“Breathe! Put your feet down and keep going slowly. Come on, you can do it!” I hear my trusted climbing coach Matthis shout. My legs tremble as I clip. I take a deep breath for a moment, then continue. I clip again and am suddenly at the end of my very first lead route. Incredibly happy and proud, I sit in my harness, turn downwards and look at the grinning faces that have been cheering me on. For me, this moment is the best of many wonderful moments on my climbing trip to Croatia with Goodtimes Sportreisen.
Climbing vacation in Croatia – Every beginning is difficult
Almost exactly two months earlier, I was sitting in the car heading for the Eifel. I was nauseous with excitement and had no idea what to expect. Apart from a handful of hours in the bouldering hall and many hours on “Reel Rock”, I had no climbing experience. I came across the Goodtimes website by chance and discovered the offer for Istria. My curiosity was aroused. But booking a week-long climbing vacation without any experience? With a fear of heights, a fear of flying and then traveling alone with a group of strangers? I was only sure about the fascination that climbing held for me. But I had no idea whether that would be enough to embark on the adventure in Croatia.
My climbing trip – the preparation
So I did the only sensible thing and booked a climbing day in the Eifel. A kind of test run – not just for me – but also for Goodtimes. Would I be able to overcome my fear of heights? Could Goodtimes rescue me from the wall in case of doubt? When I arrived at the rock and looked up, panic rose within me. The voice of reason shouted loudly: “There’s no way I’m climbing up there!” Little impressed by my excitement and with a lot of calm, Matthis then led me step by step to the wall. The team took a lot of time to teach me all the essential safety aspects, tie knots and support me with my first – really very clumsy – rock climbing attempts. The safety they both provided, as well as the encouragement in moments of sheer panic, helped me to surpass myself on the wall that day. Happy and exhausted, I realized in the evening that I would book Croatia.
But before that, I booked a Goodtimes coaching session in the gym. Not that this was a necessary prerequisite for the vacation, but for me – now finally in love with climbing – it was important to bridge the waiting time on the one hand and at least reduce my still very pronounced fear of heights a little on the other. Despite the good “preparation”, I sat at the airport in Düsseldorf with whisky and a guidebook, feeling insecure, wavering between anticipation and the question of what I was actually doing and what and who would be waiting for me there. With exactly these mixed feelings, I pulled my suitcase through the last sliding door at the airport in Pula and immediately saw a smiling Matthis and a warm group. From that moment on, a truly wonderful week began.
On site at the Goodtimes climbing camp in Croatia
An extremely cozy villa in the heart of Istria, furnished with great attention to detail, was the starting point for our daily adventures. I knew that rock climbing would probably be one of my highlights, but the selected spots exceeded my expectations. Each one was beautiful and special in its own right. The view of the sea or the impressive Vela Draga, for example, was the reward for overcoming my fears on the routes. The delicious food and a well-stocked fridge – not just with beer – provided the necessary relaxation after climbing. The opportunity to book massages or yoga sessions and the specially built sauna also enhanced my well-being. There was definitely no time for boredom with billiards, board and card games or studying various (climbing) books in the villa’s open sofa area.
My Goodtimes summary of my climbing vacation in Croatia
Everything was really well organized and very informal. I also have particularly fond memories of our cozy movie night, where I was finally able to watch various episodes of Reel Rock with a group of like-minded people. During this week, I not only experienced many wonderful moments and tried out new things, but also got to know great people. I was really impressed to see how climbing allows a group of complete strangers to grow together and support each other in a short space of time. This was definitely not my last trip with Goodtimes.
