In some respects the rock resembles that of Thailand, only a little sharper. You can climb inside the caves when it rains, but you cannot during a thunderstorm. Otherwise climbers sacrifice precious skin off their fingers and typically never go on said route again. Routes are graded according to the French grading system. However, considering the standard of the climbers it was only a matter of time with Steve McClure (UK) and Chris Sharma (USA) getting it in their second attempt and Dani Andrada (ESP) on his third.â After climbing every evening, there were films and slideshows presented by Chris Sharma, Alex Huber, Arnaud Petit, and Stephanie Bodet, and Petzl’s own unforgettable techno party. All loose rock must be cleaned meticulously using a hammer and/or a crowbar, and vegetation in the line of a route must be removed. Email the designated committee to inform them that you would like to equip new routes on Kalymnos.  Everyone stared in astonishment as Adam Ondra sent the hardest routes on Kalymnos with incredible ease. The 4th Climbing Festival of Kalymnos (22-26 May 2009) was organized by the Municipality of Kalymnos and sponsored, mainly, by the Greek National Tourism Organisation and the Greek sports company Polo. The sea is too cold for swimming and the chance of rain is higher, but, generally, Kalymnian rock dries fast. The goal is for the climbing routes on Kalymnos to be as safe as possible. No homemade bolts, please. Read more about the 2nd Kalymnos Climbing Festival. Some restaurants and rental studios in Masouri stay open year-round, so you can still find places to eat and sleep, though your choices will be more limited. Kalymnos is one of the most popular sport climbing destinations in the world. The climbing routes are marked based on a difficulty scale, so as everyone will be able to directly verify their progress. – Mosquitoes are everywhere. Treat the island and its crags as you would your own home, and treat other climbers as you would like to be treated. The whole island is a unique natural climbing field with more than 1300 climbing tracks of various levels of difficulty providing a huge range of climbing on slabs, big walls, overhangs and tufas to suit every level and style. The degrees of difficulty start with educational routes from 4c and reach up 9c for the experienced. Fortunately, Kalymnos is an unusually egalitarian climbing destination in that there are great routes at a wide range of grades on many crags, making it a very good choice for mixed ability teams. The rocks make the island ideal for climbers, due to their exceptional quality. Beyond that, for maximum enjoyment, weâd strongly urge you to bring 30â40 quickdraws, both for climbing extra long pitches (24â28 quickdraws) and for the flexibility to leave some of your QDs on a project and still have 12â15 extra to use on another route. 5. It would be nice to keep this tradition on Kalymnos. She climbed beautifully and onsighted her first 8b on Kalymnos, Spartan Wall 20m, a vertical technical route with small holds. Why should Kalymnos be any different? Going off the path can also be quite dangerous, especially if the terrain is steep. Going off the established paths may cause problems with landowners and shepherds, and destroy vegetation. Most routes are about 30m long on average, but there are several longer routes around 3-5 pitches, and a lot more potential for great new routes at all levels. Soon after this, Aris Theodoropoulos , a Greek climbing Guide, liaised with the local authorities to progress the potential of the island as a climbing destination. Email the committee overseeing the new routing on Kalymnos to notify them that you would like to rebolt old routes on Kalymnos. Grades range from F3a to F9a, although quite a few project routes are expected to exceed 9a. Kalymnos in recent years has become the paradise of sports climbing. Many projects on Kalymnos are temporarily unfinished due to a lack of bolts or time. (1 ), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grade_(climbing), http://www.kalymnos-isl.gr/portal/en/index.php, http://www.kalymnos-isl.gr/portal/en/climb/, http://www.oreivatein.com/oreivatein/climb/kalymnos/guide2006.htm, http://www.griechenland.de/Griechenland,Dodekanes,Kalymnos,REISEFUEHRER, Route Grades and Grading System Comparison, View Again, remember this was 2009. ⢠The 5th Climbing Festival of Kalymnos (18-21 May, 2011) was organized by the Municipality of Kalymnos, with special guests Nicolas Favresse and Patxi Usobiaga. The Kalymnos Rescue Team was formed in 2013. Names should be written discreetly, in Latin characters, at the base of the route in blue paint (not felt-tip pen, which disappears too soon). This differs from most grading systems where one rates a climbing route according to the most difficult section (or single move). There are guides, such as Simon Montgomery , available and equipment to hire but it is often best to book before you go to … More details about that project here and here. While nobody can stop climbers from climbing on Kalymnos with trad protection (nuts, friends, etc) it is the policy of the local authorities that all new routes be equipped with bolts for the safety of those making repeat ascents. It doesnât typically rain here in September and October, and mid-October to late November is usually perfect. Slings as permanent protection should not be placed even if there are good natural holes. The best of the routes can combine all three types of rock in one pitch. Iâm taking a shortcut. (51), Climber's Log Entries Please respect this. 4. The toilet is at your rental, so give yourself enough time before hitting the crag to use it. This magnificent island of the Dodecanese in the Aegean Sea has many assets for both novice and experienced climbers. The first climbing event described in the previous section was a milestone for Kalymnos, giving it just the right push forward to gain presence on the international climbing map. 12. ⢠The 2nd Climbing Festival of Kalymnos (2-8 October 2004) brought it to the center of international climbing attention once again. To ensure a minimum of safety and quality standards, the municipal council of Kalymnos has voted (259/2016) to implement a New Route Protocol effective September 2018. The foundations for a well-organised climbing venue were set early on, in 1999-2000, when HMGA mountain guide Aris Theodoropoulos collaborated with the local municipality, climber Thomas Michailides, and other Greek climbers to set the standards for equipping routes on Kalymnos (closely placed stainless steel bolts and 2-bolt clipable anchors). In the email, also state: ⢠your previous experience equipping sport routes; ⢠the specifications of any hardware you plan to use, which must comply with the New Route Protocol guidelines; ⢠the number of new routes you plan to equip; ⢠and the location where you would like to equip them (sector, sub-sector, part of the island). That being said, when you need to poop at the crag…, – Go at least 100m away from the cliffs and the path, – Dig a deep enough hole with your hands or a stone, – When you are finished, cover and conceal the hole, – Pack toilet paper in a bag and take with you. Articles ensued in Alp and Rotpunkt magazines in the spring of 1999, and the rest is history. The men’s route, at over 50m long and 8c was not only endurance orientated but had several distinct cruxes: a bouldery lower section, a long, hard span (especially for the short) under the main roof to reach a 6-foot stalactite, and a steep headwall on with tufa blobs. For more specific technical information, contact an experience provider. The island was part of Kalymnos until the mid 6th century A.D., when an earthquake collapsed the land bridge. "It occurred to me that anyway one more Sunday was over, that Maman was buried now, that I was going back to work, and that, really, nothing had changed." You can bring or rent your climbing equipment from the many climbing clubs and shops. We recommend the thorough cleaning of existing holds. It all started when a famous Italian couple climbers visited the island and saw the huge potential of the island in terms of climbing. Stalactites or other rock should never be drilled simply for placing a sling. Holds should never be chipped, and artificial holds should never be placed. Climb Kalymnos, a climbers’ paradise. The dominant reason that people do not climb as much in the winter is simply because the tourism season has died and many of the amenities in Massouri have shut down about Nov 1st and less direct flights are available from the rest of Europe. One of the greatest things about Kalymnos is that every single climber can find something to climb here. There is nothing monotonous about the climbingâthere is a great variety of rock, with slabs, delicate walls, pumpy routes with pockets, and stalactites or tufas on overhanging rock and roofs. One of the most famous climbing spots on the island is at the top of Massouri mountain, where climbers can even remain hanging out from the rocks, gazing at the staggering sunset, as … 180 climbers from 13 different countries participated, exchanging views, giving talks and climbing together, transforming the crags into a joyous Babel. If you are an experienced route equipper and would like to give back to Kalymnos by doing some rebolting, you must follow the same steps as above for equipping new routes, i.e. In other words, you must notify the municipality first and wait for approval before you start to drill, otherwise your routes may be taken down. Only a small number of these bolts is used to equip new routes. The couple again visited the island in the 90s helped to set up and opened routes mainly on the north side of the island. However, many remarkable long routes (40â45m) have been opened on Kalymnos in the past few years. ⢠Bolts and hangers must be made of the same material. At the crag, please keep kids away from the cliffs, away from people climbing, and quiet enough so as not to disturb the other climbers. Here’s how it all started: we first heard about the climbing potential of Kalymnos in 1995 when one of the best Greek climbers out of Patras, Giannis Torelli, visited the island. So far, approximately 60 fields of sport climbing routes have been dug and delivered, most of them being of 'one pitch' type. Always have a bag(s) with you. ⢠The 4th Kalymnos Climbing Festival (22-26 May, 2009) was organized by the Municipality of Kalymnos and sponsored by the Greek National Tourism Organisation and the Greek sports company Polo. As early as 2001 and 2002, an estimated 4,000 climbers visited Kalymnos.  Climbing on Kalymnos took off. A new route is not just about bolting and cleaning. In the email, state. ⢠What about my other trash? ⢠What rope length: 70m is the minimum standard single rope length for Kalymnos (9â10.5mm diameter). May 3, Kalymnos must be one of the world’s best known sport climbing This new Rockfax guidebook covers all the climbing in the usual Rockfax style – huge . Do not mix different materials, for example a stainless steel bolt with a non-stainless steel hanger. Only in 1996, an Italian climbers couple has discovered the Island as a climbers' paradise. 18. 8. 316L Marine or HCR expansion bolts, glue-in 316L Marine, HCR, or titanium expansion bolts using epoxy resin. 9. In November/December 2008, 175 routes were rebolted by Aris Theodoropoulos, George Kopalides, and George Koutsoukis. And right after that, he sprinted to Sikati Cave in the middle of the afternoon to flash the 50m Jaws 8c, also placing the draws. The team is staffed by volunteers and relies on donations from climbers to continue offering its invaluable services. About half of the routes on Kalymnos are graded up to 6b+, and more than one-third of the total routes are between 6a–6b+, so Kalymnos is ideal for new climbers, older climbers, or those transitioning from the gym to outdoor climbing. But there are also more than 700 routes graded 7b and up, and the hardest confirmed grade on Kalymnos is a 9a (Los Revolucionarios at sector Odyssey, which was redpointed by Adam Ondra in 2009). The menâs route was proving more tricky especially with some of the tufas remaining damp and no one managed success on their first redpoint attempt. They opened 43 sport routes on Kalymnos (in the sectors Arhi, Odyssey and Poets). We understand you wanting to help the nice people of Kalymnos and Telendos, but proper procedure still needs to be followed. 13. They are now so accustomed to climbers that they will stop at nothing. Stalactites sometimes drip in the spring and, as they are softer, they are more likely to break. Jeff Achey, editor at the time of Climbing magazine, was also there, and he subsequently wrote a 10-page article in issue #238 of Climbing. In 2015, another large-scale rebolting project was implemented, this time with funding from an EU grant. --Meursault in 'The Stranger', It's bright white limestone is different from most other sectors, Images Kalymnos Climbing. The protection on existing routes was improved and new routes, as well as a basic multi-lingual website, were created. A minimum of â¬5000 is set aside from guidebook proceeds every year for the voluntary bolting and rebolting of routes on Kalymnos. If a route is to be longer than 30m and not homogeneous, arrange an extra belay point to enable climbers to lower off using a single 60m rope. Most routes are equipped and vary in level of difficulty from 4 (training) to 9 (experienced), with most being mid-range 6. Between 2000-2010, approximately 100 routes were rebolted every one or two years with the financial support of the Kalymnos municipality. Please help us all prioritize which routes need rebolting by e-mailing us: – the approximate number of bolts in need of replacement; – and the date when you noticed any weakened anchors. All Greek islands are littered with cliffs anyway, so we didnât jump to any conclusions. ⢠Do some gardening. Besides corrosion, the carabiners on lower-offs were excessively worn: some permanent carabiners on lower-offs were eaten away to half their original size. These efforts led to the first international climbing event on Kalymnos in October 2000, organized in part by the Acharnes Greek Alpine Club, which the prominent French alpinist Catherine Destivelle attended as special guest. It is hard to imagine a time before the rescue team existed on Kalymnos. Ah, how things have changed. 17. Kalymnos offers over 3,500 climbing routes with multiple levels of difficulty. Bolts: Because Kalymnos is a marine environment, stainless steel bolts and hangers must always be used, i.e. Besides concealing holds and footholds, the plants may also conceal loose rock. About half of the routes on Kalymnos are graded up to 6b+, and more than one-third of the total routes are between 6aâ6b+, so Kalymnos is ideal for new climbers, older climbers, or those transitioning from the gym to outdoor climbing. Find out more…. Some very popular newer crags (Secret Garden, Arginonta Valley, to name a couple) are in the shade almost all day; they often enjoy a cool breeze, and you may even need long sleeves for belaying on summer mornings. Climbing Grades:Please take into consideration, that the French grading system is used in Kalymnos, which is taking into account the difficulty of the moves and the length of the climb. rotten, loose rock). The single-bolt (!) 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