ao Nang beach, follow the main road (4203) towards Krabi town for about 1.5 km.
- Turn right into Soi 11, opposite the 'De Loft Hotel', and follow the road for about 900 m.
- Where the road turns left — 200 m after the 'Emerald Muay Thai Gym' sign — turn right for 30 m.
- Then take the small trail slightly to the left into the forest, follow the trail to the end (about 100 m) and park.
- Walk about one minute; the crag is right in front of you.
Searching "Ao Nang North Wall" on Google Maps also works.
By car or motorbike
The same route. But parking is the biggest trap here, and the next section covers it.
Parking
theCrag's first warning is about parking:
Access: MUST Park Outside — Do not park by pond at main entrance! Best to use the entrance by the Emerald Muay Thai boxing gym. Drive slightly past muay thai gym and Park inside. (Do not park outside Muay Thai gym compound and area).
theCrag attaches a map of the crag with the parking area marked.
There is a smaller but equally specific note too: do not park your motorbike in front of the small lake at the end of the driveway.
Rules to know before you go
The second warning: thieves
Access: Beware of thieves! — Keep your valuables close-by when belaying! Thieves are operating in the area targeting climbing equipment, phones and cash. Do not leave your stuff unattended!
That warning is eight months old (around February 2026) and it is the most recent warning of any kind in this series. theCrag repeats it in the description: "Beware of theft at this crag! Especially during busy times. Keep your valuables and climbing gear close-by."
What this means in practice: do not put the gear bag on the ground and walk off to get water or take a photo. Rucksacks, rope bags, phones and wallets all stay on you or in sight. This is a crag in town, not in the wild.
Two sectors carry wildlife warnings
This is theCrag's most detailed warning set for North Wall, and it has a date on it.
Jurassic X-Mas (24 routes):
Flora and Fauna: Update: Hornet situation as of 9.3.2026 (updated 9 March 2026) Big nest with a lot of traffic near the route Dr. Desire, also close to Santa Sends, watch out.
Rock'n Roll (28 routes): the whole sector carries a "Flora and Fauna: Bird nest" warning, applied to every route in it.
Several routes carry their own warnings:
- Gravity (6c, Jurassic X-Mas): "Do not top rope from the ring at the anchor."
- The Stoneman (6a, Jurassic X-Mas): "Top anchor rope super shredded."
- Lady Rose (6c, Rock'n Roll): "Two slings need replacing."
- Tangled up in Blue (8a, Rock'n Roll) carries a "Hornets" warning on top of the bird nest.
"All titanium" does not apply to everything: Slippery When Wet (6a+) is "1 bolt, 9 slings", Find a Heart (6a) is "4 bolts, 9 slings", Crazy Amounts of Pleasure (6b) is "4 bolts, 6 slings", and Pinball Wizard (6b, Life of Leif) is "all slings". The bolts are titanium, but you still have to judge the slings yourself.
All titanium bolts
This is North Wall's main selling point: every bolt is titanium, glued with Hilti 500. That is completely different from Tonsai, where one route is all titanium and the one three metres away has rusty expansion bolts — North Wall was developed after Christmas 2016 and carries none of that history.
Private land
theCrag's access note:
Access is through private property (plantation and a residence) so please be mindful as the property owners are fine with climbing there so long as climbers respect their property and privacy (house).
No drilling, no chipping
theCrag's Ethic field is a single sentence, but it is absolute:
Drilling, chipping and "enhancement" of rock is forbidden!
It applies to every sector, since it sits at the crag level and is inherited by each one.
Fee and facilities
- Entry fee 50 THB, whole day.
- Equipment rental available: rope, helmet, quickdraws and so on.
- Two cubicles, one male and one female — theCrag says "so you no longer have to answer the call of nature in a natural setting."
- theCrag also notes good mobile signal (a sharp contrast with Tonsai's off-grid conditions).
Routes by level
YDS and V-grade conversions follow the Mountain Project international grade comparison chart and are approximate; "approx." marks grades the sources give without a/b/c (such as 4 or 5+). The original grade is the one that counts.
The tables come from theCrag's six sector pages, read 21 October 2026 — all 103 routes. Stars are theCrag's quality stars.
Beginner: up to 6a (YDS 5.10a and below)
North Wall has no real beginner lines — the lowest grades are 4+ and 5, and there are only a handful. The two 4+s at the bottom of Rock'n Roll are the simplest things in the area.
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Krabi Bolt Fund | 4+ | approx. 5.6 | 22 m | Rock'n Roll | to the right of The End, has its own anchor |
| Rock & Sun | 4+ | approx. 5.6 | 22 m | Rock'n Roll | to the right of Krabi Bolt Fund, has its own anchor |
| Where's Jordan? | 5 | approx. 5.7–5.8 | 23 m | Hello Welcome | ★; left of the tree, left of Hello Welcome, sharing an anchor |
| Hello Welcome | 5 | approx. 5.7–5.8 | 20 m | Hello Welcome | ★; currently second from the left |
| Mr Dean | 5+ | approx. 5.9 | 22 m | Hello Welcome | ★; currently the third of five routes |
| Kiera | 5+ | approx. 5.9 | 24 m | Hello Welcome | ★★; currently the right-hand most route |
| Carrie On | 5 | approx. 5.7–5.8 | 20 m | Jurassic X-Mas | ★★; starts on the tufa, finishes right of The Stoneman |
| Luke | 5c | 5.9 | 20 m | Life of Leif | ★★; starts at Natalie's anchor and goes left |
| Psycho Killer | 5c | 5.9 | 26 m | Rock'n Roll | ★★; easy sustained climbing to the roof, a perfect warm-up; the second-to-last route on the right |
| Everybody Loves Lek | 6a | 5.10a | 21 m | Hello Welcome | ★★ |
| Rosie | 6a | 5.10a | 20 m | Life of Leif | ★★; starts at Natalie's anchor and goes right |
| The Stoneman | 6a | 5.10a | 20 m | Jurassic X-Mas | ★; top anchor rope super shredded |
| Find a Heart | 6a | 5.10a | 18 m | Jurassic X-Mas | ★★; 4 bolts, 9 slings |
| Tufantastic | 6a | 5.10a | 23 m | Jurassic X-Mas | ★★; an adventurous route round the tufa system; the lead should unclip bolt 1 after clipping bolt 2 to avoid rope drag, and the top-rope climber must clip them back with a stickclip |
| Blue Crush | 6a+ | 5.10b | 10 m | Life of Leif | ★; short and sweet |
Intermediate: 6a+ to 6c+ (YDS 5.10b–5.11c)
This is North Wall's biggest band. theCrag's judgement is "most being excellent 6s and 7s" — this is not a crag that wins on quantity, it wins on quality.
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shrek | 6a+ | 5.10b | 16 m | Mythical Beasts | ★; 8 slings, anchor before the roof |
| Slippery When Wet | 6a+ | 5.10b | 18 m | Jurassic X-Mas | ★★; tufa is slippery when wet; 1 bolt, 9 slings |
| Queen of the Highway | 6a+ | 5.10b | 32 m | Jurassic X-Mas | ★★; cruxy dihedral right at the start, then easier; 4 bolts, 13 slings |
| Lizard King | 6a+ | 5.10b | 23 m | Jurassic X-Mas | ★★; up the ladder right of Queen of the Highway; 5 bolts, 6 slings |
| Dazed and Confused | 6a+ | 5.10b | 30 m | Rock'n Roll | ★★★; start on top of the pedestal, traverse right across the gap |
| Sushi | 6a+ | 5.10b | 14 m | Rock'n Roll | ★★; shares anchors with Wasabi; 1 bolt, 4 slings; bird nest |
| Freebird | 6a+ | 5.10b | 32 m | Rock'n Roll | ★★; same start as The End for 6 bolts, then left; bird nest |
| Backscratcher | 6b+ | 5.10d | 18 m | Jurassic X-Mas | ★★ |
| Honey Hunter | 6b | 5.10c | 18 m | Jurassic X-Mas | ★★ |
| Dr Desire | 6b | 5.10c | 33 m | Jurassic X-Mas | ★★; 60 m rope is minimum, tie a knot at the end; one of North Wall's first two routes; the hornet nest is right here |
| Crazy Amounts of Pleasure | 6b | 5.10c | 18 m | Jurassic X-Mas | ★★; tricky first bulge, then straight up; 4 bolts, 6 slings |
| Gravity | 6c | 5.11a/b | 18 m | Jurassic X-Mas | ★★; do not top rope from the ring at the anchor |
| Santa Sends | 6c+ | 5.11c | 26 m | Jurassic X-Mas | ★★★; sustained and consistent with a couple of small cruxes; one of North Wall's first two routes; the nest is close |
| Diana Ross | 6c | 5.11a/b | 23 m | Jurassic X-Mas | ★★★; follow the fixed red draws; fixed draws all the way, only one QD required for the first sling |
| Dragon | 6c+ | 5.11c | 27 m | Mythical Beasts | ★★; fun steep moves, an epic juggy roof, then a mix of powerful moves and technical face; coming out of the roof there is a long blue sling with a biner — clip the biner, but do not then clip a quickdraw on that same bolt, as it adds a lot of drag |
| Bruce Banner | 6c+ | 5.11c | 20 m | Mythical Beasts | ★★; endurance climbing to the first anchor on Hulk; fixed draws |
| Thunder | 6c | 5.11a/b | 20 m | Mythical Beasts | ★★; "nice moves" |
| Lightning | 6c | 5.11a/b | 20 m | Mythical Beasts | ★★; pumpy overhang, really fun |
| Son of Rambo | 6c | 5.11a/b | 25 m | Mythical Beasts | ★★; start on the black tufa pedestal; after the first clip, watch out — a lead fall can hit the rock below |
| Storm in Head | 6b | 5.10c | 27 m | Rock'n Roll | ★★; shares the start with Thunderstruck then left; bird nest |
| Heartbreaker | 6c | 5.11a/b | 27 m | Rock'n Roll | ★★; shares the start with Thunderstruck, then right into the white tufa pipes; bird nest |
| Lady Rose | 6c | 5.11a/b | 20 m | Rock'n Roll | ★★★; two slings need replacing; the first climb left of Can I Play with Madness; bird nest |
| The End | 7a | 5.11d | 32 m | Rock'n Roll | ★★; about 5 m right of The Passenger, fun crimp moves; bird nest |
Advanced: 7a to 7c+ (YDS 5.11d–5.13a)
This is North Wall's best part. Rock'n Roll has Can I Play with Madness 8a and Air Jordan 8a, Mythical Beasts has six 7b and four 7b+, plus a 7a+ and a 7c.
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gladiator | 7a | 5.11d | 30 m | Jurassic X-Mas | ★★; up Diana Ross to the ledge then left into the horizontal roof; fixed draws |
| Blood Moon | 7a | 5.11d | 18 m | Jurassic X-Mas | ★★; short crux in the roof, start and finish easier; 5 titanium bolts, 5 slings |
| New Moon | 7a | 5.11d | — | Jurassic X-Mas | ★★; same start as Blood Moon then right through roof and crack |
| Full Moon | 7a | 5.11d | — | Jurassic X-Mas | ★★; same start as Blood Moon, then left through the small roof after the overhang |
| King's Landing | 7a+ | 5.12a | 30 m | Jurassic X-Mas | ★★★; just right of the small cave; beautiful climbing at 6b+/c up to a short but intense bouldery crux |
| White Walker | 7b+ | 5.12c | 27 m | Jurassic X-Mas | ★★★; just right of King's Landing; short crux, then easier |
| Mr Ya | 7a+ | 5.12a | 23 m | Jurassic X-Mas | ★★; starts left of the tufa |
| BAO | 7b+ | 5.12c | 34 m | Jurassic X-Mas | ★★★; a big jug under the cave then straight up; use a clipstick for the first bolt |
| Diana Ross Extension | 7b | 5.12b | 25 m | Jurassic X-Mas | ★★★; from Diana Ross's anchor, through the roof on fixed draws |
| Black Mamba | 7a | 5.11d | 30 m | Mythical Beasts | ★★; start on the left of Yak, on the left side of the big tufa |
| Banshee | 7a | 5.11d | 35 m | Mythical Beasts | ★★; tufa fun for the first half, then steep and long to the very top of the karst; 70 m rope is a minimum, tie a knot on the end |
| Baby Hercules | 7a | 5.11d | 25 m | Mythical Beasts | ★★; same start as Hulk, then left at the 2nd clip; watch loose rock, tell people on the ground |
| Terminator | 7b | 5.12b | 28 m | Mythical Beasts | ★★; same start as Dragon, then right into the big roof |
| Herminator | 7b | 5.12b | 28 m | Mythical Beasts | ★★; up Hercules, head left through the roof and link into the Terminator finish |
| Hercules | 7b | 5.12b | 30 m | Mythical Beasts | ★★★; extension of Baby Hercules, 3 clips through the horizontal roof |
| Hulk | 7b+ | 5.12c | 30 m | Mythical Beasts | ★★★; climbs Bruce Banner then the "transformation into the Hulk"; climb direct — it is tempting to go right to the jugs of King Kong and skip the crux, and then it is only 7b |
| King Kong | 7b | 5.12b | 32 m | Mythical Beasts | ★★★; Rock and Sun and Desiree Massiah-Verbeek, 2017 |
| The Joker | 7b | 5.12b | — | Mythical Beasts | ★★; "why so serious? let's put a smile on that face" |
| Thor | 7b | 5.12b | 33 m | Mythical Beasts | ★★★; up the ladder then left, excellent climbing |
| Godzilla | 7b+ | 5.12c | 35 m | Mythical Beasts | ★★★; use a 70 m rope and tie a knot, or lower from the midway anchor |
| Jaws | 7c | 5.12d | — | Mythical Beasts | ★★★; dynamic moves, great climbing |
| Baba Yaga | 7b+/c | 5.12c | 30 m | Mythical Beasts | ★★★; shares the start with Yeti, take the leftmost line; all titanium bolts; opened Aug 2023 |
| Yeti | 7b+ | 5.12c | 30 m | Mythical Beasts | ★★; great crimpy sustained climbing; stay as direct as possible from the 4th to the last bolt |
| The Fortress | 7a | 5.11d | 40 m | Life of Leif | ★★; shares the first bolt with Kung Fu Panda then up and right to the ledge |
| Cyber Punks | 7a | 5.11d | 15 m | Life of Leif | ★★; pumpy and super fun; fixed red draws |
| Omnicron-22 | 7b | 5.12b | 16 m | Life of Leif | ★★; for 7b stay left at the crux, don't go right into Life of Leif |
| Dogs Run Free | 7a+ | 5.12a | 22 m | Life of Leif | ★★★; on the right side of Life of Leif; 9 bolts, 4 slings |
| Lime Crush | 7a | 5.11d | 10 m | Life of Leif | 0 stars; short and spicy; 5 green slings through the bulging roof |
| Sexual Climber | 7b | 5.12b | 18 m | Rock'n Roll | ★★★; a 5 m extension to either Sushi or Wasabi; bird nest |
| Red Lining / Red Lining.to the Max | 7b | 5.12b | 30 m | Rock'n Roll | ★★; same start as Dazed and Confused then left into the open-book corner; bird nest |
| Dazed Lining | 6c/c+ | 5.11a/b | 30 m | Rock'n Roll | ★★★; same start as Red Lining then left into the open-book corner and right up the face; bird nest |
| Shotgun Blues | 7b+ | 5.12c | 25 m | Rock'n Roll | ★★★; the leftmost route on the right side of the ledge; bird nest |
| Master of Puppets | 7a+ | 5.12a | 18 m | Rock'n Roll | ★★; bird nest |
| Creep | 7a | 5.11d | 14 m | Rock'n Roll | ★★; bird nest |
| Vagabonds of the Western World | 6c | 5.11a/b | 30 m | Rock'n Roll | ★★★; bird nest |
| Spanish Caravan | 6b+ | 5.10d | 29 m | Rock'n Roll | ★★; bird nest |
| The Passenger | 6b | 5.10c | 29 m | Rock'n Roll | ★★; bird nest |
| Simon's Tales | 6c | 5.11a/b | 25 m | Rock'n Roll | ★★; bird nest |
| Keep Yourself Alive | 6a | 5.10a | 25 m | Rock'n Roll | ★★; a must-do; jugs and bridging, slightly polished; bird nest |
| Tufa Love | 6b+ | 5.10d | — | Life of Leif | ★★; top rope warning |
| Kung Fu Panda / Kung Fu KK | 6b | 5.10c | 17 m | Life of Leif | ★★; big jugs and awesome moves |
| Pinball Wizard | 6b | 5.10c | 20 m | Life of Leif | ★★; left of Natalie; all slings |
| Life of Leif | 6b+ | 5.10d | — | Life of Leif | ★★; 11 bolts, 6 slings; can be climbed as one pitch |
Expert: 8a and up (YDS 5.13b and up)
North Wall has three routes above 8a, and one of them is the hardest project line in Thailand.
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Can I Play with Madness | 8a | 5.13b | 20 m | Rock'n Roll | ★★★; the straight line to the right anchor, up the white face; all titanium bolts; bird nest |
| Air Jordan | 8a | 5.13b | 18 m | Rock'n Roll | ★★; same start as Red Lining / Dazed and Confused, then left via a crazy Superman dyno to the big hole; bird nest |
| Tangled up in Blue | 8a | 5.13b | 30 m | Rock'n Roll | ★★; hornet warning on top of the bird nest |
| Mad Max | 7c+ | 5.13a | — | Rock'n Roll | ★★★; shares the first jug of Can I Play with Madness then immediately right and up; bird nest |
| Furiosa | 9a | 5.14d | — | Rock'n Roll | ★★★; a four-bolt extension to Mad Max; an open project — "please try!" |
Furiosa (9a) is the hardest route in Thailand as theCrag records it. It is an open project with no length data and no ascent record.
Mythical Beasts' per-route list tops out at 7c (Jaws). The two 8a routes appear only in theCrag's icon list, with no length, no bolt notes and no description. That is the "route exists but data is thin" case — to climb them you take the guidebook and look on site.
Where to look things up
- Online databases: theCrag's North Wall page has all 103 routes, the six sectors, both warnings, the parking map, the approach, the fee and the facilities. The six sector pages each carry per-route grades, stars, lengths, bolts and wildlife warnings. This crag has the most complete online data of anything in this series.
- Guidebooks: grades and route counts here come mainly from online databases; the guidebook is the authority. The Pocket Guide – Thailand (10th edition, 2026-01, 238 pages, 1,000 THB) covers it — theCrag specifically notes that the 2026 edition updated the topos and photos for North Wall and Chong Phli — as does King Climbers (10th edition, 2025, which includes Ao-Nang Mainland's Chong Phli and North Wall).
- Live on-the-ground information: Krabi Bolting Fund maintains the bolts on the Krabi mainland, and both theCrag and the crag pages point at it. It is the right channel for checking current North Wall status, or for supporting the work.
References
- theCrag: The North Wall
- theCrag: Mythical Beasts
- theCrag: Jurassic X-Mas
- theCrag: Life of Leif
- theCrag: Rock'n Roll
- theCrag: Krabi Mainland
- Krabi Bolting Fund
- Mountain Project: Krabi Mainland
- justclimbthailand: The Pocket Guide – Thailand
- justclimbthailand: gear rental
- Railay: rebolting page
- Crag Chemistry: Thailand crags (titanium and stainless testing)
- thailand-weather.org: Krabi climate