Phuket Climbing and Art-C House
Climbing would like to give a shout out to a special friend, fellow climber and
a family man. Who are we talking about? We are talking about the founding
father of Phuket Climbing, Rixardo de la Mer. We would like to give a
huge THANK YOU for all the hard work that he had done for Phuket Climbing over
the years. His tireless work through this blog and the evenings spent
bouldering at his house had brought people together who had more in comment
than they may have thought. He has been, and still will be the biggest
contributor to the Phuket Climbing Community.
Rixardo’s vision was fueled by his
passion for rock climbing. It all started small but has grown considerably over
the years and it was due to his dedication. If it wasn't for Rixardo, the
Phuket climbing community would not be where it is today.
The first climbing facility in
Phuket, Art-C House Climbing, shares similar vision and passion. Opening our
doors in August 2016, we had a vision. That vision is to welcome more members
into our climbing community. We want to make rock climbing into a mainstream
sport that everyone can enjoy, have fun doing and can meet new friends with
similar interests.
Art-C house owner, Jak Siam, was
looking for something new and interesting for his hotel guests to do. He wanted
something more than just another gym facility. He wanted a fun activity that
his guests can enjoy. He looked to Phuket Climbing for help and met with
Rixardo for ideas. Before long, their plans took shape and structure. If it
wasn't for this meeting then Phuket climbing community wouldn't materialized.
We now see more and more Thais and foreigners visiting us and wanting to learn
about rock climbing. They are finding that climbing is accessible and is an
enjoyable activity that is fairly inexpensive.
Rixardo and his family will be
moving on this February to their next adventure in life. We will miss him and
his guidance. If you had ever had a chance to climb with Rixardo, then you would
know that he is not just a friend but also a coach and someone who will always
push you to climb harder. For sure we will meet him again in the future and
hopefully we will be climbing as hard as him. Climb on!
