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Koh Tao is an island off Suratthani in southern Thailand, where the ferries and the diving are the main trade. For climbers, though, it is Thailand's only genuine granite bouldering destination — theCrag logged 496 routes on 21 October 2026, graded with the Font bouldering system from 1A+ up to 8A+.
The rules here are unlike every other crag in this series: this is a community crag, not an open public resource.
What kind of crag this is
Granite. theCrag's summary: "Koh Tao is an amazing granite paradise! With granite boulders all over the island offering everything from bouldering to sports climbing and even some awesome trad lines."
496 routes spread across 15 sectors, more than two thirds of them bouldering:
| Sector | Routes | Type | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Backyard & Frontyard | 123 | Bouldering | The biggest sector on the island |
| Lang Khai / Yang | 80 | Bouldering, sport | |
| Tanote Bay | 68 | Sport, bouldering, trad | All three styles |
| Golden View Area | 48 | Mostly sport | The highest crag on the island, 16 m, 360° views |
| Mek's Mountain | 44 | Sport, top rope, trad | |
| Babaloo | 34 | Bouldering | |
| Secret garden | 34 | Bouldering | 21 starred problems — the best-documented bouldering area |
| Jansom Bay | 14 | Mostly sport | 18 m |
| The Dome | 11 | Mostly sport | |
| The Elephant | 10 | Top rope and bouldering | |
| Cabana / North Sairee beach | 9 | Bouldering | |
| Temple Rock | 9 | Sport | |
| Flyin' High | 6 | Sport | 20 m |
| Leam Thian Coast | 4 | Top rope and trad | |
| Mao Rock | 2 | Trad |
The logic here is the reverse of everywhere else in Thailand: rather than looking for sport routes first, you look for the bouldering. Secret garden has 21 starred problems, Backyard & Frontyard has seven, and Golden View has 22 starred sport routes — these are the best-documented corners of the island.
The only Thai crag with a proper guidebook
theCrag's Koh Tao description has one unusual feature:
For the most up-to-date info on the island contact The Koh Tao Climbing Club on Facebook or Instagram. Check out the link below if you want the best guidebook for the island. It's an app and can be downloaded easily. All money raised from the app go directly into route development and maintenance.
This is the only crag in the Thai series where the primary guidebook is an app, and the only one with a "buying the guide funds the development" structure. It costs US$8.
When to go
Koh Tao is in southern Thailand and works all year, but the monsoon matters a lot.
| Period | Conditions | Planning note |
|---|---|---|
| Nov–Feb | Dry season | The best window. 28–33°C by day, around 23°C at night |
| Mar–May | Getting hot | Granite gets very hot in the sun, boulder early or late |
| Jun–Oct | Monsoon (south-west) | Swells and rain stop the ferries — this is the real risk |
| Oct | End of the wet season |
The seasonal risk here is not that the rock is un-climbable — it is that the boats do not run. Southern Thailand's southwest monsoon from May to October regularly cancels or delays ferries. Build slack into the plan rather than making a specific sailing the one thing you cannot replace.
The southern monsoon is the wettest part of Thailand. Put the other way round, November to February is the most stable climbing window of the year.
Getting there
Public transport
There are no direct flights. All access to Koh Tao is by boat:
- Boats from Ko Samui's airport. Ko Samui has international and domestic flights and is the main way in.
- Boats from Chumphon.
- There is no direct boat from Krabi or Phuket.
- Several ferry companies run daily services; backpacker hostels and dive shops run shuttles.
theCrag puts it simply: "There are multiple ferry lines that arrive at Koh Tao daily. The closest Airport is on Koh Samui."
By car
Pointless. Nothing comes across by road; everything moves by boat.
Parking
Not applicable.
Rules to know before you go
Bolting needs the club's permission
theCrag's Ethic field is unambiguous:
Don't litter. Please don't bolt without permission of the Koh Tao Climbing Club.
That is the most unusual rule in the whole Thai series. Everywhere else it is "no drilling, no chipping, no enhancing the rock"; here there is an extra layer: without the club's agreement, you should not be adding routes at all. Because this is a place members and the community pay to maintain.
Some sectors have sensitive access
theCrag's Access field:
Some of the crags on Koh Tao have sensitive access issues, please contact the Koh Tao Climbing Club for more details.
What that means in practice: some areas — rock on private land or inside resorts — cannot simply be walked into. Decide which sector you want before you go, and ask in the club's Facebook group.
theCrag also flags Golden View's access as Designated, noting "Road is mostly paved. On the steep side. Be mindful of residents living along the approach."
Where to rent gear
theCrag says: "If you want to rent gear that can be done from either Goodtime Adventures or The Bunker."
The Bunker is the island's only indoor gym and bouldering hall, and also a hostel (The Bunker Climbing Gym & Hostel) and the meeting point for the crag community. A free PDF guidebook is available via a QR code at The Bunker. That is the first place to go when you land.
Finding partners
theCrag points at three things:
- The Koh Tao Climbing Club's Facebook page (Climbingkohtao) — the club goes out climbing every Friday.
- A public climbers' Facebook group.
- The Rakkup app itself.
Routes by level
Koh Tao uses Font bouldering grades, not French sport grades. Following the scripts/climbing-grade-convert.mjs spec, bouldering gets its own table: | 路線 | 難度（Font） | V 級 | 子區 | 備註 |.
YDS and V-grade conversions follow the Mountain Project international grade comparison chart and are approximate; "approx." marks grades the sources give without a/b/c (such as 4 or 5+). The original grade is the one that counts.
The tables are the 28 routes of Golden View, the sport sector, read from theCrag's sector page on 21 October 2026. It is the best-documented sport area on the island. The island's 300-plus bouldering routes are not listed one by one here — the guidebook is an app, and theCrag's per-boulder data is far less complete than its sport data.
Bouldering table
Bouldering is the main event on Koh Tao. Of the 496 routes theCrag logs, Babaloo, Backyard & Frontyard and Secret garden alone account for 191 pure bouldering routes, and Lang Khai / Yang and Tanote Bay mix in a lot more. Below are the problems that theCrag has starred and described.
| Route | Grade (Font) | V grade | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob reggae | 4 | V0 | Boulder 1 | mantle |
| Roofrock | 4+ | V0+ | Boulder 1 | mantle |
| Pumpui | 4+ | V0+ | Boulder 8 | ★★ |
| Tinton | 4+ | V0+ | Boulder 8 | ★★ |
| Ira | 5 | V1 | Boulder 8 | ★★ |
| Salva | 5+ | V2 | Boulder 8 | ★★ |
| Nepal Tree | 6A+ | V3+ | Boulder 7 / Tree Boulder | ★★; don't touch the tree, sit start |
| Dartsakay | 6B | V4 | Boulder 1 | ★★; high start on crimps, high feet to reach up the slab |
| Mefroto | 6B+ | V4+ | Boulder 1 | ★★; high start off crimps, high step and reach |
| La petite mon's | 6C | V5 | Frontyard | ★★★; start on sidepull and sloping pinch, big move up and right to the rail |
| Jessica | 6C+ | V5+ | Frontyard | ★★; hang from the big flat ledge, throw big then easy mantle |
| Big Jessica | 7A | V6 | Frontyard | ★★★; sit on the edge/pinch on the lip of the roof, throw right |
| Pah mai fai / The brushfire | 7A | V6 | Frontyard | ★★; sidepull and sloping pinch, right to rail and up to the rounded mantle |
| The cave painting | 6C+ | V5+ | Boulders 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 | ★★ |
| Chubbi | 7C+ | V10 | Boulders 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 | ★★★; sit start |
| Urban Climber | 7B+ | V8+ | Boulders 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 | ★★★ |
| Crack way | 6A+ | V3+ | Boulders 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 | ★★ |
| Flat friends | 8A | V11 | Boulders 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 | ★★★; sit start |
| Catalonia is not spain | 8A+ | V12 | Boulders 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 | ★★★ |
| The Black Face | 7B | V8 | Boulder 11 | ★★★ |
| Stress | 7B | V8 | Boulder 1 | ★★; sit start, move into grim crimps to slap and traverse the overhang |
| Imbecil | 7B+ | V8+ | Boulder 1 | ★★; sit start and up the steep prow on thin sharp crimps |
| Welcome to the beach | 7A+ | V7 | Boulder 1 | ★; sit start, slight left of the prow |
| Lobe lieback | 6a | — | The Elephant | ★★; lay back the flake close to the ocean on the southern side of the rock; theCrag marks this sector in lower case |
| Sunrise to Buddha | 6B+ | V4+ | Boulder 7 | ★★; watch the tide |
| Xmes | 5 | V1 | Boulder 9 | low tide only |
| La Reina de la Marina | 5+ | V2 | Boulder 9 | low tide only |
| Electronic Bamboo | 4+ | V0+ | Boulder 9 | low tide only |
theCrag's icon list separately names ten island-wide representative problems (with no lengths): Trust your Feet 5B, River 5C, Balance 6A/A+, The Edge 6A+, Grunt Force 6B, Do It! 6B+, Titan 6C+, Trauma Extension 7A+, Flying To The Moon 7B, Mucalinda Naga 7B+.
Three boulder areas carry conditions you have to check:
- Boulder 5 is tagged "Abrasive rock" — the rock in this sector is rough on hands.
- Boulder 7 is tagged "watch the tide".
- Boulder 9 is tagged "low tide only".
This is the biggest difference between island bouldering and inland bouldering: the tide decides whether you can get up there. Check the tide table before you go, not the weather forecast.
Beginner: up to 6a (YDS 5.10a and below)
Koh Tao is a granite bouldering destination, so "beginner" means something different here. On an island like this, a Font 5 is the easiest thing on the menu.
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Lord | 5a | 5.7 | 7 m | Golden View | ★★; also the start of 'Big C'; easier when using the crack |
| The Penguin | 5b | 5.8 | — | Golden View | ★★ |
| Harvey Dent | 5c | 5.9 | — | Golden View | ★ |
| Harley Quinn | 5c | 5.9 | — | Golden View | ★ |
| On The Side | 5c+ | approx. 5.9+ | 11 m | Golden View | ★; shares anchors with Snake skin |
Intermediate: 6a+ to 6c+ (YDS 5.10b–5.11c)
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snake skin | 6b | 5.10c | 11 m | Golden View | ★; shares the anchor with On The Side |
| Le Point Perdu | 6b | 5.10c | 15 m | Golden View | ★★; theCrag flags a loose bolt and hanger |
| Tilikums Revenge | 6b+ | 5.10d | 15 m | Golden View | ★★; immediately right of the walk-in stone steps, tricky start; shares the first bolt with Whale of a time |
| The Riddler | 6b+ | 5.10d | — | Golden View | ★ |
| Big C | 6b+ | 5.10d | 15 m | Golden View | ★★; start with feet on Sun Lord |
| Jessy Thing Thong | 6b+ | 5.10d | 15 m | Golden View | ★; same anchor as Trust your Feet |
| La Machine | 6a+ | 5.10b | 15 m | Golden View | ★★ |
| Groots | 6a+ | 5.10b | 15 m | Golden View | ★★ |
| Metamorphosis | 6a+/b | 5.10b | — | Golden View | ★★ |
| No Name | 6c | 5.11a/b | 17 m | Golden View | ★ |
| Titan | 6c+ | 5.11c | 20 m | Golden View | ★★★; the first titanium-bolted route on the island; 10 bolts |
| Old Lady 1 / Old Lady Arete Finish | 6c+ | 5.11c | 20 m | Golden View | ★★; 10 bolts |
| Old Lady 2 / Old Lady Direct Finish | 6c+ | 5.11c | 20 m | Golden View | ★★; same start as Old Lady 1 but the right side; same anchor as Kun Poo |
| Schwarz | 6c+ | 5.11c | 15 m | Golden View | ★ |
| River | 5c | 5.9 | 15 m | Golden View | ★★; 8 bolts |
Advanced: 7a to 7c+ (YDS 5.11d–5.13a)
Golden View's advanced routes are few, but two are unusual: Kun Poo is a 7b, and Scrabble is a via ferrata built from bolted rope.
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whale of a Time | 7a | 5.11d | 15 m | Golden View | ★★★; tricky start |
| The Raj / Sharp Edge | 7a | 5.11d | 6 m | Golden View | ★★; perma draw on the 3rd bolt |
| Kun Lung | 7a+/b | 5.12a | 20 m | Golden View | ★★; 10 bolts |
| Sunscream | 7a+/b | 5.12a | 15 m | Golden View | ★ |
| Thépauké | 7a | 5.11d | 15 m | Golden View | ★★★ |
| Bisou | 7a+ | 5.12a | 17 m | Golden View | ★ |
| Kun Poo | 7b | 5.12b | 25 m | Golden View | ★; the first two bolts of 'Titan' then onto 'Kun Lung'; 10 bolts |
Expert: 8a and up (YDS 5.13b and up)
Golden View's route list has nothing above 8a in sport grades. The island's theCrag page shows a grade filter going up to 8A+, but that is the Font bouldering scale (V11 and above), not YDS 8a.
The only clue is Golden View's Kun Touat Project (20 m, 10 bolts) — theCrag writes it as the mixed notation "7c+/8a" and marks it as a project. It is not a route with checkable length and bolt condition.
That is the state of this band: the data is incomplete. Koh Tao's 8A+ bouldering routes exist in theCrag's filter but have no findable per-route details. To climb this band, ask the club on the island or read the Rakkup app.
Where to look things up
- Online databases: theCrag's Koh Tao page has all 496 routes, the 15 sectors, the access rules, rental information and the club contact details. Golden View has 28 sport routes with per-route details, the approach description and bolt notes.
- The main guidebook: the Rakkup App (US$8). This is the most complete route data on the island, and all the app's revenue goes into route development and maintenance. theCrag also mentions a free PDF guide at The Bunker via QR code.
- The club: Koh Tao Climbing Club on Facebook — they go climbing every Friday, and they are the place to ask which sectors are open. Join them before you fly.
- Guidebooks: grades and route counts here come mainly from online databases; the guidebook is the authority. Koh Tao is in none of the printed Thai guides — The Pocket Guide and King Climbers both cover the southern islands and Krabi, not Koh Tao. Koh Tao's guidebook is the Rakkup app and the free PDF.
- Rental and gym: Goodtime Adventures and The Bunker. The Bunker is the island's only indoor gym and the crag meeting point.