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| Climbing on Kalymnos, Greece |
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| by Nicholas Hobley |
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Rock climbing on Kalymnos is simply a dream come true! Awesome limestone crags, stunning routes, a relaxed holiday atmosphere, the warm Aegean sea to dip into after a hard day on the rocks, legendary Greek hospitality and cuisine... the list is seemingly endless and if you haven't been there yet then you really must!
Climbing on Kalymnos began as late as 1997, when the Italian Andrea di Bari established the first routes after having discovered the potential (still largely untouched) a year previously. Up until then the rocky outcrops were held in low esteem by the island inhabitants, who describe the present climbing boom of the island as follows: "When God made the earth he threw only rocks in the direction of Kalymnos. It is difficult to believe that what we previously considered a curse could become a blessing..." The local population quickly geared its tourist activities around the climber's needs and in high season the small village of Masouri on the western shores literally transforms into an international climbing mecca.
The current guidebook by Aris Theodoropoulos lists over 850 routes, the majority of which are in the mid-grade range (400+ are graded in the 6a-6c region) although some cutting edge lines now wind their way through the immense overhangs. Arhi, Grande Grotta, Odyssey, Spartacus, Panorama... these are all outstanding 3 star sectors that render the sports climbing on this island unique.
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