New crag at Anavra in Greece

A few years ago, after having discovered and bolted many crags in the Othris Mountains, I started looking for something that could be described as the most beautiful crag in central Greece. After months of research and asking, going from one village to the next, we finally succeeded! This cliff has it all! Excellent quality limestone, up to 80m in height, 3 small caves, overhangs, vertical sections, slabs, cracks... just about anything! The most important thing however is that you can climb almost all year round, as the crag is also partially in the shade even in summer. And what's more... it's like a lost island, invisible, hidden!

After the discovery we set to work, improving the trail, transporting gear... and bolting! At present we have only bolted the first 5 routes, 2 of which are very hard and uncompleted, while the other 3 range from 6b and 6c+. But I've promised myself to return soon to this great cliff which, when fully developed, might host up to 200 routes!

To get there depart from the city of Almyros, after 40km reach the village of Anavra. Follow the dirt road towards "Castle Mortzia" and after 8km reach a point where you can park the car. But be careful, the last 500m are extremely rough and only feasible with an 4 x 4. From here you can catch a glimpse of the cliff below; a path leads down in 30 minutes to the crag and the river, where you can camp. The GPS coordinates are as follows: N 39.1214708582, 22.5272784525 E

Chris Boukoros

03/05/2011 - Rock climbing in Thessalia, Greece