Written by: the Warrior
Back in 2021, when the Dragon and I tried outdoor climbing for the first time in the Canadian rockies, we “discovered” a spectacular world that we never knew existed (link to post here). It made me wonder whether there were other places like it around the world.
So I started asking every climber I met where they’ve been and where was their favourite climbing destination.
The name Kalymnos, Greece came up so often that I had to look into it.
As mentioned in my last post (link here), Kalymnos is an island (130 km2) within Greece’s Dodecanese island chain, and used to be world famous for sponge fishing. I’m serious!
Now it’s world famous for rock climbing.
The Lonely Planet (2021) describes it as having “steep crags, stark cliffs and daredevil over hangs”. The climbing photos on the internet were so spectacular that I decided that I must see for myself what world class means in the world of climbing.
But of course, like anywhere worth going, the journey to get there was as much as the destination. During July of 2023, in the midst of the worst heat wave Greece has ever seen, it took us 2 whole days to travel there (from Chania, Greece) via a combinations of flights and ferries.
Though Kalymnos is small by Canadian standards, nevertheless it is dotted with beautiful small towns throughout the island, each with its own unique characteristic, including Pothia (main town), Mirties, and Masouri beach (our base).
For hiking enthusiasts such as That Guy, there is a very serious 100 km long Kalymnos trail. Established in 2015, it crisscrosses the island’s mountains, waters, monasteries, archeological ruins, and beaches (note: multiple sources indicated that portions of the Kalymnos trail are very demanding and require rock scrambling experience). Due to the extreme heat of summer 2023, we didn’t attempt it, though we can attest that hiking in Kalymnos is absolutely spectacular, from all the hiking we did to get to climbing crags.
Of course we came to Kalymnos for climbing.
Since we are primarily gym climbers and the transition to outdoors is a very big one, I never truly feel comfortable nor competent setting out on my own, especially in a new location, and especially in a heatwave. So, I decided to hire a climbing guide.
A guide for my family is a tricky proposition. They need to be super safety conscientious, and able to cater to our unique personalities from the very outgoing to the very not outgoing. They also need to carter to our climbing abilities from 5.8 to 5.11+. And mostly of all, they need to be really fun and adventurous.
In Kalymnos, we found our perfect climbing guide in Jennifer Forstner, a relative new comer from Austria.
After discussions of our experience and climbing goals, and a review of our skills, Jennifer created an action packed adventure for us including climbing in the Argionta Valley’s Ronin Cave and Alani Wall.
Argionta’s Katharina and Fire Wall.
Exploring Santos cave on our rest day.
And climbing the crazy tufas in the magnificent Secret Garden.
After a week in Kalymnos, we had barely scratch the surface of the climbing scene.
It really is paradise for climbers.
With more than 80 sites and 4,200 established sport climbing routes (as of 2023), and a long climbing season (March to November), there is something for everyone. From those just starting out (5.8) to the tanned/toned/Black Diamond clad (5.15), those who are young and those who don’t feel so young anymore.
And the best part about Kalymnos is that there is even more to it than climbing…
Adventure Around the World and Back 