REOPEN n' ROLLING

We are open for another season of serious adventuring here at Goodtime!!! The office doors were opened on the first of December, the ropes dusted off, and the roster quickly filled up with climbers and abseilers alike. Most of the crew is still on their way back to Koh Tao from various parts of the globe, but I (Slade) have been running the show solo here and keeping plenty busy. Monsoon may still be trying to hang in here, but the wind and clouds only make the climbing that much cooler (really I mean actually cooler as in you don’t sweat 2 liters when scaling the rocks…not a bad thing). So while the ocean is choppy and the visibility marginal for diving, the conditions are A+ here on Koh Tao for getting out on the rocks.

Getting back out there atop the island after a month off has been a seriously great thing, and it would not be possible if it wasn’t the true Goodtimers…you guys!!! On the 3rd, I took three Anna, Lone, and Cecilie out for their first session of outdoor rock climbing and they literally flew up every route. We finished the day being punished on Charly’s Crack, but all made it to the top leaving only a little bit of skin and blood on the rock…the sacrifice you pay for a hard days climbing. The 4th had me back setting more climbs up for Armand, Yasmine, Noel, and Kristian—a brilliant, sunny day with all taking their licks and giving it back to the rocks. Some great photos came out of this day and they have been posted on our website and facebook group page along with some here. Carolien and I went Abseiling on the 5th, another sunshiny day with all of Koh Tao below us as we dangled above the jungle. Luke, a local DMT from Asia Divers, did a Rock 1 course with me on the 6th, and we spent the afternoon progressively working on harder and harder climbs. It was Luke’s first time outdoors on the rocks and he did awesome (thanks for the great belays and catches there Luke!). The end of the day saw us tackling a new climb that we have only roped up a couple of times—Car Jack. It’s located on the north side of Fraggle Rock and is a series of vertical cracks and blocks with some great fully exposed face climbing as well—the end being a large, brutal slab where every obvious hold is inverted and useless, so you really have to search out for the tiny crimpers. I went for the inside of the last face and tried to chimney the dihedral, got to the top and had nowhere to go and was looking at a very massive swing out into space with my belayers rope smack in the middle for me to snag on. Luke held the line perfectly even when I snapped off his side of the rope like I was plucking a guitar string with entire body…thanks for the great catch!!!

Well that is the update from our first week of being reopen. I hope to see you all out here and on the rocks again or for your first time with us soon. Check out our website for new pics and drop us an email if you have any questions or just want to say hey. Cheers…