Ideal for autumn climbing between September and November, Varasova (va-RA-so-va) is a solid limestone massif rising to 917m on the west coast of Greece, across the water from the city of Patras. Its south and southwest faces form an impressive promontory the end of which drops directly into the sea. Greek climbing took its first steps here in 1958, so Varasova holds a special place in the hearts of Greek climbers. Varasova is approximately 3 hrs 30 min by car from the city of Athens, or 30 min by car from the city of Patras. Along with Meteora it is among the most celebrated climbing venues in Greece, but don’t worry about crowds: there may be a few other climbers here on the weekends, but on weekdays you are more than likely to have the crag to yourself.

Varasova coordinates: 38.344214, 21.598112

Climbing: The three peaks of Varasova rise to nearly identical elevation. The rock is very solid, relatively sharp, mostly gray or yellow limestone of outstanding quality. It is generously featured and teeming with variety: compact walls, steep slabs, corners and vertical cracks, jugs, flakes, chickenheads, incut edges, and a surplus of hidden holds and footholds which make for sublime climbing over a remarkably blue sea.

Routes: The approximately 200 routes at Varasova include single- and multi-pitch sport routes. There are also several mixed-character ‘adventure’ routes with as many as 18 pitches and, although these usually have a few bolts per pitch (mainly on solid sections of rock) plus fixed belay anchors, they will also require placement of nuts or other trad gear (usually in cracks). In spring, many features are obscured by vegetation, so be prepared to do some gardening. Some parts of the multi-pitch routes are run-out, but most anchors are bolted and set up for rappelling. There is still vast potential for new routes in Varasova, especially for bolted sport lines. Grades range from very easy to very hard, the majority being in the mid-grades (5c-6b).

The latest addition to Varasova climbing is sub-sector Garden of Heroes, which was created in April 2014 by Claude and Christine Remy and is very good for easier single-pitch climbing. Garden of Heroes features excellent compact gray slabs, some of which steepen with height. At the moment, there are 16 very well-protected single-pitch routes graded mainly between 4c-6b. All routes were equipped with stainless-steel bolts provided by Aris Theodoropoulos. Sub-sector Garden of Heroes, which was previously unpublished, is fully featured in the new guidebook Greece Sport Climbing: The Best Of.

Guidebooks: There are two older Varasova guidebooks, one by Aris Theodoropoulos (1996) and the other by Yannis Aliyannis (2006). In Greece Sport Climbing: The Best Of, 50 of the best-protected and most classic routes of Varasova are presented. Additional information, especially about the trad routes (detailed sketches etc.) can be found online here.

What else is near Varasova? If you are a strong sport climber it is worth exploring the other Patras Area crags (Chatzouri, Alepochori and Kleisoura, which are covered in detail in the Greece Sport Climbing guidebook). Otherwise, Varasova is surrounded by sea, so swimming is usually the go-to option on rest days or during down-time. The town of Messolonghi, which is very near (10 km), is a good option for a walk, and the area of Tourlida is quite photogenic.

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It’s great to see climbers in Meteora again, thanks to two back-to-back climbing events coming up in a few days. After Kalymnos in 2006, this year on Sept 29-Oct 3 the Petzl RocTrip is coming through Meteora, a cluster of massive rock towers rising from the verdant plain of Thessaly in an almost mysterious and magical manner. On the weekend leading up to the RocTrip, the Hellenic Federation of Mountaineering and Climbing (EOOA) is hosting its 26th Greek Climbers’ Meetup on Sept 26-28, with events including a presentation of the history of Meteora, a discussion about access and prohibition issues, plus dinner and a film in addition to lots of climbing. Thankfully, the ridiculous (and unfounded) objections of the Greek Archaeology Council against the event didn’t faze the organizers, although some damage was undoubtedly done by the negative publicity.  Either way, we hope the event is a success, because climbing in Meteora is a truly unforgettable experience.

There is a lot of good info on the RocTrip’s Meteora page,  but if you are not familiar with Meteora here’s a quick rundown, along with a sample from the new Greece Sport Climbing guidebook:

SAMPLE: Greece Sport Climbing | METEORA

The conglomerate cliffs of Meteora feature nearly 800 single- and multi-pitch routes on towers, pinnacles and pillars. The peculiar nature of the rock, the otherworldly surroundings, and the ending of each route on a summit are some of the reasons why Meteora climbing is in a league of its own and it cannot–and should not–really compare with ‘ordinary’ sport climbing.

The texture of Meteora rock results from its unique mix of pebbles, cobbles and larger stones packed into a rock surface which feels like concrete but is, in fact, a mixture of sandstone and conglomerate. Oftentimes, cobbles have come loose from the rock to leave shallow holes in their place. At first it can be hard to trust these small, often downward-sloping pebbles as handholds and footholds, but you will gradually realize that they are solid – at least on popular routes, where rock is cleaner and more solid thanks to thousands of ascents. (Tip: don’t deviate from the line of the route!)

The climbing style is primarily balancy and slabby on crimpy pebbles. The only thing that changes as grades go up or down is the size of the cobbles and the angle of the cliff. Generally, the climbing is technical, pleasant, delicate, and not very athletic, except on very hard routes. Although most routes in Meteora are bolted face climbs, in many cases the character is mixed sport and trad. Pure trad pitches go up cracks or chimneys and require cams and nuts.

Meteora is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the wider region belongs to the Natura 2000 network of protected areas.

Climbing in Meteora has been repeatedly threatened with prohibition in the recent past. The usual suspects–the Archaeology Council and the Orthodox Church–paired up in applying pressure to pass a law that will prohibit climbing and turn Meteora into a sterile monastic complex. After a failed attempt at prohibition in 2000, the pressure was renewed in 2014 and extends to other sports as well, like cycling, slacklining, air sports and even professional filming and photography.

The scores of climbers from all over the world who have visited Meteora over the years have been an integral part of this setting, and they have shown nothing but respect for this monument of nature and cultural heritage.  We think a steady and increasing influx of climbers to Meteora is the only defense against the threatened prohibition. So we plan to be there, and hopefully you will, too.

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Days were warm and nights were chilly last week in Meteora, and the Petzl RocTrip unfolded smoothly. There were less climbers than originally anticipated (about 150?) but Meteora felt very lively nevertheless. Lots of climbing was done under fabulous blue skies by day, and of course there were parties, movies and food by night (including a free dinner on Day One courtesy of EOOA). The Greece leg of the RocTrip was entirely undertaken by Petzl, without any support from the Greek government. For fear of sanctions by the Greek Archaeological Council, local authorities did not become involved whatsoever. In practical terms, all that meant was that the RocTrip was confined to its basecamp—the spacious and hospitable Vrachos campground in Kastraki—and that there were no ceremonies or other events hosted by the local authorities. So, really, no harm done there. But the greater, longer-term harm for Greece is that the government actively opposes alternative tourism, despite pledging to promote it, while it decidedly favors religious tourism all over Greece. Apparently climbing tourism “interferes” with the sanctity of the monasteries, but the busloads of visitors and the stalls selling religious knickknacks outside the monasteries’ front door do not.

For the record, and to the best of our knowledge, the climbers, monks and nuns of Meteora get along OK. They mostly stay out of each other’s way, but there have even been instances when climbers and monks joined forces, as they did back in May, when local climbers helped monks climb up to a hermit’s cave to perform a ritual mass. Not to mention that their interests overlap: many climbers are surely religious, just as monks and hermits were probably the first climbers of the Meteora towers.

But we digress.

A highlight of Day One of the RocTrip was the first ascent by the terrific Mélissa Le Nevé of the 7-pitch Action Direct on the Northwest Face of Holy Ghost Tower (currently the hardest route in Meteora, which Mélissa graded 8b/8b+). Over the next days, climbers also trickled over to the nearby sport crags of Pyli Little Gorge and Mouzaki, for more hardcore sport climbing (including an ascent of Amores Perros 8c, the hardest route at Pyli/Mouzaki, by the 19 year-old German climber David Firnenburg, who also onsighted several 8a/8a+s). Conditions were warm in the sun but perfect in the shade, and only on the last day of the RocTrip did the weather shift to include some rainfall.

A big Thanks goes to Petzl and EOOA, the Greek Federation of Climbing and Mountaineering, for bringing climbers back to Meteora, even if only for a few days. It was wonderful.

After Meteora, the RocTrip caravan headed south to Athens, where they boarded the ferry to Çeşme, Turkey, by way of the Greek island of Chios. A few climbers sampled some standout crags in the Athens Area (such as the crags Chaos and Vrachokipos), while others bouldered in downtown Athens, near the Acropolis, at Filopappou Hill.

So next stop Turkey for the RocTrip, and Kalymnos for us, where the 3rd annual North Face Kalymnos Climbing Festival kicks off today. We will be with you with Kalymnos updates over the next few days; stay tuned.

The post Goodbye Petzl RocTrip Meteora, Hello TNF Kalymnos Climbing Festival appeared first on Climb Greece.

If you are looking for a Greek climbing venue where you can climb beautiful routes in the 5th, 6th, even the upper 7th grades next to the sea, even on the coldest of winter days, surrounded by beautiful nature and a charming town less than a two-hour drive from Athens, look no further than Nafplio. Popular amongst Athenian weekend climbers due to its proximity to Athens, Nafplio features approximately 150 routes in a handful of crags in and around town, plus about 300 more routes in other nearby Argolis crags within an hour’s drive along the Argolis peninsula. As we build up our comprehensive database of Greek crags over the next few weeks, we have already set up the Nafplio page here. You can click on each route name for more information, leave a comment, or email us your suggestions on how to improve. Happy climbing!

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Gaetan Raymond is an excellent French climber, route equipper and good friend. We first met in Telendos, which he has repeatedly visited to climb and to equip. Most notably, perhaps, Gaetan has bolted the routes in Crystal Cave, one of the few (and arguably the most impressive) caves of Kalymnos and Telendos. Devoted to Telendos, he also wrote up a “tour” of its cliffs in the past.

After several visits to Kalymnos and Telendos, and having made dozens of friends in Greece, Gaetan kept coming back to explore the climbing in Athens and the rest of Greece (see his previous article about climbing in Athens). Now, he has just published an article about his preferred places to climb in Greece. Always interesting and with more than 40 crag photos from around Greece, it’s a trip worth taking.

 
Merci, Gaetan! Until next time.

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Anatoli (a-na-to-LEE) was an old, abandoned crag in Nafplio overlooking Karathona beach, with just two routes bolted there in the early ‘90s. The grey slabs of Anatoli are close to the road, they are very compact, and they get afternoon shade, so developing it into a complete sport crag was on our to-do list for a while. We were finally able to do it in early December. Anatoli is now a nice, climber-friendly sport crag, with 25 routes up to 25m high and grades from 4a to 6b+. For the majority of sport climbers, Anatoli meets two popular requirements: lots of easier routes and year-round climbing conditions. Anatoli is at the opposite end of the beach from another Nafplio crag, Karathona, so the two can be combined in one day. In warmer months, climb at Karathona in the morning, take a mid-afternoon beach break, and end the day climbing at Anatoli.

The making of the crag

Sector Anatoli was bolted by Aris Theodoropoulos and Claude Remy. It went like this: In late November 2014, our friends Claude and Christine Remy visited us in Athens for a few days of “shopping and culture”. This was an overly ambitious plan for the men, however, who grew fidgety and restless. Two museum-filled days later, they ditched their wives for their Hiltis and took off to Nafplio. Claude and Aris subsequently spent two very full days cleaning Anatoli of loose rock and stubborn vegetation and drilling many of the routes. After Claude left, Aris spent another five or six days over the next two weeks to complete the bolting of Anatoli, with the invaluable help of Kostas Tsoukleidis, Nadine Strobl, Christos Rigas and Katie Roussou.

The result: Anatoli is a very nice crag for easier routes (4a-6b+) with enjoyable and surprisingly varied climbing for the grades. We expect Anatoli to become quite popular; in fact, on the day after Christmas we were surprised to find 20 climbers there, despite the fact that this is the first time we are publishing any information about it.

Equipping: More than 250 stainless steel bolts and hangers were used to equip Anatoli. All routes were bolted by Aris Theodoropoulos and Claude Remy, except “Apple Strudel” (Kostas Tsoukleidis) and “Risotto” (Nadine Strobl). The crag’s two original routes “Amphitryon” (A. Theodoropoulos/F. Athanasiou/D. Mavropoulos 1994) and “Antonis” (A. Antonopoulos 1996?) were rebolted. All bolts were provided by Aris Theodoropoulos/Climb Greece.

Climbing: Technical and enjoyable on vertical or off-vertical, fully-pocketed, very compact grey and red limestone. Good footwork is a plus. On the left are some easy training routes for new climbers. The bolting on all routes is very good and encouraging, if we do say so ourselves.

Conditions: Located at the western edge of Karathona Beach, Anatoli gets sun in the morning and shade in the afternoon. It is perfect for year-round climbing: all-day climbing in the winter and afternoon climbing in the summer.

Shade: After 14:00 in spring/summer; after 16:00 in winter. There is sun in the morning and early afternoon.

Exposure: E

Map coordinates: 37.549132, 22.815488

Approach: As you come into town from Leoforos Argous, keep slightly to the right and onto Kiprou St. As soon as you see the hill of Palamidi ahead of you, turn left onto 25 Martiou St following the sign to “Palamidi”. At the top of the uphill road, on the outskirts, do not turn right towards “Palamidi” but continue straight ahead, towards Karathona Beach. Drive downhill for about 1km and turn at the first road you meet on the right (look for a blue sign with a tent and a camper van which prohibits camping). Park 100m before the end of the road. The cliff it is up to your right. The path is very good and marked in blue. Walking time: Less than 1 min.

What’s in a word? Anatolí means “east”.

Bonus points for: Great location; short approach; ample parking space; proximity to the beach and to other Nafplio crags (Karathona and Neraki); short distance from Athens; lots of easy routes; climber-friendly bolting.

Still to do: Clean up the garbage from the end of the road beneath the crag. We hope to do so in the near future; volunteers welcome!

ROUTES (click here for printable version)

1 Alalum    2*  3c  8m  A short training route.
2 Laertes    2*  3c  8m  Good for learning to lead.
3 Pelops    2*  4a  12m  Another line good for beginners.
4 Lais    2*  4c  12m  Big holds all the way.
5 Fricasee    3*  5b  15m  A bulge with good jugs.
6 Photosynthesis    2*  5c  18m  One hard move to reach the ‘thank god’ hold!
7 Apple Strudel    2*  5c  18m  A weaving enjoyable line.
8 Christina    3*  5b  25m  A long, delicate climb.
9 Klod    3*  5b+  25m  A long wall climb full of good holds.
10 Alkmene    2*  5c  25m  The corner and wall.
11 Nadine    3*  6b  20m  A steep, devious start leads to more technical climbing.
12 KTR    ♪  6a+  20m  An awesome sequence on the big holes. Same lower-off as ‘Nadine’.
13 Aristotelis    ♪  6a+  20m  A thin, balancy crux, then amazing pockets.
14 Antonis    3*  6a+  20m  Off-balance holes, corner, and a not-so-obvious final wall.
15 Fondue    3*  6a+  25m  A fingery wall and exposed flake.
16 Amphitryon    2*  5c+  25m  An easy ramp and fingery headwall.
17 Anapli    3*  6b+  15m  A bouldery start leads to continuous technical moves.
18 Goji Power    2*  6b  20m  Crux at the short ramp.
19 Smiling Tsouk    ♪  6a+  22m  A steep start on big jugs; then, challenging finale on a red wall.
20 Da Bosco    3*  6a  22m  A great corner full of hidden holds.
21 Grand Sarai    2*  6a  22m  Technical wall climbing.
22 Kapodistrias    2*  6a+  22m  Again, technical climbing on small holds.
23 Elvis    2*  6a+  22m  There are good pockets where you need them!
24 Spicy Chicken    2*  6b+  22m  A defined technical crux.
25 Risotto    2*  5a  20m  An easy, mountain-style climb. Bridging helps.

Sector Anatoli has already been added to our Greek crag database. All route names are clickable and open to comments. If you have any feedback or grade suggestions after climbing at Anatoli, please share them by posting a comment.

The post Anatoli, a new crag in Nafplio for easy routes and year-round climbing appeared first on Climb Greece.

Swiss climber and mountaineer Marcel Remy is 92 and still rockin’. He is definitely not your average climber. Born in Switzerland in 1923, Marcel will be 92 years old on February 6th. Just days before his birthday he will be in Leonidio, Greece, climbing with his sons Claude and Yves. Marcel will be the subject of a film about him which is set to start filming in Leonidio; if all goes well, it will continue with him climbing long routes this summer in the Alps. Even if you don’t know Marcel Remy, you must acknowledge that what he does cannot be easy—his long life has not always been easy, either.

As a boy, Marcel lived in the mountains with his parents and two siblings, a brother and a sister. His mother and sister were tragically killed in an avalanche, which also half-destroyed the house they were living in. To make ends meet, his father had some cows and was also responsible for operating the train station. Marcel used to see people from the city come to the mountains for climbing or walking, and wished he could do it, too.

Marcel working at the chemin de fer

Like his father, in his youth Marcel was a cheminot; a railway man. He married rather late for the time, around the age of 30. As railway work never earned anybody much money, Marcel and his wife went on to have a conciergerie, in other words they were janitors at the building they lived in, and in return they paid minimal rent. But they also had a garden, where they grew their own food and raised rabbits. Marcel’s love of the mountains continued to grow, and he later introduced his sons and a lot of other people to the mountain, including his daughter-in-law Christine. “He ‘taught’ climbing to so many people, always for nothing. I made most of my biggest course de haute montagne with him” says the lovely Christine.

This will not be Marcel Remy’s first time climbing in Greece. He has climbed here several times before, but always in Kalymnos. He accompanied his sons Claude and Yves there for the first time in 2008 or 2010, and liked Kalymnos so much that he went back four or five more times. This will be his first time climbing in Leonidio.

Marcel Remy courting his wife, always in the mountains

Now into the tenth decade of his life, Marcel lives alone, but not far away from his sons. Last summer he climbed quite a few easy routes in the mountains with his son Claude; in the winter, he still climbs approximately three times a week at the climbing wall for about an hour each time.

“Nothing is easy for him, but the body machine is still going…” wrote his son, Claude, in our recent correspondence. An understatement if ever there was one. Marcel Remy’s positive attitude and the fact that he continues to travel and climb at nearly a century old is not just touching and inspiring—it is downright amazing! If only we can be half as strong and determined as Marcel when we get older.

Happy Birthday, Marcel. Keep climbing.

All photos courtesy of Claude and Christine Remy. Please do not reprint without permission.

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The overcast weather has everybody in Greece complaining, but it was just fine for us last weekend. Our plan was to visit Nafplio and clean the road beneath Anatoli, a really nice new crag on the outskirts of town. Then, on Sunday afternoon we were invited to participate in a conference about alternative forms of tourism in Greece. And Nafplio being, well, Nafplio, we even got a bit of climbing in, despite the ominous weather forecast for the weekend.
 
The Cleanup
 
Sector Anatoli could not have asked for a more ideal location. It overlooks the sparkling waters and golden sand of Karathona—arguably Nafplio’s best beach—while the cliffs are easily accessible by car and there is ample, safe parking on the dead-end road below. Which is also buried under a perpetual mountain of trash.
 
Cleaning the road beneath sector Anatoli was our second attempt at organizing a volunteer cleanup. As with our previous effort, only a small group of volunteers turned up, even though the event was sufficiently publicized on the social media. (In addition, there was a last-minute cancellation due to the weather by the approx. 20 volunteers from the EOS Acharnon Alpine Club in Athens who were planning to help.) The makeup of the volunteer group at each event was noticeably similar, too. In Kalymnos, at least half of the volunteers were non-Greek, and of the Greeks, almost nobody was local. Similarly, in Nafplio, almost half of the volunteers were non-Greeks living in Nafplio, and of the Greeks, nobody was local (half of us came from Athens, the rest from “rival” Leonidio).
 
What’s wrong with this picture?
 
On to the makeup of the garbage itself. Again, we were faced with a surreal assortment of weird, large or heavy items that people deliberately hauled and discarded there; it wasn’t stuff that Greeks all too casually toss out their car window. For example, we found: a ceramic toilet bowl; a halogen space heater; dozens of books in French about religion, the middle ages and “la vie profonde” (oh, the irony); a bunch of teddy bears; several large pieces of plastic gutter pipes, broken bricks and bags of cement; a junky suitcase filled with old clothing; and, of course, piles of the usual suspects (beer bottles, used condoms and wrappers, deep layers of plastic bottles, and endless “biodegradable” plastic bags, the already-biodegraded bits of which were blowing in the wind). A lot of the garbage was so rotted that it had become encrusted into the soil, making it impossible to remove even with a rake.
 
For the record, we filled 47 big bags with trash. The rest, too big to fit in bags, was gathered in neat piles at the end of the road. All that’s left now for the municipality is to send the truck they promised to collect the trash.
 
Fully aware that it’s just a matter of time until the garbage piles up again, it’s hard to feel good about our volunteer cleanup. Besides the pleasure of spending time with like-minded people, the only feeling left is frustration, disappointment and anger at our complete lack of environmental awareness and our utter disrespect for this beautiful little part of the planet. And we are not hopeful that this will change anytime soon. But to resign oneself to passivity is no solution, either. So do what you can, people.
 
The Conference
 
After the cleanup on Sunday, we went straight to the Conference on Agritourism, Gastrotourism & Alternative Tourism in Greece. Sports Tourism is on the rise throughout the country, though still largely ignored by the local communities. Aris was invited to talk about the “case study” of Kalymnos, the climbing potential of Nafplio, and the proper ways to develop climbing tourism in Greece. He also tried to bring home the message about sustainability and respecting the environment. Hopefully somebody was listening.
 
________
 
Many thanks to: Maria Ungureanu, Christos Rigas, Vlasis Lapatas, the Metaxotos Family (Eleni, Yannis and Iakovos), Sabine Fritz, little Julia, Hermann Stahnke, Nadine Strobl.
 
Bags and gloves for the cleanup provided by Climb Greece and Maria Ungureanu. Rakes provided by Maria Ungureanu and Christos Rigas.

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New routes and sectors continue to go up in beautiful Leonidio during the winter months. In yet another visit to Greece last January, the prolific Remy Brothers (with Marcel Noverraz and Christophe Simeon) have equipped a new sector above Leonidio (Rocspot), as well as a new multi-pitch (Aramis), and a few more routes at existing crags. True to form, most of the Remys’ routes can be enjoyed by the majority of climbers, as they are low-to-mid grade, with a few 7as for good measure. Leonidio is very close to the Remy Brothers’ hearts and they plan to keep coming back, though they have already made a major contribution to the development of this up-and-coming winter destination.

Details, topos and descriptions follow. All information has been provided by Claude Remy, with only slight editing on our part. Thank you Claude, Yves, Marcel, and Christophe, and we look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

NEW ROUTES AND A NEW CRAG IN LEONIDIO BY MARCEL NOVERRAZ, CLAUDE & YVES REMY, AND CHRISTOPHE SIMEON

Rocspot, a new crag by the Remys, M. Noverraz and C. Simeon above Leonidio

The new routes were equipped by Marcel Noverraz, Claude and Yves Remy and Christophe Simeon between 16-24 January 2015. Efharisto (thanks) for the help to: Jurij and Nikolai Hartmann from Austria (routes 19-24), the famous local specialist Giannis Metaxotos and his son Jacob, and above all, the Municipality of Leonidio.

Take care with this information, because some of these routes may still be a bit dirty or need traffic to confirm or change the grade.
Routes are from left to right; names are written.

Ext = Extension of the route
B = Belay
P = Pitch
pa = Artificial move
* = Nice route
__________

• New route at sector “Hot Rock”

Kurz Ext 6c 35m… Long corner ; crux at the start of the extension.

__________

• New sector “Rocspot”

This new sector is the first wall left of “Douvari”. Rocspot is the name of the best climbing center in Switzerland.
Most of the routes start on an easy grey slab ; then, on the steep part the climbing gets harder.

1.* El Greco 6a+ 30m….Very nice wall full of small ledges; a nice movie.
2. Michael Bachtis 6b 35m….A bit similar, dedicated to a Great Man.
3. Higgs Boson 6c 35m….Steep wall climbing. Google “Higgs Boson”.
4. Cern 7a 42m….Wall, but very varied. Crack to go to the lower-off.
5. Kali Chronia 6b+ 37m….Wall, then slab (“Happy New Year”).
6. Makis 7a 37m….The obvious holds; crack on the left diagonal.
7. Petra 7a 37m….Slab, wall and tufas (crux), slab.
8.* Kallinikos 6c+ 37m….Slab, wall and tufas (crux), slab.
9. NNGH 7a/7a+ 37m….A bit expo.
10.* Polar Circle 6c+ 37m….Nice route and hard rock by a Swiss-Greek band.
11. Rousféti 6b+ 37m….Slab, tufa and wall.
12. Tavli 6c 37m….Slab and wall (“backgammon”).
13. Milopita 6b+ 37m….Slab and wall (“apple pie”).
14. Séféris 6b+ 35m….Slab and wall (Named after a famous Greek poet).
15. Amandine 6a+ 35m….Slab and wall.
16.* Tsamiko 4c+ 27m….Slab and many holds (a Greek dance).
17.* Bakaliko 5b+ 27m….Slab and many holds.
18. Akadimia 6b+ 27m….Slab and wall (Akadimia Platonos is a Greek movie).
19. Rammstein in Leonidio 6a+ 32m….Yes pure hard rock again!
20.* Votsalo 5c+ 30m….Slab and wall with many holds.
21. Hilti Maniac 5a+ 32m….Slab and wall with many holds and corner.
22.* Palikaria 5b+ 28m….Wall, ledge and wall with many holds.
23.* Argo 5b+ 28m….Wall, ledge and wall with many holds.
24. Je Suis Charlie 5a+ 25m….Wall, ledge and wall with many holds.

__________

• New routes at sector Kokkinovrachos, sub-sector Douvari, to the right of the route “Mouria”

25.* Myrtoon 4c+ 20m….Easy slab with a steep finish. “Myrtoon”, such a nice taverna.
26.* Myrtoon Ext 6b 40m….Little overhang with great holds.

__________

• New multi-pitch “Aramis” at Sector Kokkinovrachos, right side (south)

Aramis: Multi-pitch; 6b obligatory. The 6c are short, take 15 QD. A route with a lot of variety in the style of pitches, Aramis is less sustained then Ura Ka and Ramisi Rock. The vertical wall here is about 170m high; make five obvious abseils straight down: Down Aramis 38m, 25m, 27m, then off Aramis, 40m, 40m.

Aramis. Click to enlarge.

Pitches:

P1. 6a+, 40m….Below the right of the roof climb straight up a bit left. A few meters on dubious rock.

P2. 6c, 25m….The most sustained pitch. Start with the crux 3m right of the belay, go straight up, hard to find the good holds. Belay on mini-ledge.

P3. 6b+, 30m….Crux at the end of pitch. Traverse 6m left on easy “rotten” ledge, then up left. Follow crack/corner then a super wall with great holds, belay, ledge on the left.

P4. 6c, 30m….Except crux halfway it is 6b+. Go up on the left; then a few meters on dubious rock, then straight up the wall. Belay on the ledge on the right.

P5. 6c, 30m….Climb a massive wall with “gouttes d’eau”, crux, then another wall with holds, ledge then 5c to a ledge, belay.

P6. 6c, 40m….Follow the corner then the wall and slab with holds. Climb the small overhang (crux) and go to the top; belay.

Approach

a) Walk up from Leonidio: Take the road up to Baskina (Vaskina). On the 2nd big turn follow the flat dirt road on the right until your are above Leonidio. Below the Pillar of Fire (with the flag at the top), walk up the steep path with red marks, 40 minutes. The Aramis start is 10m left of Ura Ka.

b) Abseils from the top: Follow the road up to Baskina (Vaskina) and go to the farm on your right, near the flag on the plateau above the Big Wall. Walk to the flag following a path (10 min), then follow the top of the Big Wall towards the sea, red marks at the end, total 15 min.

The new abseils of Aramis are now the best way down around with an 80m rope. The first abseil, near a tree on the ridge at the top of the wall (ledge, ropes and bolts), is easy to find with the name of Aramis.

Lastly, there are also other routes in a new sector, but it is not finished yet.
__________

GEROVRACHOS: A NEW CRAG IN LEONIDIO BY SIMON MONTMORY

Gerovrachos sector

Also in the Peloponnese is our friend Simon Montmory, who transplanted himself from Kalymnos to Leonidio for the winter and is busy exploring the local cliffs like a kid in a candy store. Simon has just equipped a new sector (Gerovrachos, a local toponym which can mean “old cliff” or “solid cliff”; your choice). Gerovrachos is near La Maison des Chèvres, and, if you know Simon, you know the routes are hard (7a+ to 8b+).

ROUTES

1. Labyrinth 7a+ ***….A hard start and then some massive holds in a roof, full of tufas!

2. Détour Logique 7c+?***

3. Turtles 7b+/c***….Great tufa climb, then some big jugs lead to a slabby finish.

4. Metropolitanie 8?….A route by Vincent Lauzon. Looks to be a very hard crux!

5. Cobra 7b+/c****….Exceptional! A really good climb on a pure tufa line, especially for that grade. Don’t forget to unclip your QD before you lower to avoid using the beautiful stalactite!

In the cave, it’s sheltered from the rain. There 2 more routes:

6. Lenaki 8b/+***….Super sequence to pass over the roof. It’s possible to link the end of Complexe to avoid the crux of the 8b. (About 8a/+ then, one bolt to the right of the roof for the connection)

7. Complexe: 8a/+***….A very bouldery start and some very cool moves at the end!

Approach: From La Maison des Chèvres, follow the good path going above this sector to some other goat pens made of stones. The path goes on the left side of the canyon and the crag is obvious to find from there. 40 minutes.
__________

The post New routes and crags in Leonidio, January-March 2015 appeared first on Climb Greece.

This year there has been a lot of climbing development in one of the prettiest corners of Greece, Kyparissi, a village located on the southeast coast of the Peloponnese peninsula (a little over an hour away from the popular Leonidio). Kyparissi already had about 25 hard sport routes, but the area’s vast climbing potential remained untapped. Until this year, that is, when a portion of a local benefactor’s inheritance was used by the local municipality to fund the Kyparissi Bolting Project.
 
In nearby Leonidio, climbing has already brought a significant off-season boost to small local businesses. Another factor expected to further benefit these two fantastic venues is the construction of a new coastal road connecting them, as it will improve the mobility of climbers between the two.

The Kyparissi Bolting Project

 
Overview: As a climbing venue, Kyparissi has everything: loads of top-quality limestone, a beautiful village able to accommodate climbers, and stunning natural beauty combining a steep, lush mountainside with two breathtaking beaches. In other words, Kyparissi is an equipper’s dream. After years spent trying to get funding, the actual bolting of approximately 120 sport routes was finally able to begin in spring 2015. The secondary goal of this project is to extend the area’s short tourist season, which is now mostly limited to July and August. Kyparissi is good for climbing in spring and fall, so this goal is not unrealistic. In a small and remote place like Kyparissi, even a small increase in off-season visitors can make a real difference.
 
People: Coordinating the Kyparissi Bolting Project is Mountain Guide Aris Theodoropoulos, who has also equipped many of the routes, as have Yiannis Torelli, Claude and Christine Remy, Claude Idoux, Bernie Ruech and Angy Eiter. Project funding is managed by the Bodossaki Foundation in collaboration with the Municipality of Monemvasia. Deputy mayor Mr. Panayiotis Traiforos has been instrumental in helping with logistics.
 
The Kyparissi Bolting Project is still underway, and new routes will continue to go up in the coming months. Stay tuned for updates as they become available.

The Kyparissi Climbing Festival (October 2-4, 2015)

 
To introduce gorgeous Kyparissi as a climbing venue, a small festival is planned for the first weekend of October (2,3 and 4 October 2015). The event will be organized by the local municipality with support by The North Face Greece, Vertical Life, and Zlagboard. Special guest at the festival will be Angy Eiter, the four-time world champion with three 9a ascents under her belt. Angy and her partner Bernie Ruech are very familiar with Kyparissi and Leonidio, as they have already invested a lot of time in developing new routes at both venues. The festival will include a climbing marathon on Saturday, Oct 3rd; live music and and award ceremony on Saturday evening, and free climbing on Sunday. When more details about the event become available we will update here.

Getting to Kyparissi (36.972558, 22.990644)

 
From Athens: Kyparissi is 300km southwest of Athens and approx. 90km from Sparta. From the Athens International Airport, take the Attiki Odos motorway in the direction towards Elefsina. Continue towards Korinthos. On the outskirts of Korinthos, turn off onto the motorway towards Tripoli. From Tripoli, continue towards Sparti. At the entrance to Sparti, turn left towards Geraki and then follow the route Agios Dimitrios-Kremasti-Lambokampos-Harakas-Kyparissi.
 
From Leonidio: There are two routes from Leonidio to Kyparissi. The longer route (97km) is via a paved road, while and the shorter route (64km) is via a relatively smooth dirt road which does not necessarily require a 4×4 vehicle. The paved route goes from Leonidio via Kosmas-Geraki-Agios Dimitrios-Kremasti-Lampokampos-Harakas-Kyparissi. The dirt road goes via Poulithra-Peleta-Harakas-Kyparissi. As mentioned above, a coastal road connecting Leonidio to Kyparissi (30-35km) is currently under construction. It is estimated to be completed in early 2016, and it will be part of the new Argos-Leonidio-Fokianos-Kyparissi coastal road.

Accommodation and other amenities

 
There are accommodation options for all budgets in Kyparissi; some links for Kyparissi accommodation can be found on the left sidebar of our main Kyparissi page. There are also at least two general stores and several very good tavernas/restaurants.
 
Good to know: Kyparissi does not have a bank, an ATM or a gas station. Make sure to come prepared. If you are driving from Athens, fill up your gas tank again in Sparta or in the village of Agios Dimitrios. If you are coming from Leonidio, you can get cash and gas there.

New crags in Kyparissi

 
Introduced below are two brand-new crags, Kastraki and Jerome’s House, which feature easier climbing. Many hard routes have also been added to existing sector Babala; we will write about them when more info about grades is available. (Babala is an endless zone of cliffs high above Kyparissi, about 1 hour away on foot. There were only five routes equipped by two French climbers, who used a donkey to haul their gear up from the village. As part of the current project, Yiannis Torelli recently added 15 very hard routes on incredible tufas. Furthermore, Bernie Ruech and Angy Eiter bolted some very hard lines; Angy did the first ascent of a fantastic 8c a couple of weeks ago.)

1. KASTRAKI (36.969963, 22.991085)

 
The easiest crag in Kyparissi, with routes starting at 5a. Kastraki is in the middle section of the village, above the church and not far from the beach, in lush surroundings with beautiful views. Kastraki has all the makings of a popular crag: very good quality limestone, low to mid-grades (5a-6c), a “central” location and a very easy approach.

Angy Eiter climbs “Mougaras” 6a+ at sector Kastraki (photo Aris Theodoropoulos/Climb Greece)

Equippers: The routes at Kastraki were equipped by Aris Theodoropoulos and Claude Idoux (who came all the way from Kalymnos to help). Yiannis Metaxotos from Leonidio also did a very thorough job of cleaning and gardening, on and off the rock.
 
What’s in a name? Kastraki means “little castle”, for there are ruins of a castle at the top of the hill (not unusual for Greece). The majority of route names are local nicknames paying tribute to old seamen or other past residents of this part of the village.
 
Climbing: On the left (Kastraki) a quality grey wall, somewhat sharp, but with great variety in features and moves. On the right (Kastraki Upper), an overhanging red wall with tufas, big holds, and athletic gym-style routes. All routes are very well-protected, so go for the onsight!
 
 
Gear: 70m rope; 15 quickdraws (QD) for routes up to 30m, 20 QD for routes longer than 30m.
 
Conditions: Best for spring and fall climbing, but summer climbing is also possible in the mornings.
 
Shade: In the morning and early afternoon. The sun comes at 13:30 (lower) or 14:00 (upper).
 
Exposure: SW
 
Approach: Go to the middle part of the village (called Paralia), on the SE side of Kyparissi. You will see the church and cemetery on the right as you drive down to the beach. Park either near the church or across the road (in a plot with olive trees used as a parking area; there is a sign). Cross the little bridge leading to the cemetery entrance and walk around the cemetery wall to the right. You will see the clear path going up to the cliff; there are also red marks. Walking time: 5 min.

Kastraki | Routes

1. Pipis 2* 5a 10m A good training route for beginners.
2. Koles 2* 5b 10m Another good warm-up route.
3. Tsitos 1* 5c+ 15m Inconsistent: a hard start, then much easier.
4. Koufos 3* 5c 10m A short but steep wall with good holds.
5. Sirmas 3* 6a+ 25m A very technical corner to start; the upper part is easier.
6. Kotsipetros ♪ 6b 25m An amazing smooth slab with good holds when you need them.
7. Batarolos 3* 5c+ 22m A pleasant wall with a couple of moves on steeper terrain requiring problem-solving.
8. Rozos 3* 6a+ 25m A grey wall with a short technical crack and an exceptional steep finale.
9. Mantrakoukos 3* 6b+ 25m A steep wall with good variety and a comp-like finish on brown rock.
10. Kolios 3* 6b 25m A stiff intro, but hidden holds are a pleasant surprise. The enjoyment comes at the end!
11. Zafiris 3* 6b 25m A nice start with big holds leads to a technical upper wall.
12. Kakaras 2* 6a 30m Long and satisfying with a pleasing slab on the second half.
13. Kastraki 3* 5b+ 20m Good holds just keep coming.
14. Kastraki Ext ♪ 6a 35m A high-quality grey wall and amazing steep finish up the pillar!
15. Mougaras 3* 6a+ 30m Another beautiful pillar which is good for photos.
16. Kepas 3* 6b+ 28m Starts with a very technical bulge and challenging footwork; easier but continuously interesting after that.
17. Bouras 3* 6a 28m A wall full of good hidden holds!
 
Kastraki Upper | Routes
 
18. Pontikos 2* 6b 18m Hard start, easier upper part.
19. Monimos 3* 6c+ 18m Three cruxes and a hard final clip.
20. Frydias ♪ 6c+ 18m Stellar moves from hole to hole!
21. Tzambas 3* 7a 18m Great climbing on tufa terrain with three intriguing bulges.
22. Gandemis 3* 6c 18m Easier tufa climbing plus an interesting overhanging corner with plenty of rest opportunities.
23. Jumping Fish ♪ 7a 18m An exceptional steep climb and beautiful moves.
24. Krinos 2* 6c+ 18m A white technical line with big—but sharp—holds at the end.
25. Tantra 3* 6b 18m A slab, then an excellent bulge with good holds and long moves, then a slab again.
26. Panotsis 2* 5c+ 18m A hard but interesting bulge leads to steady climbing with no further surprises.

2. JEROME’S HOUSE (36.917377, 23.003299)

 
Sector Jerome’s House is a few kilometers outside the village of Kyparissi. It is closer to the village of Harakas, at the point where the road starts to descend the mountain towards Kyparissi. The crag is just below the road, and not visible from the road. It is a very compact, primarily grey wall. At the base of the cliff is a small cave and a wide, flat strip of land.

Claude Remy on the job at sector Jerome’s House (photo Yiannis Metaxotos)

Equippers: The crag was equipped primarily by Claude and Christine Remy (routes 5-15) with the contribution of Aris Theodoropoulos and Yiannis Metaxotos (1-4 and 16,17).
 
What’s in a name? The crag’s name was inspired by the house of John “Blackjack” Jerome, a lone structure visible at the far end of the gorge down by the sea. Jerome was a mobster and strikebreaker who lived in California in the early 20th century, but hailed from Kyparissi. He had big plans for that house (including installing a cable car/teleferic to connect the house to the col!) but, alas, didn’t live long enough to see his plans come to fruition.
 
Climbing: Quality grey wall with good hidden holds and well-protected routes. Unusual, prominent features in the middle section of the crag. The rock in the lower part of the routes looks awkward, but the climbing is impressive. Jerome’s House is ideal for climbers looking for grades from 6a to 7a+.
 
Gear: 70m rope minimum; 15 quickdraws (QD) for routes up to 30m, 20 QD for routes longer than 30m.
 
Conditions: Sector Jerome’s House is near the col, so it is breezy and cool. Best seasons are fall, spring and summer afternoons.
 
Shade: All afternoon starting at 12 o’clock noon.
 
Exposure: NE
 
Approach: From Kyparissi, drive to Harakas village. Park at Stavros, at an obvious parking area on the left near the small chapel, shortly before the entrance to the village (36.915641, 23.003433). Then walk back towards Kyparissi for 150m and down the steep path to the right (36.917377, 23.003299) following red marks and cairns. Walking time: 15 min.

Jerome’s House | Routes
 

1. Pinkerton 2* 6b+ 30m A tough start is followed by easier climbing.
2. Bay Area 2* 6b+ 30m Similar to “Pinkerton”.
3. Kalderimi 3* 6c 30m Wall climbing with good holds.
4. Black Jack 3* 6c 30m More wall climbing with holes and very enjoyable moves.
5. Epitirisi kai Timoria 3* 6b+ 20m A wall and small bulge. (The name is inspired by the famous Verdon route by the same name in French, Surveiller et Punir, from the book by Michel Foucault.)
5.1 Epitirisi kai Timoria Ext 3* 7a 30m Wall climbing.
5.2 Epitirisi kai Timoria Ext 2 3* 7b 38m More wall climbing on small holds. 20 QD.
6. Out of System 3* 6c 25m A wall and small bulge with small holds.
7. Piliza 3* 6a 20m A wall, corner and small roof.
7.1 Piliza Ext 3* 7a+ 30m A wall with small holds.
8. Hospeatality 3* 6b+30m A wall with good holds when you need them!
9. Choco Heaven 3* 6b+ 30m More wall climbing with good holds.
10. Bangsters 3* 6c 30m More wall climbing with good holds.
10.1 Bangsters Ext ♪ 7a+ 38m More climbing up the wall but the holds get smaller. 20 QD.
11. The Crazy World 6c 30m A big overhang, crack and wall.
11.1 The Crazy World Ext 2* 7a+ 35m A crack. 20 QD.
12. Of Arthur Brown ♪ 6b 20m Overhanging with big holds.
12.1 Of Arthur Brown Ext 3* 6b+ 30m Wall and crack climbing.
13. Catalavenis? 2* 7b? 25m Wall, overhang and monos.
13.1 Catalavenis? Ext 1 ? 30m Up the smooth wall.
13.2 Catalavenis? Ext 2 3* 6c 38m And the wall continues with good holds. 20 QD.
14. Kidoni 2* 6a+ 20m A wall and crack.
15. Low Cost 2* 6a+ 20m A wall, crack and smooth slab.
16. Strikebreaker 2* 5c 25m A good warm-up for this sector.
17. Teleferic 2* 5c 25μ An interesting corner climb.
 
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The post Kyparissi: New crags, many easier routes, and a climbing festival in October appeared first on Climb Greece.

On October 2nd, 3rd and 4th 2015, the gorgeous seaside village of Kyparissi will be introduced to the climbing world as a new sport climbing destination. Kyparissi is a small village in one of the last remaining untouched niches of Greece. Surrounded by cliffs of exceptional quality and wild beauty, it waited a long time until a bolting project was able to be implemented under the supervision of Mountain Guide Aris Theodoropoulos.

Special guest Angy Eiter is something of an “ambassador” of Kyparissi abroad. Angy, double lead climbing world champion, has been winning major competitions for the past decade but she is equally accomplished on the cliffs with three 9a free ascents in 2014 and 2015 (Hades, Big Hammer, Era Vella). Angy Eiter has been to Kyparissi repeatedly to climb and to bolt routes, and she will be coming back to Greece once again for the Kyparissi Festival.

Climbing in Kyparissi
Approximately 100 sport routes of all levels have been equipped in Kyparissi to-date. They are distributed across six beautiful crags, with shade both in the morning and in the afternoon. A free printout of the routes in Kyparissi will be given at the festival registration desk, including routes equipped just a few days before the festival.

Festival registration
Climbers can register online here. The first 100 climbers to register will receive a free Kyparissi Festival t-shirt by The North Face, the event’s main sponsor. To register online, you must have booked your accommodation for the days of the festival and note your hotel on the registration form. To register in person, visit the registration desk at Hotel Cavo Kortia.

Kyparissi accommodation
There is accommodation for all budgets in Kyparissi with prices starting at EUR30 per day. Please book ahead of time, though, because Kyparissi is small and rooms are expected to book quickly. Some accommodation options are listed on the left sidebar of our Kyparissi page.

Getting to Kyparissi
The quickest way to get to Kyparissi from Athens is to drive via Sparta. From Sparta, continue to Kyparissi through the villages Geraki, Agios Dimitrios and Harakas. Total time about 4 hours (300km) from Athens. Coordinates: 36.972558, 22.990644

Other outdoor activities: Hiking
Kyparissi also features very beautiful marked hiking trails on Mt Hionovouni, with stunning views of the Myrtoan Sea. More information and a free hiking map here.

Event planned by:
Municipality of Monemvasia
Municipal division of Zarakas
Bodossaki Foundation
G. Kellis Fund
Climb Greece
Supported by: RocKit Cream
Sponsored by: The North Face

Festival schedule

Friday October 2nd, 17:00–22:00
• Open registration at the festival information desk
• Distribution of free topo of Kyparissi routes and information about the Climbing Marathon
• Festival t-shirts

Saturday October 3rd, 09:00—17:00

• Climbing Marathon or free climbing. There will be two categories in the Climbing Marathon. First category: routes up to 7a; second category: 7a+ and above. Each route climbed freely by a climbing party will be awarded points depending on its grade; for example, a 6a route earns each climber 1000 points; a 7a earns each climber 2000 points; and so on. The climbing parties with the highest number of points will receive prizes from The North Face, RocKit Cream, and local products.
• 18:00: Gathering at Cavo Kortia hotel
• Awards to Climbing Marathon winners and special guests
• Angy Eiter presentation
• Greeting by local authorities
• Food; free buffet with specialties of the area
• Traditional music and dance

Sunday October 4th
• Watch Angy Eiter try to free some very hard projects! (Or, feel free to sample the area’s crags.)

The post Kyparissi Climbing Festival, 2-4 October 2015 appeared first on Climb Greece.

“It was totally awesome, like a dream come true, having the opportunity to find a crag where there are still so many untouched lines that you barely know where to start.” These are not the words of just any climber, but of Angy Eiter in a recent video released by Red Bull about Kyparissi. Angy has fallen in love with the obscure little village, and keeps coming back and spreading the word about the climbing in Kyparissi every chance she gets. (Note: In the subtitles of the Red Bull video, Kyparissi is incorrectly translated as Kyparissia. Kyparissia is a different town on the west coast of Peloponnese, not to be confused with Kyparissi, which is on the southeast coast, not far from Leonidio.)

Slowly but surely, Kyparissi has begun to emerge from obscurity. It is becoming a proper sport climbing venue with six crags to-date, more than 100 well-bolted lines, and vast potential for many, many more new routes. The sensible development of climbing in Kyparissi is another point in its favor: Bolting has followed a set of reasonable guidelines from the start (proper hardware, well-protected routes, thorough cleaning and marking of the crags and paths) and there is something for climbers of all grade levels. Kastraki, a sector above the village church with very easy access, great views of the village and beach, and routes between 5c-7a on mostly grey compact limestone, but some red slightly overhanging routes on tufas as well, is expected to appeal to the majority of climbers and families. Watermill, a stunning bright red overhanging wall just off the road outside the village catches the eye immediately, and features fantastic routes starting from 6b/6c up to 8a/8b. Sectors Jerome’s House, Stavros and Psilovrachos are located high above the village, with routes in the mid-to-hard grades perfect for climbing on very hot days. And when it comes to very hard climbing, Kyparissi hits the jackpot: Babala.

Babala is a long expanse of creamy yellow limestone streaked with grey/blue tufa snakes, pipes and wings that run the full height of the cliff like vertical rivers. It unfolds along the ridge high above the village (approximately 45 minutes via a beautiful old trail) but every moment of the walk is worth it. Babala is a world-class hard sector featuring pure tufa climbing at its best. The well-traveled Greek climber Aristos Thanopoulos describes it as “the best hard sport crag in Greece”. And Angy simply says: “The climbing here is so good.”

Downloadable photo-topo of Kyparissi
To thank all climbers who supported this new venue by coming to the 1st Kyparissi Climbing Festival (see below), we have put together a mini photo-topo of Kyparissi. The Kyparissi topo is free to download, and it includes all routes equipped in Kyparissi until November 2015. New routes will continue to go up over the next months and we will post updates here as the latest info becomes available.
The photo-topo of Kyparissi was compiled by Aris Theodoropoulos/Climb Greece. If you have any questions, comments or corrections to suggest after downloading it, we are just an email away.

Climbers at sector Watermill

Chris Boukoros

Antonis Anyfantakis tries “Magnum Opus” 7b+, sector Babala

Aris Theodoropoulos/Climb Greece

Angy Eiter onsights “Medusa’s Blood” 8b at sector Watermill

Chris Boukoros

The dinner at hotel Cavo Kortia was one of the highlights of the event

Chris Boukoros

A 96-year old local man and other villagers trying to figure out if the climbing ropes are strong enough

Aris Theodoropoulos/Climb Greece

Angy Eiter climbing the fantastic “Jerome the Gangster” 7c+, sector Watermill

Chris Boukoros

Katerina Touriki climbing at sector Watermill

Chris Boukoros

Angy Eiter climbing at sector Babala

Chris Boukoros

Yiannis Torelli, an unsung hero of Greek climbing and one of the main equippers of hard routes in Kyparissi

Chris Boukoros

Yiannis Torelli climbs “Advocatus Diaboli” 8a+, sector Babala

Chris Boukoros

During the climbing marathon at sector Kastraki

Chris Boukoros

Maria Theocharopoulou at sector Kastraki

Chris Boukoros

The dinner at hotel Cavo Kortia was one of the highlights of the event

Chris Boukoros

Angy warming up on “Thanks George” 7a, sector Watermill

Chris Boukoros

Chris Boukoros

Maria Theocharopoulou at sector Kastraki

Chris Boukoros

Introducing Kyparissi to climbers: The 1st Kyparissi Climbing Festival
To acquaint climbers with all the new routes and the natural beauty of Kyparissi, a small festival was put together in the beginning of October. Without much advertising or a big budget, the turnout for the festival exceeded all expectations and it was, by all accounts, quite a success. The rainy weather forecast leading up to the festival was somewhat stressful, but starting on Friday, the first day of the festival, three bright and glorious days followed. Approximately 100 climbers signed up for the event, and an estimated 400 people attended the festival’s free dinner buffet at Hotel Cavo Cortia (a major highlight!) Besides the climbers, many residents of Kyparissi and members of mountain clubs from around the Peloponnese and the island of Cyprus also attended.

Angy Eiter was the festival’s special guest, as she has naturally become the ambassador of Kyparissi abroad. Angy’s climbing partner during the festival was Aristos Thanopoulos, one of the most accomplished Greek climbers. Angy onsighted Zarax 8a and Medusa’s Blood 8b at sector Watermill, as well as the jaw-dropping, tufa-pipe laden Leodokardos 8a at sector Babala. Additionally, she did the first ascents of all routes she and her partner, Bernie Ruech, equipped together at Babala earlier this year: Gloom of Triumph 8c, Mythos 8b/8b+, and Carpe Diem 8b+.

A mini climbing marathon was also part of the festival. Climbing pairs competed in two categories (up to 7a, 7a + above). The winning pairs in the easier category were Vangelis Batsios/Christos Tzioufetas, Spiros Anatolianos/Isidora Ruschioni, and Antonis Tsourekas/Paschalis Angelopoulos; in the harder category, Antonis Anyfantakis/Katerina Touriki. Winners took home prizes by The North Face and local businesses as well as copies of the Greece and Kalymnos guidebooks.

We can’t help but mention the dinner buffet again: On festival Saturday, nearly 400 guests enjoyed a royal feast of local specialties—everything from homemade pies, an array of vegetables and a whole suckling pig (!) to perfect desserts and a variety of beverages. The owners of the hotel are due most of the credit for putting together an exceptional, memorable evening that went far beyond the humble budget of the festival, though it should come as little surprise, because we have experienced some of the warmest hospitality from the people in Kyparissi.

Last but not least, the lovely Angy Eiter was awarded an honorary plaque by the mayor of Monemvasia for sharing Kyparissi with the climbing world, and the Greek climber/equipper Yiannis Torelli, a modest, low-key personality who has consistently propelled Greek climbing forward, was awarded by the president of the Greek Climbing Federation for his overall contribution to Greek climbing. Speeches by local authority figures ensued, then Aris Theodoropoulos briefly introduced the Kyparissi project and Angy Eiter presented her climbing career and her involvement in the Kyparissi project. (The poor quality of the audiovisual presentations was the only hiccup of the event; something to be fixed next time.) The evening ended with dancing well into the evening by the local group “Kyfanta”.

Yiannis Torelli on “Streptokoccus” 8a

Aristos Thanopoulos on “Magnum Opus” 7b+, sector Babala

Angy Eiter onsighting “Leodokardos” 8a, sector Babala

The unbelievable tufa-streaked wall of “Leodokardos” 8a, sector Babala

 
Organizers
Municipality of Monemvasia
Municipal Unit of Zarakas
Bodossaki Foundation
G. Kellis Trust
Climbgreece.com

 
Official Sponsor
The North Face

 
Media Partners
Vrahomania.gr
Vertical Life
Korfes Magazine

 
Supported by
4|Work
RocKit Cream

The post Kyparissi: Festival news, videos, and a free downloadable photo-topo appeared first on Climb Greece.

Francisco Taranto Jr. and Sandra Ducasse first discovered Greece when they visited Meteora, Kalymnos and Leonidio with Caroline Ciavaldini and James Pearson last year. Francisco is a climbing photographer and filmmaker. The day before the birth of their son, in 2010, Francisco and his wife Sandra bought an old Mercedes van. After many trips with pro climbers, Francisco, Sandra and the children dreamt of traveling in the mountains, of making discoveries, meeting people and documenting all these things. They call this their DRIM! project (“Decouvertes, Rencontres, Images, Montagnes”).

And so it is that their DRIM! adventure began in Greece last autumn. They had left the country last time with the best impressions: “Greece, a wonderful country, nowhere flat: a heaven for mountain lovers. Warm people, exquisite local specialties, and a great climate during the fall. We had to get back to Greece!” Sandra and Francisco wrote. And they did, this time with Anna and Tomas, their two adorable children, their dog Fellipe, and their trusty camper van. They started off in Athens but spent most of their trip touring the Peloponnese. Wonderful storytellers both, they made discoveries, met people, and tell their Greek story with vivid pictures and a series of five candid episodes filmed along the way.

“For a couple of days we left the Peloponnese behind us and headed to Kalymnos, a Greek island off the Turkish coast. On our way back, we stopped near Athens, at Fili. We camped on the upper part of the city, next to the cliff. Early in the morning, we took time to enjoy a great site for novice climbers (i.e. sector Acharneis): No approach on foot, easy routes and even a bench at the bottom. From here we went to the heart of the Peloponnese, in Arcadia. Then, one evening sitting around the campfire at the Loussios gorge: ‘Anna, can you imagine that the other children are already in bed because tomorrow they will have to go to school?’. She smiles back at me, and I continue: ‘And we, we are eating chestnuts next to a campfire and a river, in Greece.’ She smiles again… But the rain interrupts us. We rush to gather our things and get back to the van to avoid getting soaked, and especially to finish off the chestnuts.”

Read Sandra and Francisco’s full account of their Peloponnese road trip here.

Thank you for the terrific travel diary, Sandra and Francisco! You’ve got us dreaming now, too…
 
 

 
Production of this travel diary : Sandra Ducasse.
Photos : Sandra Ducasse and Francisco Taranto Jr.
Videos (production and editing): Francisco Taranto Jr.

The post Exploring Greece in a camper van: A climbing family’s “DRIM!” appeared first on Climb Greece.

By Carl Dawson | What does the name Peloponnese conjure up for you? If you’re geographically savvy, you’ll know that it’s the big lump of southern Greece that’s only just about attached to the rest of Greece at the narrow isthmus through which the Corinth Canal has been cut. And on this huge lump, some 180km long by 150km wide, are mountainous hinterlands rising to almost 8000 feet (2407m) culminating in three wild prongs to the south and a gentler peninsula, the Argolid, to the east. At the centre of the region lies the city of Sparta (Sparti).
 
Early-period historians (and film fans) will either know of the complex allegiances of ancient Greece, between the warring Athenians and the Spartans, and/or the military skills and training for which the Spartans were famous. Later-period historians will wonder at the savagery and tragedy of the post-WW2 civil war which still echoes in the Peloponnese remotenesses.
 
The culturally aware will be excited by the chance to visit the cradle of ‘civilization’ (famous for its rape, murder, incest, treachery and, possibly, royal baby-eating!) and walk around Mycenae and the amphitheatre at Epidavrus but only if this can be fitted in between picking at Kalamata olives, swigging Nemea wines etc.
 
But what of the climbing? Some of you will have been following recent developments in the media: but for those who haven’t, here’s a brief update to confirm your need for a visit.
 
Not many years ago the main focus of climbing in Southern Greece was in the north-west Peloponnese around the seaport of Patras. Just across the Gulf of Corinth from the city stands the multi-pitch heaven of Varasova; one of the birthplaces of modern Greek rock climbing. Here also, in the ‘90s, ‘hard-core’ arrived with unrelenting tufa walls above the empty lands around Alepochori, and ludicrously steep caves such as Chatzouri developed by serious strong Patras climbers like Aristomenis Thanopoulos and Yiannis Torelli. Information on these ‘private gyms’ could only be got from scraps on the internet and the reputation was that the bolting was equally ‘macho’.
 
More recently though, the focus has changed from west to east, bringing with it greater diversity of rock types, of favoured seasons, and of après-climb attractions.
 

 
In the early-2000s over on the eastern Argolid peninsula, Jim Titt, then resident, was perfecting new types of bolt protection on the pleasant if minor crags of the area, with perhaps the best being the summit rim of Didyma, 1000m up and overlooking the island of Hydra like a Google Earth screenshot. At around the same time, Aris Theodoropoulos and friends were developing and, later, rejuvenating the seaside crags of Nafplio, this being perhaps the trendiest small town in Greece and certainly the warmest, driest spot in the Peloponnese for climbing midwinter. If you’re lucky enough to be able to combine pleasant seaside lower-grade sport climbing within walking distance of stylish wine-bars and boutique-hotels for your honeymoon, then this is truly ‘the place’.
 
At the other end of the year (but perhaps less suitable for a wedding) is the fabulously-located Lagada, just above the high road col over the Taygetus mountains. Here, at over 1000m altitude, above a sometimes-mown, lawn-like alpine meadow, is the perfect late-Spring venue for climbers operating at almost all grades, from 5b to 8b. The adjacent unmanned climbers’ log-cabin, built by the Sparta Alpine Club, makes a perfect base at the foot of the crags.
 
But all these locations merely foreshadow the explosion of new routing that has taken place in the second decade of the 2000s and this has swung the climbing centre of gravity in the Peloponnese from west to east. Not even the first scratchings of development at Nedousa, close to the airport city of Kalamata, has slowed this trend. Nedousa, in a quiet, almost dead-end valley, is plastered with crags of all aspects and sizes. With a small river flowing in the woodlands below, the 30m walls of tufa just 10/20 minutes walk from the road immediately catch the eye. But development here has been relatively slow (only 100 routes so far), with tales of run-out bolting (à la Patra) and a lack of amenities being cited. A well-placed campsite on the river bank could, nevertheless, change all that.
 
But no, it has been over in the east, between complex, wild mountains and the eastern coastline itself, that the most exciting developments are now taking place… and a fast coastal road from Athens is pushing farther south every year and destined to reach the latest hot-spot, the small, quiet and almost unsuspecting middle-class resort of Kyparissi, by 2016.
 
Winter snow on the higher peaks hint that climbing is possible in summer on the east-facing ‘rim’ crags of Kyparissi and yet only a short distance away up the coast, deep sheltered valleys with high south-facing mountain walls make Leonidio an excellent choice for winter climbing. And more crags are being discovered all the time. Small but exuberant festivals are bringing Greek activists and enthusiasts from beyond into partnership with the small coastal communities to mutual advantage: Zobolo in 2012, Leonidio in 2014, Kyparissi in 2015.
 
Zobolo feels like, and is, ‘the end’: the final tip of the final peninsula of Cape Malea. Here Greece stops. Beyond the final town of Neapoli, beyond the final village of Agios Nikolaos, the dirt roads begin and crags eventually come into view across petrified forests and the vastness of the Myrtoan Sea. With around 150 routes, the crags are very pleasant if not world class and are very worthwhile for climbers operating in the 6s and low 7s. Dimitris Titopoulos with friends from Athens, the Remy Brothers and Yianis Torelli worked hard on the development and the Zobolo climbing festival culminated in a boisterous street feast so exemplifying what can happen when local communities and climbers work together.
 
Leonidio, further up the east coast, is much easier to reach from Athens and makes a short visit from other countries an easy proposition. Isolation in the past has preserved a unique dialect in this area (reputedly a relic from ancient Doric Greek) but now the coast road leads quickly to this strange, still almost independent valley ‘state’, formed by a broad but almost dead-end trough running 15km down from the mountain interior to the sea. Immediately below the huge red mountain wall of Mount Parnon is the subsequently sheltered town of Leonidio itself, so strongly advantaged that it has the perfect winter micro-climate. A mile away from the beaches, it is a town that immediately appeals – just big enough, with its tavernas, climbers’ bars, encastellated hotels (if you can afford them!), supermarkets… and yet small enough to feel ‘at home’. And that huge omnipresent red wall is the reminder that climbing is integral to this valley and the reason why you’re here. As you might now expect, the Remys, Aris Theodoropoulos et al. have produced classic 250m multi-pitch routes on the red walls with the earliest routes dating back to 1987 and a surge of new interest in the last five years has resulted in new sectors which are in an almost continuous state of development along the valley sides. With EU regional funding, the Hellenic Federation of Mountaineering and Climbing has undertaken much of the recent work with key roles played by Kostas Liakos, Nikos Iliakos, the ubiquitous Remys plus many visitors including international stars like James Pearson and Caroline Ciavaldini. Most of the 300-plus new routes are single-pitch, with a wide selection for both lower-grade climbers and those wanting to project short testpieces in the 8s and 9s. Climbing history in Leonidio is still in the making.
 
If Leonidio is a growing adolescent, Kyparissi is the lusty new-borne. Kyparissi, the village, is still hidden and far enough away from mass-tourism: a small, almost sleepy coastal settlement, currently only reached by a tortuous journey via Sparti followed by a plunge over the rim of the world… and even that was not an option before 1970! Here are artists’ retreats and the like: gentle tourism. But maybe this slow pace of life is about to step up a notch… and not just with the ‘coming soon’ arrival of a direct road along the sea edge. The village community aided and abetted by climbers-in-the-know, Yannis Torelli, Aris Theodoropoulos, George Kopalides, the Remys again and headed by the enthusiastic Angy Eiter, may well be on the way to making Kyparissi THE place to visit in Greece.
 
When I first visited Kyparissi in 2012, we climbed on the Watermill sector, a small tufa crag close to the road just outside the village. This pleasant crag offered a small selection of just around 20 routes from 6a to 8b with the eponymous route “Kyparissi” 7a being a crag classic. But, standing back on the beach looking inland, it was not this crag that left me slack-jawed. Rather it was the bands of crags running along the east-facing skyline, line after line of them, and covered in what has been later described as the best, most solid, tufa in Europe. “Thousands…” I remember thinking to myself, “…there’s room for thousands of new routes”. Since then development has accelerated with Angy being a key activist and ambassador for the area. Easily accessible crags on the lower hillsides are now being bolted to provide a good selection of routes in the 6s and 7s, and the first sector on the upper rim, Babala, is receiving comparisons with Ceuse. However, other the slightly long walk-in, not much else do these two crags have in common! Whereas Ceuse was futuristically touted as the crag for the year 2000, perhaps Babala is the crag for 2020. Visualise tangled tresses of perfect steep tufa to pinch… but not a lot in the way of footholds and you’re getting close. Perhaps we’ll all have to train like Spartans now!
 
In the near future, more secrets of the Peloponnese will emerge. Kyparissi will become international renown as both a pleasant seaside holiday climbing destination for lower and medium grade climbers and the upper bands as one of the key hard-core tufa climbing areas in Europe. Climbing in other beautiful corners of the Peloponnese, such as the fabulous Monemvasia, will continue to develop and other secrets will emerge from the complex hinterland. With this ‘move to the east’, the history of climbing in the Peloponnese is only just opening its second chapter.
 
The practicalities
 
Flights into Athens are easily made from all over the world. Once here, there are of course competing attractions with the fine coronet of crags encircling the city (…in fact if you’re after seriously hard climbing, look no farther than Mavrosouvala to the north of the city). However, once beyond the madness of big city traffic, the hire car will practically navigate itself across the Corinth Canal and into the Peloponnese. Seasonal flights also come into Kalamata and Patras. For longer-stay visitors from Western or Northern Europe with their own transport, it doesn’t have to be difficult: car ferries from Italian ports such as Ancona or Trieste will get you to Patras in a ‘leisurely’ 30 hours (treat it as a mini-cruise after all that pre-trip training that you’ve been doing).
 
In terms of accommodation, there are campsites at several locations, such as in the Argolis or at Leonidio beach. Elsewhere, rented rooms at a variety of prices are available (see here and here for further information).
 
It is possible to climb somewhere in the Peloponnese at all times of the year with perhaps the exception of a very hot summer. One suggestion for an extended trip would be to start at the higher crags such as Kyparissi or Lagada in the early autumn and, by the beginning of winter, arrive at Leonidio or Nafplio.
 
To prepare for the trip and to get into the right mindset, you obviously need to read Steven Pressfield’s semi-fictional, largely factual Gates of Fire on Spartan warriors and Thermopylae (1999, Doubleday) and his Tides of War on the Peloponnesian War (2000, Doubleday). On a more somber theme, try and find Kevin Andrews’ harrowing The Flight of the Ikaros: Travels in Greece during a Civil War (1959, Penguin). Route descriptions for most crags will be found in Aris Theodoropoulos’s Greece Sport Climbing: The Best of (2014, Terrain) although visits to this site are essential for updates as well as topos to the more recent crags such as Babala.
 
—Carl Dawson
 

Climbers at East Zobolo. Photo: Claude Remy

Yiannis Torelli on “A Muerte” 6c+, Varasova. Photo: Aris Theodoropoulos/Climb Greece

Thomas Michaelides on “Safe Sex” 7a, Varasova. Photo: Aris Theodoropoulos/Climb Greece

Lagada, a beautiful crag with an alpine feel near the town of Sparta. Photo: Aris Theodoropoulos/Climb Greece

The author, Carl Dawson, on “Apse Svise” 6b+, sector Lagada. Photo: Claude Remy

Yiannis Torelli climbing at sector Limeri in Leonidio. Photo: Yiannis Metaxotos

Angy Eiter on the jaw-dropping tufa snakes of “Leodokardos” 8a in sector Babala, Kyparissi. Photo: Aris Theodoropoulos/Climb Greece

Aristomenis Thanopoulos gives it his all on “Magnum Opus” 7b+, sector Babala, Kyparissi. Photo: Chris Boukoros

Angy Eiter on the mega-classic “Jerome the Gangster” 7c+, sector Watermill, Kyparissi. Photo: Chris Boukoros

Constantinos Vrohidis on “Hello” 7c+, sector Mavrosouvala. Photo: Aris Theodoropoulos/Climb Greece

George Koutsoukis pinching on “Protaprilia” 7a+, sector Mavrosouvala. Photo: Aris Theodoropoulos/Climb Greece

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Not many sprawling urban centers in the world are surrounded by cliffs, but Athens is surely one of them. The area of Fili, less than a 30-minute drive from downtown Athens at the foot of Mt Parnitha, is dotted with quite a few good limestone crags. If you are anywhere near Athens on April 16th & 17th, don’t miss the 2nd Fili Climbing Festival organized by the local climbing club, EPOS Filis. The Fili Climbing Festivals seem to be building a nice tradition for Athenian climbers; after last year’s very successful first festival, the 2nd Fili Climbing Festival is anticipated even more eagerly.

There is a detailed schedule of the weekend’s events on the EPOS Filis website (in Greek). In a nutshell, there will be multiple activities and instructional seminars for both beginners (intro to climbing etc) and more experienced climbers (climbing marathon, improving technique, self-rescue, proper belaying etc). Beginners’ events will be at sector EPOS Filis, while those for more experienced climbers will mostly be next door at sector Mikri Varasova. There will be free climbing at some 22 crags around Mt Parnitha, including Pigi Avrami, Alogopetra, Strofes, Paidotopos, Acharneis, Platosi, Ekstrateia, Spilia Roussou and Arma.

Registrations will be at sector Mikri Varasova. Climbing starts around 10:00 on both days. There will be a variety of other outdoor activities starting at 08:00 on both days (canyoning, hiking, via ferrata, cycling, yoga, slackline) plus an archival photo exhibit about two pioneers of Greek climbing at the old Fili City Hall. Some new crags in the area will also be introduced during the festival. Saturday night’s highlights include the film Meru and a crag party under the stars.

For climbers visiting from out of town there will be a special camping area with tents near the cliffs. Helmets are mandatory for climbing during the festival.

For more info see the festival’s Facebook page, the EPOS Filis website and the video from last year’s EPOS Filis Climbing Festival.

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Though summer is still in the air in our little corner of Europe, it’s a good time to start thinking about autumn and winter climbing in Greece. In the next months we will have news about new crags in Kyparissi, but before that, we will be in gorgeous Leonidio for the 1st Leonidio Climbing Festival on 10-13 November, 2016, featuring climbers Sachi Amma, Claude Remy, and possibly Angy Eiter. Leonidio is on the southeast coast of Greece, and it is hands-down one of the best winter climbing destinations in Europe. It now features more than 800 sport routes, some of which were rebolted earlier this year, amidst stunning mountain and sea backdrops. More info about the Leonidio Climbing Festival plus a detailed list of rebolted routes below.

Leonidio Climbing Festival, 10-13 November 2016

The first official climbing festival in Leonidio is organized by the local authorities, i.e. the Municipality of South Kynouria and the Region of Peloponnese. Sachi Amma and Claude Remy will be there, and we are waiting to hear if Angy Eiter will attend also. Here’s the festival program:

***
 
Thursday, November 10th

17:00–22:00 Welcome, registration, and handout of informational materials

Friday, November 11th
08:00-09:00 Yoga
09:00-10:00 Coffee break
10:00 Walking/hiking in some of the greatest traditional paths of the Leonidio area
18:00 Pilates matwork – Zumba
19:00 Traditional music and dance
19:30 Dinner buffet with local delicacies and wine
20:30 Presentation by Claude Remy
21:30 Film projection

Saturday, November 12th
07:30 – 08:30 Yoga
08:30 – 09:00 Coffee break
09:00 Climbing Marathon or free climbing / Award Ceremony for Climbing Marathon winners and the festival’s special guests at the “Fabbrica Culture”Conference Center
20:30 Greeting from local authorities / Presentations by Aris Theodoropoulos and famous climbers
21:30 Party with live music, drinks and snacks

Sunday, November 13th

08:00 -09:00 Yoga
09:00 – 10:00 Coffee break
10:00 Watch a special guest trying some very hard tricks!

 
***

Route rebolting in Leonidio, spring 2016

 
In spring of 2016 the Municipality of South Kynouria funded a the rebolting of selected routes across various sectors. The focus was mainly on very popular routes with a lot of ascents, or on routes of great quality and location which are rarely climbed because of poor bolting. The priority was to correct routes with bad placement of the first two or three bolts, where the risk of hitting the deck in case of a fall was imminent. Several bad-quality lower-offs were also replaced. The drill work was done by climbers George Kopalides, Yiannis Torelli and Simon Montmory under the supervision of mountain guide Aris Theodoropoulos.
Furthermore, many missing route names at popular sectors were marked discreetly in blue.
 

At sector Elona, one of Leonidio’s star crags, three new routes were added:
 

Kopakabana 7c 30m (G. Kopalides, S. Montmory)
 

Kopakabana Ext 8b 37m (Y. Torelli)
 

Kneebaropoulos 7a 30m (A Theodoropoulos, G. Kopalides)

We hope this contributes to the safety of the routes in Leonidio, one of the most beautiful parts of Greece still brimming with potential.

Here’s a list of rebolted routes by sector:
 

ELONA
Diet dope 7b (2 bolts)
Goliath 1st part. 7c+ (1 bolt + lower-off)
Goliath 8b (lower-off)
Eisvoleas 7c (lower-off)
On the edge ? (lower-off)
Free Fall ? (12 bolts + 2 lower-offs)
Jolly Jump 8a+ (lower-off)
Jolly Jump extension ? (3 bolts + lower-off)
Paranyhida ? (3 lower-offs + 8 bolts)
Lolly Pope 7a+ (10 bolts + lower-off)

LA MAISON DES CHÈVRES
Three Billy Goats Gruff 8b (lower-off)
La Chèvre de Mr Seguin 8a (lower-off)
Pan 7c (lower-off)
Amalthée 7c (lower-off)
Capricorn 9a (lower-off)
Pantysgawn 8c? (lower-off)
Popo 8a (lower-off)
Xmas 7c (4 bolts)

ADRSPACH WALL
Řecký Bonzák 6b (2 bolts + lower-off)
Mythos 7a (lower-off)
Vino Tinto 7a+ (lower-off)
Orange Express 6c+ (6 bolts + lower-off)
Adršpach Party 7b (3 bolts+ lower-off)
Yellow Submarine 7a  (2 bolts)
Ahoi 8a  (2 bolts + lower-off)
99 Bolts 6b  (lower-off)
Rolling Stone ?  (lower-off)

LIMERI
Acrovatis 7c+ (3 bolts)
Paraplanisi 7c+ (2 bolts)
Clika 7c+ (2 bolts)
Reclama 7c? (1 bolt)
Symmoria ? (1 bolt)
Kaour Ekokiate 7a+ (5 bolts)

HADA
Tamburlo Project (lower-off)
Gastone Duck 6c (3 bolts)
Dida 7a+/b (5 bolts)
La Moya 7b (1 bolt)

SAINT NICHOLAS SINTZA
Kopsi tou Stavrou ? (14 bolts +1 intermediate lower-off)
Taraxippus 6b+ (13 bolts + lower-off)
Je M’en Fous 6c (10 bolts)
Leptospirosis 7c (8 bolts + lower-off)
Archgoat 7a (13 bolts)
Apo Michanis Theos (10 bolts)
Kaour Ekokiate 7b (9 bolts + lower-off)
Κrampus 8a (5 bolts)
Folling stones ? (5 bolts + lower-off)

MIKRI SINTZA
Kadmos 8a? (2 bolts)
Gripas 7c+ (5 bolts + lower-off)
Buru – Buru 7c (5 bolts + lower-off)

TWIN CAVES
Vromika Myala 7a+ (4 bolts)
Fata Morgana 7c+ (1 bolt)

BALCONY
Kanena “FA” ya ton Mikro Ext 7c (2 bolts)
Colonize 7b+/c (2 bolts)
Vaskina Highway 7a+ (4 bolts)
Epistegasma 7a (1 bolt)
Anemodouri 7b+  (2 bolts)
Soap Opera 7c?  (2 bolts)
Additionally, 15 bolts and a fixed rope were installed for the safety of climbers on the exposed balcony at the base of the routes.

MAD WALL
Paparouna 6b (3 bolts)
Kolotouba 6b (2 bolts)
Happy time 6a (2 bolts)
B2 6b+ (7 bolts)
Aerostato 6b (2 bolts)
Koukoutsi 6a (1 bolt)

MARS
Snickers 7b+ (2 bolts + lower-off)
Humidity Lesson 7c+ (lower-off)
Speckschüttel Dyno 7c+ (lower-off)
Boubouki 6b+ (3 bolts)
Boubouki Ext 7a+ (lower-off)
Pontiki sto Tiri 6b+ (4 bolts)
Pontiki sto Tiri Ext 7b (lower-off)
Spaceman Spiff 6c (lower-off)
Spaceman Spiff Ext 7b (lower-off)
Mystère et Boule de Gomme 6c+ (lower-off + 2 bolts)
Mystère et Boule de Gomme Ext 7b+ (lower-off)
Chuck Notis 7a+ (1 bolt)
Chuck Notis Extension 7c (lower-off)
Chuck Notis Extension #2 8a (lower-off)
Lost in Space 7c+ (8 bolts + 2 lower-offs)
Oeil de biche 7c+ (lower-off)
Oeil de boeuf 8a (lower-off)

The post Leonidio Climbing Festival (November 10-13, 2016) and list of rebolted routes appeared first on Climb Greece.

We are just back from beautiful Kyparissi, where we spent a good part of September continuing to work on the Climb Kyparissi project. This project, which started in 2015, is co-funded by the Municipality of Monemvasia and funds by two local benefactors administered by the Bodossaki Foundation. The Kyparissi project started in spring 2015; to date there are nine sectors across the wider area featuring nearly 200 routes. This year, three new sectors were created: Playground, with 12 easy routes on ultra-compact grey rock in a setting perfect for families and new climbers; Kapsala, featuring 25 routes, including a 5-pitch 6b route and some great harder climbs on red rock with prominent features, big holds and stalactites just above the sea; and this year’s pièce de résistance, sector Vlychada: a dream beachside crag 45 minutes south of Kyparissi, featuring 15 routes from 5c to 7b on excellent grey and featured red limestone with pockets and tufas.

Once again, a big Thank You to everybody who worked hard in making the Kyparissi project happen:

The Municipality of Monemvasia and its very active deputy mayor, Mr Panayiotis Traiforos; the Bodossaki Foundation; climbers Claude and Christine Remy, Yiannis Torelli, Claude Idoux, Dimitris Titopoulos, George Kopalides, Angy Eiter and Bernie Ruech; and the local residents and business owners of Kyparissi who continue to support the project and the equippers involved.

Free mini-topo of Kyparissi
 

For the next month or two, we are making the updated topo of Kyparissi available to download for free. It includes all routes equipped in Kyparissi through October 2016. Names are written on the cliff at the start of most routes, so they are easy to find. When routes are brand-new, as they are in Kyparissi, grades have yet to be confirmed and the use of helmets is strongly recommended.
 
The free Kyparissi topo will be available online for a limited time, i.e. until the new edition of the Greece guidebook is published later this year. So download your copy now and go experience Kyparissi for yourself! As always, we appreciate your taking the time to send us your grade suggestions and other feedback.
 
Kyparissi Topo 2016
 

The post Kyparissi: New routes and an updated free topo appeared first on Climb Greece.

Sector Frygani (FREE-ga-ni) is the latest development in Peloponnese climbing. A long limestone face with conglomerate features, it is located less than 1,5 hours west of Athens, on the eastern foot of Mount Ziria and near the mythical Lake Stymphalia plateau. Sector Frygani consists of two cliffs: the main crag, featuring about 40 routes, and a smaller sector named Mylos, which is just down the road on the opposite side, featuring 10 more harder routes. All routes are fully bolted with stainless steel bolts, hangers, and clippable lower-offs. With an emphasis on easy and mid-grades, routes have been densely bolted to allow climbers to climb safely and to encourage lead climbing and onsight attempts.
 

Sector Frygani is only 120 fast kilometers from Athens via motorway, so it is a perfect spot to start or end your Peloponnese climbing tour, as well as an ideal spot for a weekend getaway. The rural setting around Frygani is idyllic, the rolling hills covered in vineyards, deep earthy colors and low vegetation. The nearest village, Kefalari, is only 2km away and it doubles as a quiet retreat, with a couple of cozy guesthouses in beautifully restored stone buildings and some no-frills tavernas.
 

In its previous life in the 1980s, the Frygani cliff was used as a trad multi-pitch crag with a total of 12 routes. (Aris has a special connection with Frygani: He grew up in the nearby town of Xylokastro, and Frygani was one of the few places where he and his friends could practice climbing; it was their adventure playground, so to speak.) As a matter of fact, Frygani was the venue for one of the first climbing meets in Greece (1986), with the participation of nearly 40 climbers, a sizeable number for Greece at the time. Sadly, the crag was abandoned in the decades that followed, though the old trad routes are still there. Some info in Greek about the old routes can be found here. Please remember, though, that the old pitons and slings have been exposed to the elements for thirty years: they are in terrible condition and the vegetation has taken over.
 

Our future plans do include maintenance on some of the long 150m trad routes and, hopefully, some new long multi-pitches. Stay tuned.
 

The Rebirth of Sector Frygani
 

In early 2016, we were contacted by the lovely folks at Experience Corinthia with questions about the potential of developing climbing tourism in the mountains of Corinth. A Q+A meeting between Aris and local individuals and business owners ensued at the Environment Museum of Stymphalia. The local community responded warmly; so warmly, in fact, that they struck while the iron was hot: in a matter of weeks, an ingenious business owner from Kefalari village set up an “adopt-a-route” crowdfunding campaign to get the Frygani project off the ground, in a display of efficiency and community spirit that we have rarely seen in Greece. People were encouraged to fund one or more new routes, and in return they got to name their “adopted” routes (in case you wondered about some of the names, now you know). So successful was this outreach effort that several individuals or small business owners with no immediate benefit were compelled to contribute to the Frygani project. In the words of one such individual, “this is the kind of thing I’d like to see more of in Greece. It’s our only way forward”.
 
More about the “adopt-a-route” campaign in the “Acknowledgements” section below.
 

Accommodation
 

Though most Athens-based climbers will probably make a day trip out of Frygani, the number of routes and things to see in the area definitely warrant a weekend stay. Kefalari, the nearest village at a mere 2km away, is quiet and unpretentious, with some great little boutique hotels and the refuge of EOF (an association of hikers and physiophilists) for large groups. Nearby villages Kryoneri and Kalliani and the neighboring Feneos (about 30km), as well as the seaside towns Vrahati and Xylokastro also feature accommodation options for all budgets.

 
Rest Day Activities and Points of Interest
 

Lake Stymphalia: An important bird habitat with a very special museum, the Environment Museum of Stymphalia. Quoting from the museum’s website, “Stymphalia belongs to the European Network of Protected Areas NATURA 2000. Lake Stymphalia and Mount Zireia are of great ecological value. They communicate through underground, as well as visible water routes, defining the aquatic basin of Stymphalia, the largest mountain lake of the Peloponnese. It also constitutes the southernmost mountain wetland of the Balkans, with rich flora and fauna.” And if you get hungry, the roast suckling pig served at the tavernas of Stymphalia is almost as legendary as the Stymphalian Birds.
 

Nemea: The valley of Nemea is the biggest wine-producing region in Greece and home of the Agiorgitiko grape variety. You can visit many of the large and small wineries in Nemea to taste and buy some exceptional (and vastly underrated) Greek wines. There are also good wineries in the villages Lalioti and Asprokampos.

 
Feneos: A big plateau between two verdant mountains, Ziria and Helmos, surrounded by nine beautiful stone-built villages. Don’t miss the stunning Lake Doxa, a dreamy setting in the shadow of Mount Dourdouvana.
 
 

Lake Doxa (John Koullias)

Xylokastro: A seaside resort town. The highlight of Xylokastro is Pefkias, an impressive pine forest along the beach, with dirt trails ideal for walking or running before or after a swim in the diaphanous waters of the Corinthian Gulf.
 

Ancient Corinth: The ruins of one of the major powers in antiquity, the city-state of Korinthos, and the 6th century BC Temple of Apollo sit atop a limestone hill with incredible views. Seven of the temple’s thirty-eight columns are still standing.
 
 
Acknowledgments
 
The Frygani project would not have been possible without the help and generosity of an outstanding group of people. Special thanks to everyone at Experience Corinthia for initiating the project; to Mrs. Mina Malakou for being the best, most resourceful fundraiser; to the Sikyona Municipality and the Environment Museum of Stymphalia for their unwavering support; and to 3some Ceramics for the beautiful name plaques. We hope the Frygani project inspires more communities in Greece to come together, and if you do climb in Frygani and visit some of the businesses below, mentioning that you are here to climb will give them great pleasure.
 
 

George Kopalides expertly crimping his way up “Corinthia Hotel Association” 6c+ (Aris Theodoropoulos/Climb Greece)

Archontiko Kefalari Hotel
Alkyon Resort Hotel & Spa
Armonia Boutique Hotel
Siagas Beach Hotel
Alexiou Hotel
Astra Hotel
Daphne’s Club Hotel Apartments
Efharis Filoxenon Hotel
Hostel Elisson
Pleiades Studios
Kastania Rooms
 

Zafiropoulos restaurant / Tel. +30 27470 22221
Gefsi & Oenos restaurant / Tel. +30 27470 22185
Magas restaurant / Tel. +30 27470 22280
To Steki restaurant / Tel. +30 27470 61297
Pigolampida Cafe
Velina restaurant / Tel. +30 27420 71132
To Hani tou Miltiadi restaurant / Tel. +30 27420 71426
 

Katogi Strofilia wines
Ladolea Greek premium organic olive oils
Stymfalia cheese and dairy products
Zireia natural spring water
 

Sikyona Municipality
Corinthia Hotel Association
Nemea Winemakers’ Association
Filoxenia Intercultural-Environmental Organization
In the Shadow of Dourdouvana cooperative
Tourix Tourism & Hospitality Management
 
 

Climbing in Frygani
(ROUTES / Printable version)
 

Sector Frygani was equipped in September/October 2016 by the following group of friends: Dimitris Titopoulos, Dimitra Klaoudatou, Claude Idoux, George Kopalides and Aris Theodoropoulos. Most routes were equipped by the inexhaustible Dimitris/Dimitra duo, whose track record includes dozens of well-bolted and thoroughly cleaned routes in Greece including, most recently, in Kyparissi; Claude travelled here especially from Kalymnos to bolt and clean some additional routes; George Kopa was a rockstar as usual as he cleaned and added finishing touches to the routes, including with a leaf blower; and Aris implemented and oversaw the project while working on a variety of bolting and cleaning tasks as needed.

Bolting: The equippers of sector Frygani all share the philosophy that sport routes should be equipped in a safe and encouraging manner; the majority of climbers should be able to climb without risking ground falls or other preventable injuries, and rock must be cleaned of vegetation, loose rock and edges so sharp that they discourage climbers from coming back. Sector Frygani has been equipped accordingly. It is ideal for new climbers, families, and as a training crag (especially for practicing good footwork technique). For experienced climbers, there are several challenging and beautiful harder routes. For those climbers itching to complain that routes are “tourist-style”, “overly-bolted” or “not real climbing”, we are happy to recommend plenty of runout crags or big faces in the Greek mountains for real climbing, with no extra bolts cramping their style.

Climbing: Frygani is a large limestone and conglomerate vertical wall. It is similar to the legendary Meteora cliffs but, in fact, the rock is significantly more solid and with features in abundance (pockets, holes and flakes). Another important difference: the bolting in Frygani is much denser! Climbing is technical, balancy and varied. All names are written at the base of the routes.

Conditions: Good for year-round climbing. In winter, climb here in the morning. In spring, fall and summer, if it is sunny and hotter than 20C make sure you are in the shade.

Shade: After 15:30 at the main cliff of Frygani. Until 13:30 at sector Mylos.

Exposure: E (Frygani), W (Mylos)

Gear: 60m rope (80m for the extensions); 12 QDs (routes up to 20m), 16 QDs (up to 30m), 22 QDs (up to 40m).

Kids: Frygani is one of the best crags for kids, with minimal walking and some child-friendly terrain nearby. In contrast, Mylos is not very good for kids, as it is rather steep.

Approach: From Athens, take the motorway in the direction of Corinth then Patra. Exit towards Kiato (exit #15) and drive south towards Stymphalia for another 23km. Pass the intersection to Klimenti and Kaisari villages. The main cliff, Frygani, will be further down on the right-hand side of the road. Park on the lane off to the side and walk up the cairn-marked path for 3 minutes. Sector Mylos is a bit further down the road on the other side. Continue past the intersection to Kefalari village, then turn left and drive up to the stone building (the old renovated mill) with the cliff above it. Park next to the building. Walk up the dirt road and path for about 3 minutes. You will come to the right side of the setor. To go to the left side (grey slab), walk along the base of the cliff up and to the left for another 5 minutes.

 
 
Routes

(Printable version)
 

 
Frygani (main cliff) 37.931712, 22.533892

 
1 In the Shadow of Dourdouvana 3* 5c+ 35m
2 Kataigida 3* 5c 25m
3 Sikyona Municipality 3* 6a+ 30m
4 Sikyona Municipality Ext. 2* 6b 40m
5 Kiato 2* 5b 20m
6 Vrohi 2* 5b+ 20m
7 Katogi Strofilia 3* 5c 20m
8 Daphne’s Club 3* 6a 20m
9 Mina 3* 6b 20m
10 Armonia ♪ 6a+ 23m
11 Arxontiko Kefalari ♪ 6b+ 25m
12 Arxontiko Kefalari Ext. 2* 6c 35m
13 Papidoux 2* 6c 27m
14 Ladolea ♪ 6b+ 30m
15 Nemea Wineland 2* 6b 30m
16 Filoxenia 2* 6a+ 30m
17 Alkyon Resort 3* 6b+ 25m
18 Alkyon Resort Ext. 3* 6b+ 40m
19 Stymphalia 3* 6c 20m
20 Corinthia Hotel Association 3* 6c+ 20m
21 Tourix 3* 6b+ 20m
22 Efharis Filoxenon 3* 6a 16m
23 Pliades-Patriko 3* 5b+ 20m
24 Xani Miltiadi 3* 5b+ 20m
25 Zafiropoulos 3* 5b 18m
26 Alexiou 3* 5a+ 18m
27 Velina 3* 7a 20m
28 Elisson 3* 6c+ 20m
29 Astra 3* 7b+ 20μ
30 Pigolampida 3* 7α+ 20μ
31 Feneos 3* 7a 20m
32 Steki 3* 6c+ 20m
33 Melpomeni 3* 6b+ 20m
34 Kastania 3* 6b 20m
35 Siagas Beach 3* 6c+ 20m
36 Polymnia 2* 6a+ 20m
37 Evaggelia 2* 6a 23m
38 Natural Mineral Water Zireia 2* 6a+ 28m

Mylos (sub-sector) 37.914493, 22.530868

 
39 Kaliani 2* 6c 20m
40 Alkyon 2* 5c 20m
41 Stymphalia Traditional Dairy 2* 6a 20m
42 Gefsi & Oenos 2* 5a 20m
43 Magas 3* 7a+ 22m
44 Elena ♪ 7b+ 25m
45 Arxontiko Kefalari 1880 3* 6a 20m
46 Pagos 3* 6c+ 25m
47 Armonia Boutique 3* 7b 22m
48 Ydor 3* 7b 22m

The post Frygani, a new crag in Peloponnese for year-round climbing appeared first on Climb Greece.

Slowly but surely, climbing in Greece has gained traction. After years of just Kalymnos or Meteora, dozens of other beautiful Greek cliffs with immense potential are finally being developed, with increasing emphasis on safe bolting practices. Furthermore, the relatively easy access, adequate infrastructure, stunning surroundings, and, more often than not, variety of grades, have made Greece an up-and-coming climbing destination for climbers of all levels. As a result of this momentum, three new guidebooks were published in Greece this year alone. The 2nd edition of our very own Greece Sport Climbing guidebook–a project years in the making–is complemented by two smaller new topos: the Meteora and Theopetra Sport Climbing Guide, by Vangelis Batsios, and Argolis: Rock, Sea, Sun, by Hans & Jeannette Weninger.

Here’s a look inside each guidebook.

——

1. GREECE SPORT CLIMBING: THE BEST OF

By Aris Theodoropoulos & Katie Roussou, May 2017

The 2nd edition of the Greece guidebook, which features our roundup of the best crags for sport climbing in the country, was published a little over two years after the (pleasantly surprising) success of the 1st edition. A lot of climbing development has happened in the interim, hence the guidebook has been significantly revised and expanded.

• Where to buy:

Online or at one of the following locations:

Athens
Alpamayo Pro
The Wall
Rockway
Polo
Varasova
Captain Del Mare
Leonidio
Rodomelo
Walk for Fun
Kalymnos
Wild Sport
Kalymnos Adventure Center

• How do the two guidebooks compare (1st edition vs. 2nd edition)?

2014 (1st edition)
Pages: 320
App Guide included: No
Routes: Approximately 1700 sport routes

 

Contents

 

CENTRAL GREECE
Meteora
Pyli Little Gorge
Mouzaki
Almyros

 

 

ATHENS AREA
Hasia Cave
Acharneis
Mikri Varasova
Mavrosouvala
Sesi
Vrachokipos
Lelaki
Chaos

 

PATRAS AREA
Chatzouri
Alepochori
Spartia
Varasova
Kleisoura

 

 

 

OTHER PELOPONNESE CRAGS
Nafplio
Leonidio (272 routes)
Kyparissi (25 routes)
Zobolo
Lagada
Nedousa
Kardamyli

 

 

 

AEGEAN ISLANDS
Anafi
Symi

 

CRETE
Voulismeno Aloni
Plakias
Tersanas Cave

NEW: 2017 (2nd edition)
Pages: 435
App Guide included: Yes
Routes: Approximately 2600 sport routes, plus dozens of multi-pitches

 

Contents

 

CENTRAL / NORTHWEST GREECE
Meteora (+ 2 new routes)
Pyli Little Gorge (revised + new routes)
Mouzaki (revised + new routes)
Almyros
Kipoi (new addition)

 

ATHENS AREA
Hasia Cave
Acharneis
Mikri Varasova
Mavrosouvala
Sesi
Vrachokipos
Lelaki (revised)
Chaos

 

PATRAS AREA
Chatzouri (revised)
Alepochori (revised + new routes)
Spartia (revised)
Kalogria (new addition)
Varasova
Kleisoura (revised + new routes)
Mytikas (new addition)

 

OTHER PELOPONNESE CRAGS
Frygani (new addition)
Nafplio (expanded to include new crags Anatoli and Palamidi)
Leonidio (revised and expanded to 700 routes)
Kyparissi (revised and expanded to more than 200 routes)
Zobolo (revised + new routes)
Lagada (revised + new routes)
Nedousa
Kardamyli

 

AEGEAN ISLANDS
Anafi
Symi

 

CRETE
Voulismeno Aloni
Plakias (expanded to include new sub-sector Kalypso)
Tersanas Cave

——
2. METEORA AND THEOPETRA SPORT CLIMBING GUIDE
By Vangelis Batsios, May 2017

A small practical guide by Vangelis Batsios, a climber born and raised in Meteora who, literally, knows each rock by name. Says Vangelis: “Because sport climbing has become increasingly popular in recent years, it helped me decide to create a guidebook for just the sport routes in Meteora and Theopetra (a cliff only 10km outside Meteora, with good quality limestone). The book was ready in late May 2017, after two years’ worth of work. The guidebook includes 118 select sport routes from Meteora and 131 routes from Theopetra. 2.00 EUR from the sale of each guidebook will be set aside for bolts and route maintenance.”

• Where to buy: Only in Meteora at the moment.

——
3. ARGOLIS: SEA, ROCK, SUN
By Hans & Jeannette Weninger, Sept 2017

This is a bilingual (English/German) climbing and travel guide to Argolis in Eastern Peloponnese. According to the publishers: “The peninsula of Argolis offers varied landscapes, all kinds of cultural highlights, great beaches and, of course, climbing areas that can hardly be more different. The book describes both, climbing and tourism. Two hours south of Athens one will find the peninsula Argolis with its climbing crags. It is on the way to Leonidio for those traveling southbound. Most of the areas are at the sea or not far from it. Even though there are enough hard routes the focus is on the moderate and lower grades making this part of the country the perfect family destination. The book describes therefore the suitability of the approach as well as the base of the cliff for little children. In this guide one will also find an attractive area near Athens and a whole new one at Corinth. We have included these climbing areas, because they are en-route, so to speak. 240 pages, full color, photo topos, detailed maps and descriptions, comics of Enrico Dudek (Enni).”

The Argolis guidebook includes the following sectors:
• Nafplio (Promenade, Palamidi, Anatoli, Katakrimeni)
• Vivari
• Ortholithi
• Didima (Didima Hinterland, Rock of Ages, Flower Power, Goat)
• Frachti
• Katafiki
• Pillars of the Wind
• Thermissia
• Methana
• Corinth: Frygani (Bonus Area), Mylos (Bonus Area)
• Athens (Spilia Daveli – Bonus Area)
• Where to buy: Online

If you have not been to Kyparissi yet, this is your chance: the extraordinary cliffs, exemplary hospitality, and intimate beauty of this little gem of a village in the southeast Peloponnese are ready to be experienced—or re-experienced—during its 2nd climbing festival over the weekend of May 10-12th, 2019.
 
Even though Kyparissi is surrounded by beautiful cliffs, it didn’t break into the climbing scene until fairly recently. Some routes had been bolted previously at sector Watermill, but methodical equipping of well-bolted routes and crags started in 2015, thanks to the Climb Kyparissi project under the supervision of our own Aris Theodoropoulos.
 
Soon thereafter, the 1st Kyparissi Climbing Festival—featuring the inimitable Angela Eiter, the first unofficial ambassador of Kyparissi—helped introduce it to the global climbing community. A host of other well-known climbers now make regular climbing/bolting pilgrimages, mostly to sector Babala, including (but not limited to) Charlotte Durif, Josh Larson, Yann Ghesquiers, and an outstanding French team of climbers and equippers from French Federation of Mountaineering and Climbing, to name a few. (Charlotte Durif and Yann Ghesquiers will be this festival’s special guests.) Meanwhile, the Climb Kyparissi bolting project is still underway, adding select new well-bolted routes and crags around Kyparissi.
 
The best seasons for climbing in Kyparissi are spring and autumn, so the festival is perfectly timed in early May. Flights to Athens are still at below-peak prices, and Kyparissi is a scenic four-hour drive to the south.
 

Charlotte Durif
 
Charlotte Durif is an eleven-time winner of the French Climbing Championship, one-time winner of the European Climbing Championship, and five-time winner of the IFSC World Championships. She has also climbed hundreds of grade 8 routes, including one 8c onsight and twenty-four 8c redpoints. Her hardest climb to date is “PPP” 9a in Verdon. Kyparissi was a coup de foudre for Charlotte, who has bolted and climbed new routes in sectors Babala and Watermill. See Charlotte and her partner Josh Larson in the short film Destination Kyparissi below.
 

 
Yann Ghesquiers
 
Yann Ghesquiers is a French Mountain Guide and one of the most prolific climbers from his country, with five 9as under his belt, a plethora of grade 8 climbs, and the equipping of numerous new routes. Yann who as committed to mountain rescue as he is to sport route setting, was one of the first big Kyparissi fans, and he has added several amazing hard routes at sector Babala.
 

Festival Registration
 

Online registration has opened, and we encourage you to register early to secure your festival t-shirt. Find the registration forms here. The festival’s registration desk and info point will be at the hospitable seafront terrace of Cavo Kortia hotel at the north edge of the village.

Festival Schedule
 

Day One: Friday, May 10th
 

Cavo Kortia Hotel, 17:00—22:00
 

– Festival registration
– Festival topo and Climbing Marathon info handouts
– Festival t-shirts
 

Day Two: Saturday, May 11th
 

– 09:00—17:00: Free climbing; Climbing Marathon
– 19:00: Gathering at Cavo Kortia
– Climbing Marathon results and awards
– Presentations by special guests Charlotte Durif and Yann Ghesquiers
– Local authorities’ welcome address
– Fantastic free buffet dinner!
 

Day Three: Sunday, May 12th
 

– Free climbing, or come see Charlotte Durif and Yann Ghesquiers trying to send some incredibly difficult projects!

Climbing Marathon
 

The Climbing Marathon will be on Saturday, May 11th, from 09:00 until 17:00. Each climbing party participating will choose one of two categories:
 

– Category 1: Routes up to (and including) 6c+.
 

– Category 2: Routes from 7a and up.
 

Each route climbed freely earns a designated number of points depending on grade. For example, a 6a route earns 1000 points for each climber; a 7a earns 2000 points; and so on. The climbing parties to climb the most routes and/or earn the highest number of points will be awarded unique prizes courtesy of the festival’s sponsors and local businesses.
 

Routes
 

Kyparissi has about 300 sport routes to date among 10 beautiful crags; some have morning shade, others afternoon shade.
 

Festival Topo
 

A free list of all routes will be handed out to all participants during the festival and will include all routes, even last-minute additions.

Hiking
 

For your non-climbing friends or partners or for your own rest day, know that Kyparissi has very pretty marked trails on Mt Hionovouni with incredible deep blue views of the Myrtoan Sea.

Accommodation

Kyparissi has many accommodation options for all budgets, starting at about €30 per day. Because the village is small, though, the sooner you book the better.
 

Alkyoni
Atalanti
Avra
Cavo Kortia
Helioti
Iliolousta
Kyfanta
Kyparissi rooms
Paraliako
Mouragio
Myrtoo
Ploes

 
Houses for rent
Kyparissi
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/24350385
https://www.airbnb.gr/rooms/31608624?s=51
https://www.airbnb.gr/rooms/19582766?s=51
https://www.airbnb.gr/rooms/29482500?s=51
https://www.airbnb.gr/rooms/29645451?s=51
https://www.airbnb.gr/rooms/10209014?s=51
https://www.airbnb.gr/rooms/15247284?s=51

Richea

https://www.airbnb.gr/rooms/21353577?s=51

https://www.airbnb.gr/rooms/19937484?s=51

Charakas

https://www.airbnb.gr/rooms/16566452?s=51

Ag. Dimitrios

https://www.airbnb.gr/rooms/19166062?s=51

Kremasti

https://www.airbnb.gr/rooms/687487?s=51

Getting to Kyparissi
 

You can read all the details here, but in a nutshell:
 

– GPS coordinates: 36.972558, 22.990644
 

– Distance from Athens: 300 km
 

– Driving time from Athens: About four hours
 

The quickest way to drive is: Athens >> Sparti (or Sparta) >> Geraki >> Aghios Dimitrios >> Harakas >> Kyparissi.

 
This year’s festival brought to you by:
 

The Municipality of Monemvasia
The Local Community of Zarakas
The Bodossaki Foundation
The G. Kellis Legacy Fund
climbgreece.com