🌏 中文版
The west side of Railay is the most famous multipitch climbing in Southeast Asia. theCrag's own summary calls Lord of the Thais (7b, 5 pitches, 120 m) "one of the best in the world", and Circus Oz, Continental Drifters and Crystal Flame all sit on the same wall.
But the thing to read first in this guide is not the routes — it is the descents. The route notes repeat phrases like "needs two 60-metre ropes", "20 metres more rope to reach the ground" and "tie a knot in the end", and two routes are explicitly written up as "this route is a mess, don't do it".
What kind of crag this is
Limestone. The west side differs from the east in the sun: the west walls are shaded in the afternoon (theCrag's grouping of Tonsai's sectors says the west walls are shaded in the afternoon).
| Sector | Routes | Height | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thaiwand Wall | 29 | 40 m | Where the famous multipitch lives |
| Wee's Present Wall | 20 | 21 m | The wall you pass on the way to Thaiwand |
| Phra-Nang Beach | 24 | 14 m | Behind Phra Nang beach, the easiest approach |
| Escher World / Tum Choee | 26 | 15 m | The far north of the Phra Nang side |
| The Defile | 13 | 19 m | |
| Happy Island | 13 | 31 m | |
| Candlestick Wall | 5 | 38 m | Only five routes, all multipitch |
| Universe Wall | 5 | 16 m | All five say "old rusty expansion bolts, do not climb" |
| Wee's Present Wall | 20 | 21 m | The wall you pass on the way to Thaiwand |
| Railay Beach Corner | 1 | 35 m | Marked Closed on theCrag |
| Lap Lair | 1 | 20 m | |
| DWS Wall | 1 | — | Deep water soloing |
The famous multipitch
At Thaiwand Wall:
- Lord of the Thais (7b, 5 pitches, 120 m): theCrag says it "will take you as far as you will get in this area". The first pitch is shared with Circus Oz, up the right side of the big cave.
- Circus Oz (7a, 4 pitches, 120 m): "Popular and will get you as far of the deck as you will get in this area. Take 14 quickdraws and two 60m ropes. Be aware that the upper pitches are not rebolted with titanium!" Descend via the anchors of Lord of the Thais, three rappels on two 60-metre ropes, backclip to stay on the wall.
- Continental Drifters (7c+, 4 pitches, 99 m): "Good but not as good as 'Lord of the Thais' and 'The King and I'. Take 14 quickdraws." The first two pitches are not rebolted; reach P3 via Monkey Love; from the P3 anchor it is a 60-metre rappel to the ground, which needs two 60-metre ropes.
- Inaka (7b, 4 pitches, 120 m): theCrag's note is blunt — "This route is a mess. Don't do it. There is a lot of loose rock and sharpies that can cut your rope. Also no rebolting of the upper pitches since 1996. Take 15 quickdraws and extra threads if you're really keen..." The first pitch is now Hiroshi's Revenge.
- The King and I (7b+) shares anchors with Sanuked.
The four multipitch routes at Candlestick Wall:
- Crystal Flame (6b+, 3 pitches, 70 m): theCrag calls it "the classic line at 'Candlestick Wall'. All titanium bolts." The third pitch is a chimney with only one sling.
- The Candlestick (6c, 2 pitches, 70 m): all titanium bolts. Two details from theCrag are worth memorising: "On descent, reclip the draws on P2 to avoid being stuck in free space. When abseiling P1, change over at the rap station — 70m rope does not reach the start."
- Thai Stick (6c, 2 pitches, 70 m): shares the start with The Candlestick then takes the line further right; all titanium bolts.
- The Red Line (6c+, 2 pitches): the leftmost line on the red-coated rock; all titanium bolts.
On the Phra Nang side, the long routes include Giant Carnage and Sticky Monster, though theCrag's per-route detail there is thinner. Up To You Extended (Hot Dragon) (7b+) is the hardest Phra Nang line in Mountain Project's classics list.
When to go
| Period | Conditions | Planning note |
|---|---|---|
| Nov | End of the wet season | Fewer people |
| Dec–Feb | Dry and cool, best friction | Peak season, the most people |
| Mar | Getting hot | |
| Apr–May | Hot | |
| Jun–Oct | Monsoon |
The west side is shaded in the afternoon, which is a real advantage over the east side (where Muay Thai and Diamond Cave are shaded in the morning but packed with schools all day). But multipitch costs time — if you start in the afternoon you will be coming down in the dark.
theCrag's tags for Thaiwand are: always shady, wet in rain, windy, any tide. Candlestick carries the same four. "Any tide" means the approaches to these two walls are tide-independent, unlike Low Tide Wall on the east side.
Getting there
Public transport
There is no road access. Take a longtail boat from Ao Nang; only the Railay boats run, and they stop at Tonsai first. Boats only run in daylight.
Approaches
Thaiwand Wall (30–45 minutes, steep hike) has the most detailed approach description in Railay:
Walk all the way to the end of Railay beach. In the corner behind the Rayavadee resort, find a trail into the forest, which leads you to 'Wee's Present Wall' after about 50m. Turn right and follow the wall to the end. Follow the trail straight ahead and climb down a small boulder. Keep following the steep trail for about 2 minutes until you see a fallen tree on the left. From here, multiple paths end up at the crag. The easiest way is passing below the tree, then continuing right for about 1 minute until you end up on the leftmost routes of 'Thaiwand Wall'. After the tree, there is another trail turning left and uphill, which leads to the 'Candlestick Wall'.
Candlestick Wall (45–60 minutes, climb in) is harder:
Located left above 'Thaiwand Wall'. Challenging approach involving some easy though exposed climbing on fixed ropes. Walk all the way to the end of Railay beach… Just before you reach the left side of 'Thaiwand Wall', turn left and follow the trail uphill. Find a fixed rope and climb up about 30m at easy level to the belay anchor.
That is one of the approaches to take seriously: 30 metres of fixed rope, and theCrag specifically calls it "easy though exposed". The descent note for the whole wall reads: "Rap off. Backclip when lowering to make it back to the starting belay station."
The Phra Nang side is the easiest to reach — straight behind the beach.
Rules to know before you go
Descent is the real risk here
You have to work out the descent configuration before every multipitch route. From the route notes:
- Continental Drifters: from the P3 anchor it is a 60-metre rappel to the ground, which needs two 60-metre ropes.
- Circus Oz: three rappels on two 60-metre ropes, backclip to stay on the wall; "on the last bit of the last pitch take care, there is some sharp rock and you're falling into a dihedral".
- The Candlestick: a 70-metre rope does not reach the start, so you change over at the rappel station; "reclip the draws on P2".
- Candlestick Wall as a whole: theCrag tags it "Rap off" and "Backclip when lowering to make it back to the starting belay station."
- The long Phra Nang routes carry similar rope-length notes.
This is something a whole multipitch team works out together before leaving, not something you discover on the wall.
Bolt condition: different route by route
Thaiwand Wall (29 routes):
- Primal Scream (6a+): "Appears to be a mix of titanium bolts and stainless bolts at the top."
- Spicy Speck Dreams (7c): "Not rebolted with titanium. All stainless steel glue-in bolts."
- Live and Let Thai (7a): "Not rebolted with titanium. 6 stainless steel glue-in bolts, 3 slings."
- Taming the East (7a+): "All stainless steel glue-in bolts."
- Inaka (7b): "This route is a mess. Don't do it."
- Continental Drifters (7c+): the first two pitches are not rebolted.
- Circus Oz (7a): the upper pitches are not rebolted with titanium.
- Twenty Kilos of Steel (4): the access route into the big cave linking Thaiwand Wall and Escher World; 1 titanium bolt + 4 slings.
- Hiroshi's Revenge (6b+): a mix of titanium bolts and slings.
Candlestick Wall (5 routes): all four multipitch routes are all titanium (The Red Line, Crystal Flame, The Candlestick, Thai Stick). This is the best-bolted sector in Railay — because it has only five routes, all systematically developed around 1999–2000.
The Phra Nang side: theCrag's Phra-Nang Beach tags are slab, vertical, always shady, wet in rain. Bolt condition sits in the per-route descriptions.
Three sectors are effectively closed wholesale:
- Universe Wall (5 routes): Slow-Pulsed Boy 7a+, Apocolysco 7b, Universe City 7b, Crucial Taunt 7b+ and The Shining Path 8a all say "old rusty expansion bolts, do not climb unless rebolted". This is the cleanest whole-sector closure in Railay.
- Happy Island (13 routes): 10 are un-climbable. Don't Worry, Be Happy 6a ("not rebolted with titanium, 6 old slings, 1 stainless steel glue-in bolt"), Happy Thailand 6b+, Jungle Boogie 6b+, Waiting for Donkey Kong 6c, Razorback 6c+ (second pitch expansion bolts), Pee Mai 6c+, TV Route 7a, Coral Soul 7a+, Galette S'Abstenir 7a+, Land of Smiles 8a (only the first pitch was rebolted with titanium) and Violent Brain Fever 8a+ are all flagged. Only King Fisher 7a+ carries no warning. This sector is effectively shut.
- The Defile (13 routes): Crystal Prison 7c and Allo, la Terre? 7b say "old rusty expansion bolts, do not climb"; Jungle Fever 5 is an "old route, not listed in the guidebooks" and is marked Closed; Khao Pat Gai 7a+ was rebolted with titanium but has bad bolt placement and an unprotected crux.
Wee's Present Wall (20 routes) is the way in to Thaiwand, and its condition is polarised: Hello Christine 6a+, Low Season 6c, The Marlin 6c+, Tres Equis 7b+ and Tarte Au Poil 7c+ are all titanium, but Klong Mot Gan 5b, John's White Shirt 6b, On the Edge 6c and Som Tam 7b all say "old slings and expansion bolts, do not climb unless rebolted", and the two 6as Roi-Et and I Don't Know are flagged as sharp rock on all slings.
The approach itself is a risk
- The fixed rope to Candlestick Wall is "easy though exposed".
- Twenty Kilos of Steel, the approach into the big cave, has 1 titanium bolt + 4 slings.
- theCrag tags Thaiwand's approach "Steep hike" and "30-45 min".
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 lean on Thaiwand Wall and Candlestick Wall, read from theCrag's sector pages on 21 October 2026, with named routes from Mountain Project's classics list added for the west side and Phra Nang.
Beginner: up to 6a (YDS 5.10a and below)
The west side has fewer beginner lines than the east. The only 4 is an access route.
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twenty Kilos of Steel | 4 | approx. 5.4–5.5 | 15 m | Thaiwand Wall | ★; the access route into the big cave linking Thaiwand and Escher World; 1 titanium bolt + 4 slings |
| Way to the Top | 5b | 5.8 | 20 m | Wee's Present Wall | ★; 2 titanium bolts, 5 slings |
| It / Up | 5+ | approx. 5.9 | 12 m | Thaiwand Wall | ★; the easiest of the 2019 routes, with the big hole just before the anchor; called 'Up' in some guidebooks; titanium bolts |
| Wind Burn / Sun | 6a | 5.10a | 15 m | Thaiwand Wall | ★; starts just left of Organ Grinder trending left; 3 bolts and many slings |
| Primal Scream | 6a+ | 5.10b | 15 m | Thaiwand Wall | ★; shares the anchor with Solution 41; appears to be a mix of titanium and stainless bolts at the top |
| Solution 41 | 6b+ | 5.10d | 18 m | Thaiwand Wall | ★; shares anchors with Primal Scream; all titanium bolts |
| Me | 6b | 5.10c | 12 m | Thaiwand Wall | ★; named 'It' (5+/6a) in some guidebooks; shares anchors with Healthy Shake; titanium bolts |
| Fit to Be Thaid | 6a+ | 5.10b | — | Thaiwand Wall | ★★; a little sharp but otherwise fun climbing |
| Fit to Be Thaid (Extension) | 6a | 5.10a | — | Thaiwand Wall | ★★; linkup from Fit to Be Thaid's anchors to The King and I's anchors |
| A Man Can Tell 1,000 Lies | 6a | 5.10a | — | Wee's Present Wall | Mountain Project classics list |
Intermediate: 6a+ to 6c+ (YDS 5.10b–5.11c)
The mid grades here are the most storied in Thailand. Many lines have names and histories of their own.
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Organ Grinder | 6c | 5.11a/b | 25 m, 2 pitches | Thaiwand Wall | ★★; usually climbed as one pitch; all titanium bolts |
| Healthy Shake | 6c | 5.11a/b | 12 m | Thaiwand Wall | ★★; right of Equatorial; hard crux into the small roof; grade varies from 6c to 7a in different guidebooks; titanium bolts; opened 2019-03 |
| Hiroshi's Revenge | 6b+ | 5.10d | 26 m | Thaiwand Wall | ★★★; starts with Organ Grinder's first pitch then continues up via tufa; mix of titanium bolts and slings |
| Monkey Love | 6b | 5.10c | 25 m | Thaiwand Wall | ★★; an exposed line through the tufa system; titanium bolts and slings; maintained 2023-01 |
| Mala Mujer | 6b | 5.10c | — | Thaiwand Wall | ★★; good vertical climbing on tufas and big holds; 9 titanium bolts + 3 slings |
| Getting to Know You / Etcetera, Etcetera, Etcetera | 6b+ | 5.10d | — | Thaiwand Wall | ★★; "Awesome route!! the anchor is after the sling up to the left."; all titanium bolts |
| The Sluggard Prince | 6b | 5.10c | — | Thaiwand Wall | ★★; shares anchors with Sanuked |
| Sanuked | 6b+ | 5.10d | — | Thaiwand Wall | ★; starts at the top of The Sluggard Prince and shares the anchor with P2 of The King and I |
| Live and Let Thai | 7a | 5.11d | 25 m, 2 pitches | Thaiwand Wall | ★; pitch 1 is 5a (15 m), pitch 2 is 7a (10 m), and it can be climbed as one pitch; not rebolted with titanium, 6 stainless steel glue-in bolts + 3 slings |
| Equatorial | 7b | 5.12b | 50 m, 2 pitches | Thaiwand Wall | ★★★; pitch 1 is 6c (35 m), pitch 2 is 7b (15 m); "great first pitch up the arete"; 11 titanium bolts + 2 slings, then 6 titanium bolts |
| Caveman | 7a+ | 5.12a | 32 m, 2 pitches | Thaiwand Wall | ★; shares the start with Out of Sticks then up the crack; can be climbed as one pitch; 11 titanium bolts + 1 sling |
| Out of Sticks | 7b | 5.12b | 27 m | Thaiwand Wall | ★★★; originally 7a+, upgraded to 7b after a hold broke off; 8 titanium bolts + 1 sling |
| The Red Line | 6c+ | 5.11c | 55 m, 2 pitches | Candlestick Wall | ★★; the leftmost line on the red-coated rock; all titanium bolts |
| Crystal Flame | 6b+ | 5.10d | 70 m, 3 pitches | Candlestick Wall | ★★★; the classic line at Candlestick Wall; all titanium bolts; the third pitch is a chimney with one sling |
| The Candlestick | 6c | 5.11a/b | 70 m, 2 pitches | Candlestick Wall | ★★; a great overhanging second pitch; all titanium bolts; a 70-metre rope does not reach the start |
| Thai Stick | 6c | 5.11a/b | 70 m, 2 pitches | Candlestick Wall | ★★; shares the start with The Candlestick then goes further right through beautiful rock; all titanium bolts |
| Pra-Nang Princess | 5b | 5.8 | — | Phra-Nang Beach | Mountain Project classics list |
| Money Maker | 6a+ | 5.10b | — | Phra-Nang Beach | Mountain Project classics list |
| Mai Pen Rai | 6b | 5.10c | — | The Defile | Mountain Project classics list |
| Don't Worry, Be Happy | 6b | 5.10c | — | Happy Island | Mountain Project classics list |
| Happy Thailand | 6b+ | 5.10d | — | Happy Island | Mountain Project classics list |
| Krabi Krabi | 6c | 5.11a/b | — | The Defile | Mountain Project classics list |
| Hello Christine | 6a+ | 5.10b | 20 m | Wee's Present Wall | ★★; all titanium bolts |
| A Man Can Tell a 1000 Lies | 6a | 5.10a | 15 m | Wee's Present Wall | ★★; a short chimney through the tufa system; all slings |
| No Good Deed Goes Unpunished | 6b+ | 5.10d | 30 m | Wee's Present Wall | ★★★; shares the first seven bolts with The Marlin, up into the cave then out |
| The Marlin | 6c+ | 5.11c | 32 m | Wee's Present Wall | ★★; shares the first seven bolts with No Good Deed, up into the cave |
| Ling Rong Hei / Monkey Crying | 6b+ | 5.10d | 20 m | Wee's Present Wall | ★★; steep start on tufas, then a balancy crack to a fingery crux and a powerful finish |
| Same Same, But Different | 6b+ | 5.10d | 20 m | Wee's Present Wall | ★★; starts right of Milky Way, then joins on the tufa |
| Low Season | 6c | 5.11a/b | 20 m | Wee's Present Wall | ★★; all titanium bolts |
| Little Shit | 6c+ | 5.11c | 8 m | Phra-Nang Beach | ★; the lefthand 6c taking a rail/flake for the steepest bit; reportedly not very good |
| Baboon's Ass | 6b | 5.10c | 12 m | The Defile | ★; 4 titanium bolts + 1 sling |
| Monkey Gone to Heaven | 6b | 5.10c | 12 m | The Defile | ★; all titanium bolts |
| Krabi! Krabi! | 6c | 5.11a/b | 30 m | The Defile | ★★; starts just left below the big boulder; titanium bolts |
| Mai Pen Rai / Never Mind | 6a+ | 5.10b | 25 m | The Defile | ★★; starts right off the boulder, shares the start with P1 of Allo, la Terre? |
| Princess Eyes | 6c+ | 5.11c | 8 m | Phra-Nang Beach | ★; the righthand 6c, through the steep bit on fingery pockets |
| Em & Ems | 6a | 5.10a | 12 m | Phra-Nang Beach | ★; just right of the cleft, the leftmost line on the Money Maker pillar |
| Lak Kai | 6a | 5.10a | 12 m | Phra-Nang Beach | ★; grade varies between 5 and 6a in different guidebooks; titanium bolts and slings |
| Small Change | 6a | 5.10a | 18 m | Phra-Nang Beach | ★★; up the front of the column then straight into Phra-Nang Princess |
| Back To Mani / Cave | 5 | approx. 5.7–5.8 | 18 m | Phra-Nang Beach | ★; steepish start up the corner, finishing inside a cave; 1 titanium bolt and slings |
| Top-Roped | 6b | 5.10c | 22 m | Phra-Nang Beach | ★★; up right of Back To Mani to the top of the pillar, sharing the anchor with Money Maker |
| Fertilite / Princess Cave | 6c+ | 5.11c | 18 m | Phra-Nang Beach | ★; all titanium bolts |
| Best Route in Minnesota | 6c | 5.11a/b | 25 m | Escher World | ★★★; awesome route on a pinnacle in the giant cave; rebolted with titanium |
| Cavepunk | 6c | 5.11a/b | 25 m | Escher World | ★★; a variation of Best Route in Minnesota |
| Half-Pipe Dream | 7a+ | 5.12a | 20 m | Escher World | ★★; the right side of the big cave; 5 titanium bolts + 5 slings |
| Hello Dali | 7a+ | 5.12a | 10 m | Escher World | ★; shares the start with Goodbye Salvador, then to the left anchor |
| Goodbye Salvador | 6a+ | 5.10b | 10 m | Escher World | all titanium bolts |
| Short and Easy | 5 | approx. 5.7–5.8 | 13 m | Escher World | ★; theCrag warns: last bolt before anchor chopped, potential for ground fall; a good lead for beginners |
| Long Doo / Try | 5 | approx. 5.7–5.8 | 12 m | Escher World | ★; shares the anchor with The Playground; all titanium bolts |
| The Playground | 4 | approx. 5.4–5.5 | 12 m | Escher World | ★; bolts missing, do not climb |
Advanced: 7a to 7c+ (YDS 5.11d–5.13a)
This is the high point of the whole series. Lord of the Thais is one of the most-named high-grade multipitch routes in Southeast Asia.
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spicy Speck Dreams | 7c | 5.12d | 22 m | Thaiwand Wall | ★★; not rebolted with titanium, all stainless steel glue-in bolts |
| Orange Juice | 7b+ | 5.12c | 22 m | Thaiwand Wall | ★★★; straight up into the orange pocketed wall; all titanium bolts |
| The King and I | 7b+ | 5.12c | — | Thaiwand Wall | ★★★; theCrag treats it as one of the best multipitches in the area alongside Lord of the Thais |
| Lord of the Thais | 7b | 5.12b | 120 m, 5 pitches | Thaiwand Wall | ★★★; one of the best in the world; pitch 1 is 6a+ (25 m), pitch 2 is 7a (28 m), pitch 3 is 7a+ (28 m), pitch 4 is 7b (27 m), pitch 5 is 7a (30 m); descend via the anchors of Circus Oz |
| Circus Oz | 7a | 5.11d | 120 m, 4 pitches | Thaiwand Wall | ★★; pitch 1 is 6a+ (25 m), pitch 2 is 6b+ (25 m), pitch 3 is 7a (45 m), pitch 4 is 6b (28 m); take 14 quickdraws and two 60 m ropes; the upper pitches are not rebolted with titanium; descend via Lord of the Thais's anchors, three rappels |
| Continental Drifters | 7c+ | 5.13a | 99 m, 4 pitches | Thaiwand Wall | ★; pitch 1 is 6b (25 m), pitch 2 is 7a+ (20 m), pitch 3 is 7a (37 m), pitch 4 is 7c+ (17 m); the first two pitches are not rebolted; a 60-metre rappel to the ground from P3 needs two 60-metre ropes |
| Inaka | 7b | 5.12b | 120 m, 4 pitches | Thaiwand Wall | ★; theCrag's note is "this route is a mess. Don't do it"; pitch 1 is 6b+ (26 m), pitch 2 is 7b (15 m), pitch 3 is 7a (50 m), pitch 4 is 6b+ (28 m) |
| Princess Eyes | 7a | 5.11d | — | Phra-Nang Beach | Mountain Project classics list |
| Kingfisher | 7a+ | 5.12a | — | Happy Island | Mountain Project classics list |
| Dont Buy Toys | 7a+ | 5.12a | — | Phra-Nang Beach | Mountain Project classics list |
| Tales of Power | 7a+ | 5.12a | — | Phra-Nang Beach | Mountain Project classics list |
| Land of Smiles | 7b | 5.12b | — | Happy Island | Mountain Project classics list |
| Left of Cleft | 7b | 5.12b | — | Phra-Nang Beach | Mountain Project classics list |
| Up To You Extended (Hot Dragon) | 7b+ | 5.12c | — | Phra-Nang Beach | Mountain Project classics list |
| Milky Way | 7a | 5.11d | 20 m | Wee's Present Wall | ★★; the direct start of Same Same, But Different; a tough boulder problem on the short face |
| Give Me a Break | 7a | 5.11d | 25 m | Wee's Present Wall | ★★; shares the second half with Shit Rest Days; all titanium bolts |
| Shit Rest Days | 7a+ | 5.12a | 25 m | Wee's Present Wall | ★★; straight up into the corner; all titanium bolts |
| Mot Khao Ta / Ant Enters Eye | 7b | 5.12b | 20 m | Wee's Present Wall | ★; 5 titanium bolts, 3 slings |
| Tres Equis | 7b+ | 5.12c | 20 m | Wee's Present Wall | ★★★; all titanium bolts |
| Tarte Au Poil / Hair Pie | 7c+ | 5.13a | 27 m | Wee's Present Wall | ★★★; straight up the arete; 6 titanium bolts, 1 sling |
| Thank You, Sophie | 7b | 5.12b | 10 m | The Defile | ★; titanium bolts |
| Kum Jai / Worry | 7b | 5.12b | 15 m | The Defile | ★★; all titanium bolts |
| Khao Pat Gai / Chicken Fried Rice | 7a+ | 5.12a | 12 m | The Defile | ★★; rebolted with titanium but bad bolt placement, the crux is unprotected |
| Genesis | 7b+ | 5.12c | 20 m | Phra-Nang Beach | ★★; the leftmost route on this crag, and the only one that continues past the lip of the roof |
| Tough Trip Through Paradise | 7b | 5.12b | 9 m | Phra-Nang Beach | ★★; theCrag warns: beware of sling |
| Khun Bar | 7c | 5.12d | 8 m | Phra-Nang Beach | ★★; two metres left of Black Diamond; bouldery; titanium bolts |
| Black Diamond | 7c+ | 5.13a | 9 m | Phra-Nang Beach | ★★; dyno crux on the steep black rock; always wet and slimy, impossible |
| Titanium from Hell / Tales of Power | 7a | 5.11d | 10 m | Phra-Nang Beach | ★★; just left behind the tufa hanging down to 2 m off the sand |
| Don't Buy Toys | 7a+ | 5.12a | 9 m | Phra-Nang Beach | ★★; pockety steep start into the big huecos |
| New Way | 7a | 5.11d | 10 m | Phra-Nang Beach | ★★; shares the start with Don't Buy Toys, then into Mekong Haze |
| Might as Well Hurl | 7c+ | 5.13a | 9 m | Phra-Nang Beach | ★★; awesome moves; a short draw or single carabiner on the 2nd bolt is good |
| Up to You | 7b | 5.12b | 15 m | Phra-Nang Beach | ★★; possibly the best one here |
| Half Dragon | 7b+ | 5.12c | 18 m | Phra-Nang Beach | ★★★; the right-hand finish variation of Up to You |
| Left of Cleft | 7b | 5.12b | 26 m | Phra-Nang Beach | ★★; subtract 2 grades if your span is 190 cm+, or add two if it's less |
| Humming Song | 6b | 5.10c | 15 m | Escher World | ★★; up the corner to the anchor right of the tree |
| Scorpion | 6a+ | 5.10b | 15 m | Escher World | ★; the rightmost line on the left side of the wall, right ahead of the approach trail |
Expert: 8a and up (YDS 5.13b and up)
Railay West has exactly one route above 8a, and you cannot climb it.
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inaka | 7b | 5.12b | 120 m, 4 pitches | Thaiwand Wall | ★; theCrag writes "this route is a mess. Don't do it"; no rebolting of the upper pitches since 1996 |
| Gandalf | 8a+ | 5.13c | 28 m | One-Two-Three | ★; old rusty expansion bolts, do not climb (covered in the east side guide) |
| Mekong Haze | 8a | 5.13b | 9 m | Phra-Nang Beach | ★★; just right of Don't Buy Toys; a bit of a squeeze but looks great; all titanium bolts |
| Hot Dragon | 8b | 5.13d | 25 m | Phra-Nang Beach | ★; Closed; the original line was recycled into Half Dragon, the old bolts have been chopped |
| Fever Dream | 8a+ | 5.13c | 14 m | Escher World | ★; shares the start and anchors with The Beauty of Danger; old rusty expansion bolts, do not climb |
| The Beauty of Danger | 7c+ | 5.13a | 14 m | Escher World | ★★★; old rusty expansion bolts, do not climb |
The west side's real ceiling is 7c+ (Continental Drifters). The 8a+ space is taken by two routes that cannot be climbed: Inaka because theCrag calls it a mess, Gandalf because of old expansion bolts.
Where to look things up
- Online databases: theCrag's Thaiwand Wall has 29 routes with per-route multipitch lengths, rope requirements, bolt condition and descent notes; Candlestick Wall has five routes with full pitch breakdowns; Phra-Nang Beach has the Phra Nang routes. The "Descent notes" fields on those three pages are the heart of this guide.
- Guidebooks: grades and route counts here come mainly from online databases; the guidebook is the authority. For pitch counts, anchor positions and descent configuration, paper is better than online. Two cover Railay: The Pocket Guide – Thailand (10th edition, 2026-01, 238 pages, 1,000 THB, 800-plus routes) and King Climbers (10th edition, 2025, 85 areas and more than 1,000 routes).
- The actual rebolting list: not findable online. It is in the guidebooks and on printed lists in the King Climbers shop in Railay.
- Multipitch guiding: justclimbthailand's course page lists guided multipitch sessions such as Crystal Flame (5,500 THB). Walking a guide up one of these lines is the cheapest way to learn the descents.
References
- theCrag: Thaiwand Wall
- theCrag: Candlestick Wall
- theCrag: Railay
- theCrag: Phra-Nang Beach
- Mountain Project: Railay West
- Mountain Project: Thaiwand
- Mountain Project: Phra Nang Beach
- Mountain Project: Laem Phra Nang (Railay & Tonsai)
- Railay: rebolting page
- Crag Chemistry: Thailand crags (titanium and stainless testing)
- justclimbthailand: The Pocket Guide – Thailand
- justclimbthailand: climbing courses
- Travelfish: getting to Railay