Rock climbing in Thessalia, Greece

If you speak to climbers about Greece, the first thing that speaks to mind are the its beaches, the sun, limestone crags and naturally Kalymnos. While this island is certainly an ideal holiday destination, it's certainly not the only one which can provide excitement, because in the last few years there's been an enormous and sudden development of new crags everywhere, not only at Kalymnos but on the entire Greek peninsula.

This idea is aimed at exploring Magnesia, one of the most beautiful areas in Thessalia, in the heart of Greece. Other than two important mountains, Pelion located immediately above Volos and Othris, one of the highest mountains close to Almyros, there are numerous other interesting crags. At present there are over 250 sport routes in the area and a number of different crags, the most interesting being Kofi, Anavra, Paou.

Crag Number of routes Grade Beauty Kofi 30 5c - 8c+ *** Kofi is probably the crag with the highest number of difficult routes in Central Greece. Divided into two sectors, the sector Penthouse presented here has circa 30 routes of all grades and various projects through its steep overhang. Anavra 52 5c- 8b *** Great little crag 35m high, split into two sectors with numerous sport and trad climbs. When the sun hits the face you can visit one of the nearby caves and check out the projects or go to Sector C, 3km away towards Anavra. This red limestone sector springs into view on the right and a dirt track leads almost all the way to the base. 70m high, it hosts some beautiful 30m single pitch climbs which combine technique, power and balance. Sector C faces south and if you avoid the hottest hours of the day, climbing is possible here all year round. Paou 54 5b - 8b *** There are more than 150 sport climbs in the Peillon area and numerous small crags dotted along the entire mountain, but Paou Cave close to Argalasti is certainly the most popular at the moment as it combines excellent climbing and fantastic summer swimming.

HOW TO REACH MAGNESIA
The Magnesia region is located in central Greece, circa 250km from Athens and 150km from Salonicco. The capital of Magnesia is Volos, while the second largest city is Almyros. A new airport was recently opened at Nea Anchialos, in the heart of Magnesia. For information check out www.volosairport.gr.