Khaetthaleeya Uppakham is a co-founder and director of Chiang Mai Rock Climbing Adventures.  She is a member of the Thai National Rock Climbing Team and recently won the Silver Medal in Speed climbing at the Asian Indoor Games in Bangkok in November of 2005.  In September of 2005, Kat became the first Thai woman to summit the Grand Teton in the USA by way of the Exum Ridge.

Kat is a highly experienced leader and personal motivator.  She has had extensive experience working with international high school students through her work with Chiang Mai Rock Climbing Adventures.  Her recent experience on the Thai National Rock Climbing Team have added to her skills as an effective teacher of stretching and athletic preparation and thought processes. 

Kat has worked with the Thai Authority of Tourism and the Sport Authority of Thailand helping to develop rock climbing as a new outdoor activity for youth in Thailand.   She is the president of the Chiang Mai Rock Climbing Club and an active member of the rock climbing community working with local governments and educational organizations to help build a strong community.

Kat has appeared in photographs all over the world.  She was recently highlighted in Cosmopolitan magazine Thailand as a “Woman Who Inspires,” and has also appeared Rock and Ice Magazine, the cover of the Omega Pacific Catalog, The Salt Lake Tribune, and other catalogs and publications
Kat is a certified Wilderness First Responder.

Kat has spent time working with the International Sustainable Development Studies Institute.  Her work with CMRCA combined with other organizations have helped her to develop incredible motivational skills.  She has also worked with Grand Dynamics Co., Ltd. as well as Outward Bound Professionals.  She is an incredible example of a modern Thai woman who has shed traditional barriers and succeeded in climbing mountains both literally and metaphorically. 

All of our staff/guides are held to stringent company standards and are tested regularly on their knowledge of advanced climbing techniques and first aid safety. We are constantly striving to improve.