Death By Scooter

No, I didn't crash a scooter, and no I didn't nearly crash a scooter (this year)......

But I would like to relay a story or two and my personal opinion. Scooters are fucking deadly! Seriously. In 2009 I was riding my scooter back down the super steep switchbacks on the mountain roads of Kalymnos, when my back wheel hit a little rock going round a corner. The wheel skidded for a split second, my heart stopped for two split seconds, I recovered without crashing or flying off the side of a mountain. My heart racing, my hands shaking, I rode very very slowly back to Massouri, a little wiser....

This particular corner is not very steep at all, but note all the rocks and dirt...

Why get a scooter you ask? Well there are a few crags (like Sikati Cave) that are only accesable by some means of motor transport, the scooter is cheap and fun. So thats what everyone does. Most of the other crags that are too far to walk are accesable by bus and/or hitch hiking, also cheap and fun. 

A busy day at Sikati, I counted 20 scooters!

Ok another story, this one easily the worst travel experience I've ever had. Warwick and I were hitch hiking back from Ghost Kitchen one evening, a Greek in a little 4wd, waved and slowly pulled over to the side of the road. Shortly after a scooter came round the corner, not going all that fast, but the driver panicked, slammed on the front brake, a quick screech, the front wheel locked sideways, a bang, and some scraping, that scooter went down hard... That's where I wish this story ended, but unfortunetly not. 

On the back of the scooter was a girl about six. There were lots of tears, she had a scraped up leg and a bit of a bump on the head. She was wearing a bike helmet luckily. A second later a car pulled up behind and mum got out and came to the rescue, there was lots of yelling and everyone was a bit shaken up, but everyone was OK. The greek guy got out and said three things, use the back brake not the front, put children infront of you not behind you on the scooter, and that the girl should have been in the car, as there was room. We got in the 4wd and got dropped of at Massouri, it was a quiet ride back.

That night we relaxed with ouzo and metaxa (not recommended)

Anyway, on the climbing front things are going well. I didn't get daniboy, (yet) I got about two moves from the end on my best shot (ahhh so close!). I took a break as some of those pockets are hard on the fingers. I'm confident next time I head up to spartacus it will go down. In the mean time I've been working on Marci Marc, 30m of sustained 7c+ goodness, it's tough!

Thanks for checking out my blog! The next installment is never far away.

Meet Warwick

My second international guest, to whom I played guide for, is someone a little more familiar. Warwick is one of my usual partners in crime from Brisbane, Australia.

Warwick enjoying the Kalymnian sunset

He has a fantastic home bouldering cave, and is super strong. Though he doesn't get out on the real rock all that often. His first couple of days involved some serious arse kicking, barely draging himself to the top of most climbs. Though by the end of his ten day trip was was seriously crushing! (and a little sad to be going home) Well done Warwick!

Warwick's bouldering cave/training venue

Highlights for the trip include his first 7b+ (26), Spartacus, at Spartacus wall (featured in my previous post), and his first 7b (25) Elia, a bouldery little number at Ghost Kitchen. We also checked out the climbing in Sikati Cave, Grande Grotta, Panorama, Kalydna and Odyssey.

Posing on the rim of Sikati Cave

We all have those embarassing travel stories, well here is Warwicks. After checking out, donating all his left over food to me, we took the scooter to Kalymnos airport to get the plane back to Athens. The airport looked strangely quiet..... A little too quiet...... 

Yeah, he had the wrong day! Hah. But we were there a day too early  instead of a day too late. So it could have been worse. In fact it gives me a nice opportunity to do some more sight seeing and take two rest days (in a row), as I'm half way through my climbing trip, (four weeks down, four to go) I'm due for some recovery. As every climber knows, you get stronger on your rest days.

Out doing some sight-seeing. (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas?)

So a day early, I say "see you later Warwick, travel safe, say 'hi' to Brisbane for me."

The shitty little turbo prop plane atop Kalymnos Airport.

On a side note, I'd like to say a big thank you to everyone following my blog! Quite a few of you have been sending me messages saying you've been enjoying following what I've been up to and it really makes my day. I truely appreciate the trans-continental love, and this is my attempt at sending some love back your way. 

Again thanks for checking in with me, I look forward to seeing everyone again soon.

Danny

Parting Shot: The inside of Sikati Cave, a big sunken hole in the ground. Home to some crazy crazy routes over 60m high.

Kalymnos Climbing Report

This is Danny Friedman reporting live from Massouri, Kalymnos, Greece.

Map of Kalymnos

Breaking news this hour, there is climbing, lots of climbing! Over 40 sectors, nearly 2000 routes. The bolting is generous and of the highest standard, the routes are looong and the limestone is highly featured and super high quality.

The Official Kalymnos Climbing Guidebook

Tufas and stalactites are abundant, the pockets plentiful, there is steep, steeper and steepest, but if that isn't your thing there is delicate slab and wall climbing too!

Steep yeah?

Is there a downside? Well no, but there are less great things. The crowds, not too bad if you get up early. There are Europeans, which means all manner of dodgy stuff is going on around you, but that means you have something to whinge about. The weather, oh the sun is so sunny, it warms you in the late afternoon when you are tired, it makes the occasional route too warm and the beach is just a skin cancer paradise!

Oh so sunny, all the time!

But now, what you all came here for... Me!

Yeah, pretty bad photo I know

Here's the deal, I came on this trip with two goals in mind.

One was to climb an 8a (29), this would equal the hardest thing I've ever climbed, it's a serious investment in time. I'd have to figure out all the moves (beta), do them, link them together, improve the beta, learn every single foot placement. Then I have to start trying to climb it, all in the one go, all the way to the top, without falling.

Climbing grade conversion chart, most common (for me) are USA, French and Australian

Easier said than done, this can take a lot of goes. A certain sunshine coast resident I know has spent over a year, maybe two? And over 250 tries, attempting an 8a+ (30). So, a tough goal, but I think I'm on track.

So far I've spent about two and a half days on daniboy, which is not that many shots, about 8?, as it's really tiring. But (I think) I've got the beta sorted, there's a boulder problem, some pumpy roof climbing, a crux, then two options for the bit above, I've gone with the option of only using one mono pocket, blasting up the middle requires using three! On my redpoint burns I get a few moves past the crux, so it's getting close. But don't get me wrong... It's freakin hard! I'm resting today and heading back tomorrow to give it some. Here's hoping...

A video of someone on Daniboy, I use pretty much the same beta.

Now goal number two was to improve my onsighting, that's when you climb it first go, placing the draws, without seeing or being told any beta. I wanted to onsight 7b (25) this trip, my previous best being a 23 or 24, I'm not sure.

Now on my first day I pulled out aegialis 7c, onsight, fluke yes, soft (easy for the grade) probably, but it's hard to grade a 35 meter super steep beast with heaps of kneebars and sit down rests and it was a bit more like caving than climbing.... Though there was a pretty bouldery crux, and you're pretty gassed by the time you get there. The whole climb wiped me out and I kinda thought I might spew when I finished. Anyway, check back to the post 'Kalymnos' to see some pics of that.

Anyway, where was I, onsight a 7b. Well that's done, a couple in fact. Just a few days ago I bettered that and onsighted a 7b+ (26)! The climb was Spartacus, the guide book calls it the epitome of steep kalymnian climbing. It had a burly crux, and was a fight to the top, but I got it, and I'm stoked!

Yep, first go...

So five weeks to finish daniboy, relax hey! Have a mythos and put your feet up. No thanks, time flys when you're having fun. I've only done two 7c's and one 7c+ (Orion, check out the video below), so I'll be trying to get quite a few more in the 7c/+ range...

Pretty sweet climb, my hardest to date at Kalymnos

Check out some random Iphone photos below !


Thanks for watching, stay tuned...

Me being a hero and doing a warmup in my approach shoes!

A nice photo of the Grande Grotta

Warwick (from Brisbane),  on some wild tufa climb, he is here for another four days.

Oh my fingies are sore

More climbing action!

Nah, not really. I've been climbing in pairs lately. So the best we could achieve is some butt shots of us resting on tufas.

But I got some nice shots of food! And I promise to capture some glorious climbing moments for the next blog.

Meet Dale

My climbing partner for the last two weeks, um, hales? hails? comes from Vancouver, Canada.

Meat missile, Brian Thompson's brother and all round top climber, thanks for all the catches!

He saw me up some amazing ascents including my first 7c for the trip and my first ever 7b onsight. Dale himself giving it everything on some of the islands best climbs.

Now Dale has been screwed by the Greeks, not intentionally of course, but by the strikes. He has a flight leaving Kos on the 20th... But if you check out livingingreece.gr/strikes you will see that among many other strikes air traffic controllers are striking the 19th and 20th... This is a problem...

So looks as though Dale is gunna bail early, flight, ferry, Athens, Istanbul, whatever. He's gotta go tomorrow.

It's been a pleasure climbing with you, travel safe and take care...

See you at Squamish one of these days...

The Last of London

On the third full day I braced myself for some serious museum action. Look out, a thrill a minute, really. I had planned to see the British Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum.

Doesn't look that British to me

The great court, inside the BM

The British Museum was just a short stroll from the hostel, through Russell Square. I was there pretty early, and at first it was quiet, but that changed quickly! I had budgeted two hours per museum, but after over three hours I decided I needed a coffee.

The BM was full of the most bizarre and unusual things. Old things, significant things.

The BM itself is, as you probebly already know, world class. The exhibits that really stood out included some of Captain Cooks stuff, Greek and Egyptian artifacts. The collection of mummies was huge, kinda creepy, but totally enthralling. The rosetta stone, wow, old school, was that in like Indiana Jones? I don't know, pretty rad none the  less. You can kind of just feel the importance.

Good stone, bad camera

Doesn't seem that complicated to me...

What was even more amusing was the collection of Greek statues and carvings. I remember when I was last in Athens hearing alot of 'this or that statue is a replica, as the real one is in the BM', yes they are. In fact I think most of ancient athens is in the BM. Pretty funny really.

Oh hey, I'm a pile of bones

Ok, so coffee, pret, and a sit down. Then onto the Natural History Museum, via the tube.

The foyer lobby main area thing

Started off with the Mammals, then reptiles, fish, crustactions, squids, insects, blah blah blah, I saw it all. It was all very good and informative, but alot of the exhibits were models of animals. Which I guess is good because it means they didn't kill a whole bunch of rhinos. hah

Fake!

What really took the cake was the Geology section. A whole building dedicated to it. I spent hours and hours in there. They had a great section on volcanoes, formation of rocks, erosion, gemstones, weather, resources, even an earthquake simulator! It was pretty much it's own museum. I spent hours in there just soaking it up, even with an espresso break in the middle there was too much. I'll have to go back.

Pretty sweet entrance to a museum yeah?

Earthquake simulator... I went for a ride.

So I was pretty tired by then, but I got a snack and headed for the science museum. I wandered in through the massive lobby, checking out some huge old steam engines on the way. I arrived at the entrance to the exhibits, looked up at the directory.... Five levels.... Nah. No way. I turned around and walked out. I would have dropped dead from exhaustion by the second level.

Pretty science-y, I guess.

Everyone needs unfinished buisness, and London is somewhere I could see myself living and working for a while. It's an international city, it never sleeps. It sees you more than you see it. You take the tube and rarely hear english. There is a kebab shop, fish and chip shop and usually two pubs on every block. It's trendy and touristy, cultured and chic. Guess I'll be back next year.

London Day Two

My memory is getting a bit hazy now, but I think it went something like this...

Ashley went home the following day, so I got up and went for a stroll through Hyde park (did I mention it was 26 degrees to day, perfect blue skys, and not a drop of rain has fallen on me ?) then wandered down to buckingham palace to see the changing of the guards. Not that impressed, just putting it out there.

Traditional

Then I popped back and grabbed my climbing gear and went for some bouldering at 'The Castle' an indoor climbing centre in, you guessed it, a castle. The facilities are really good. Three levels of bouldering. Good problems and a great variety of wall angles and styles. After about three hours I was throughorly trashed enough for a coffee and a sit down.

The castle as you see it when you walk up

One of the many great bouldering areas

After a shower and a change of clothes I headed off for the 'grim reaper tour' again by the neweurope tour mob. Essentially a 'Jack the Ripper' tour, we checked out some spot where people were hanged (hung?), discussed the ghosts and the Tower of London, and then spent the majority of time wandering around to different areas where the rippers victims were murdered, good story that one, the guide even talked about the suspects and who he thinks did it. I forget who he said now.

Tower of London, not really a tower, well sort of.

A terrible photo of the narrowest street in London

I know I said I'd do days two and three, but that was day two. There was also some parting, but if you want to know about that, you'll have to ask.

London Called, A Few Days Ago

I must admit that I didn't expect London to be all that good. I mean why travel so damn far just to go to an English speaking country. Where's the challenge in that. Well was I wrong or what. London is tops.

So I survived my 13 hour flight and approx. 20 hours travel (from KL), navigated Stansted and the tube aaaaand the streets of London with ease. Checked into a hot, damp and noisy hostel and swiftly crashed out. Woke up at 3:30am lay awake for an hour or two before managing to get some more well earned shut eye.

Generator, not recommended

The following day, Tuesday? the 27th? Yeah I think so.. I started with my usual ritual of going on a New Europe free walking tour. Really good way to get your bearings and get a feel for a city. Pretty sure I ticked off most of the big sight seeing, including, but not limited to, the marble arch, buckingham palace, some other palaces, trafalger square, parliament houses, big ben, westminster abbey, probebly others that I have forgotten already.

Big Ben, phone box and if you look carefully, red double decker bus.

Thames, London Eye

Horsies rode through Hyde Park, snapped them in front of the Marble Arch

I met a nice Canadian girl, so via some coffee we went to the war museum and saw some guns and tanks. I said I wanted to see something that didn't glorify war. So we watched a movie on Human Rights Crimes, and walked through the holocaust exhibition. That was enough war for one day.  After a pint and a steak and ale pie we went to the theatre. Which was excellent actually, we saw 'The woman in black' which is a ghost story of sorts, that definitly makes you jump. A bit corny, but well worth the £20. 

Shoe phone! No wait, Austin Powers, 'who throws a shoe? that really hurt!'



We were down there, front and centre



<>

May have forgot to mention, indoor ice climbing!



Squirrel Chipmunk thing

Quite a day yeah, having solved my photo issues, the next installment (London days two and three) isn't too far away...

Kalymnos

Well, I made it.

It's just as good here as I remember. Possibly even better. I've run into a couple of people I met climbing in Thailand. Lee and the upskill crew from Brisbane are here. Dale from Canada is arriving tomorrow (I met him here last time) and Warwick (also from Brisbane) will be here in a few weeks. I climbed with a couple of guys from townsville who are touring the world on my first two days.

My 'gyros' to 'days in Greece' ratio is above 1. 

Two Euros. Yep. You should be jealous.

The computer I'm sitting at (the one at the studios I'm staying at) does not have an sdhc slot. Hmmm. Problems like this call for resourcefulness. My London blogs are written, just awaiting photos of red buses, big bens, palaces and other such touristy goodness. Again I say coming soon eventually.

Here's a few photos of my first two days climbing. I surprised myself with a 7c (27) onsight on the first day, it was a little soft, with many no-hands rests (read: kneebars, backrests and sitting on tufas), still, in parts it was steeper than 45 degrees and 35 meters long. Quite the battle. Enjoy the pics. Thanks to Lee for the photos, and the kneebar pads.

The above two photos are of  'Priapos' Grande Grotta, Kalymnos, 7c (onsight!)

It's not all 7c onsights, there's work to be done. Aegialis 7c, Grande Grotta, Kalymnos
(The famous photo route. Possibly on the postcard I sent you)