Crème Brutalée mixed climb added to Mt. Astraka in Greece by Stefanos Karantinakis, Spyros Kyriakou

The north face of Astraka hosts some of the most significant winter climbs in Greece, but new routes are rarely opened there due to the very specific conditions required. To the best of our knowledge, this may be the first new route opened on this face in approximately 19 years. The first 60 meters follow the same entry as the route Crème Caramelée, then it moves left to follow a natural line of alpine ice smears, mixed terrain and snow ramps leading to the summit ridge. Just before reaching this, it briefly joins the summer route Triestinon for a few meters, while the final exit to the summit ridge follows the line of Demokratia Couloir. The total length of the climb is about 550 meters, of which approximately 350 meters are on completely new terrain.

We believe our Crème Brutalée is a route with a strong alpine character. Much of the difficulty lies not only in the technical climbing but also in the mental aspect, due to the limited protection in some sections of the lower wall. The first half of the climb requires patience and careful gear placements on thin ice and mixed terrain, while the upper part becomes more flowing, offering enjoyable climbing on good alpine ice and an exposed ridge finish leading to the summit of Astraka.

Astraka is one of the most impressive limestone peaks of the Tymfi massif, located in the Pindus mountain range in northwestern Greece. The north face of Astraka (2436m) rises above the Astraka refuge and forms a large alpine wall with some couloirs, mixed lines and ice smears that form during cold winters.

The Pindus range is the main mountain chain of mainland Greece, often referred to as the “spine of Greece.” It stretches from northern Greece down towards the south and includes many alpine-style limestone massifs. Despite their relatively modest altitude compared to the Alps, these mountains can offer serious winter climbing due to their steep terrain and rapidly changing weather conditions.

The Tymfi massif in particular is one of the most important alpine areas in Greece with big north walls such as Tsouka Rossa, Gamila 1, Goura, Astraka etc. For more information about climbing in this area, check out americanalpineclub.org

- Spyros Kyriakou, Athens, Greece