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buckets
Apr 22, 2011, 6:16 AM
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Hi
Im going to Myanmar to travel for a few months. I want to know if there was any developed rock climbing, and if so where?
Or near what towns, villages, cities has a concentration of good rock?
Thank you,
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Kstenson
Apr 22, 2011, 9:43 AM
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Like Cambodia one of the immediate problems you'll face is that remote areas likely to have decent crags are also dangerously unpredictable with land mine placements which isn't really helped by the Military Junta's efforts to lay even more.
There has be to be some great climbing though; Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia all have unbelievable amounts of limestone crags perfect for sport and the occasional bit of trad.
Btw, traveling for a few MONTHS in Myanmar? Seriously?
Have you been to South East Asia before?
(This post was edited by Kstenson on Apr 22, 2011, 9:45 AM)
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j_ung
Apr 22, 2011, 11:47 AM
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Why are you going traveling for months in Myanmar?
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gmggg
Apr 22, 2011, 1:18 PM
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j_ung wrote: Why are you going traveling for months in Myanmar?
To bring them the jesus?
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lhwang
Apr 22, 2011, 5:53 PM
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Putao is in the Himalayas. Main problem is access. Sometimes there are flights, sometimes not. If you want to do any significant mountaineering, you will need a permit from the government which can take months or longer to arrange. Also you have to consider whether ethically you feel comfortable giving large sums of money to a government which has a dismal human rights record.
Unless things have changed since my last visit, the tourist visa is normally issued for 28 days and is not extendable.
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Diphthong
Apr 22, 2011, 5:59 PM
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Kstenson wrote: There has be to be some great climbing though; Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia all have unbelievable amounts of limestone crags perfect for sport and the occasional bit of trad.
Most of it is also Sport. So the whole issue about closing off most the country to the rest of the world, genocide, and the military junta makes me think that there hasn't been a lot of climbing development. Even in "free" countries like Vietnam, which is covered in limestone, has relatively little developed climbing.
Based on the OP I'd say he hasn't done much research into Burma in general. If you're going to S.E.A. to climb, that's not the place.
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Kstenson
Apr 23, 2011, 3:01 AM
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My thoughts exactly, with the distraction of an oppressive regime and minimal political freedom I doubt bolting that sick limestone line is a priority right now for the general population.
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guangzhou
Apr 25, 2011, 12:28 AM
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Actually, in South East Asia, climbing areas are generally started by foreigners that live in the country or are visiting for climbing.
Vietnam and China both had serious communist problems and foreigners were still developing routes.
On the Climbing in Myanmar front, I have hear d of none.
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buckets
May 3, 2011, 11:31 AM
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Thanks for the Interest, on the Subject. Its nice to see that climbers are politically informed. I'll post if I find any rock!
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dolphja
May 3, 2011, 3:04 PM
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buckets wrote: Thanks for the Interest, on the Subject. Its nice to see that climbers are politically informed. I'll post if I find any rock!
OK, i figured i'd poke my head into this thread and add my $.02 ...
first of all, i'd like to remind you of not only the previously stated land mine risks, but also the politics of the current military regime. http://travel.state.gov/...tw/cis/cis_1077.html <-- a little insight for ya.
USNAVY is probably going to pop into this thread as well regarding the politics alone. If you do decide to really REALLY go there, just follow some of the similar rules of them when traveling in China. Keep your passport on you ALL THE TIME, you'll probably need to fill out forms at every hotel you stay at, don't be dumb and take pictures of government building or soldiers & their equipment, if you do go exploring new crags in the area you are traveling, stay on the beaten path and go with knowledgeable guides in the area. DO NOT get involved with the people regarding any sort of politics or media. Carry enough cash for you when you stay there since credit cards are useless & i don't think there's a single ATM machine in the country.
if you do get into a bind with the authorities while visiting, i can honestly say there's little the US State department can do for you.
that being said, happy hunting 
(This post was edited by dolphja on May 3, 2011, 3:06 PM)
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StuckNut
May 4, 2011, 12:22 AM
Post #12 of 17
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I spent some time in in Myanmar a couple of years ago. You will definitely need to bring all your money with you as cash, no ATM's or credit card use. They generally accept US $ or the local currency which you can change over there. Take lots of small denominations(eg. $1 bills!) as stuff is cheap and the locals wont always have change for larger notes. This generally means carrying around a bag full of wads of notes! Also you may have trouble getting rid of dirty/creased or damaged notes when dealing in US currency - for some reason they will only accept crisp clean notes?!
I spent most of my time up the center of the country, the areas in the mountains and further off the beaten track(probably where you want to go to look for rock) are generally out of bounds to foreigners as the jaunta don't want outsiders to see how badly some of the local inhabitants in those areas live. You can apply for access to these areas but good luck getting it. Myanmar is a great place to visit, the locals are some of the friendliest people I have ever met. The primary religion is Buddhism so I felt very safe the whole time I was there, even carrying around enough cash in your pocket to pay a locals yearly wage, I did not feel at all threatened that I might be mugged or have it stolen.
But don't do anything to embarrass or piss off the government or you will quickly find your self in trouble! There are not enough tourists/foreigners in Myanmar to blend into the crowd so you will be obvious where ever you go.
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guangzhou
May 4, 2011, 12:30 AM
Post #13 of 17
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dolphja wrote: buckets wrote: Thanks for the Interest, on the Subject. Its nice to see that climbers are politically informed. I'll post if I find any rock! OK, i figured i'd poke my head into this thread and add my $.02 ... first of all, i'd like to remind you of not only the previously stated land mine risks, but also the politics of the current military regime. http://travel.state.gov/...tw/cis/cis_1077.html <-- a little insight for ya. USNAVY is probably going to pop into this thread as well regarding the politics alone. If you do decide to really REALLY go there, just follow some of the similar rules of them when traveling in China. Keep your passport on you ALL THE TIME, you'll probably need to fill out forms at every hotel you stay at, don't be dumb and take pictures of government building or soldiers & their equipment, if you do go exploring new crags in the area you are traveling, stay on the beaten path and go with knowledgeable guides in the area. DO NOT get involved with the people regarding any sort of politics or media. Carry enough cash for you when you stay there since credit cards are useless & i don't think there's a single ATM machine in the country. if you do get into a bind with the authorities while visiting, i can honestly say there's little the US State department can do for you. that being said, happy hunting
I lived and developed climbing routes in China for two years. Felt very safe, rarely carried my passport with me.
I had conversations about politics, economics, and the Chinese/American government on a regular basis with my Chinese climbing friends. Had similar conversations with members of the military and government members.
While exploring a new cliff, I found my self on a government military base. Some soldiers came over, asked what I was doing there, watched us climb a pitch, then we decided to climb a different area that wasn't on the base. They followed us to the new cliff and bought us lunch.
Now I live in Indonesia, I still talk politics, religion, and travel without my passport.
I know a few people who live in Myanmar, not climbers. They enjoy life there.
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stefanohatari
Jan 5, 2012, 11:07 PM
Post #14 of 17
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Just discovered this thread. I'm working with Burmese climbers to develop an area just east of Mandalay. Excellent rock. If you'd like to climb there, help out Burmese climbers, and contribute to route development, pm me.
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guangzhou
Jan 6, 2012, 2:17 AM
Post #15 of 17
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stefanohatari wrote: Just discovered this thread. I'm working with Burmese climbers to develop an area just east of Mandalay. Excellent rock. If you'd like to climb there, help out Burmese climbers, and contribute to route development, pm me.
Would some detail for sure. lacosteemmanuel at yahoo dot com
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stefanohatari
Feb 10, 2012, 10:48 AM
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Just in case folks are still interested, here's the public Facebook page for the Technical Climbing Club of Myanmar. Some excellent photos of climbing near Mandalay.
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Technical-Climbing-Club-of-Myanmar/216240651791928
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WAT 
