Climbing and Travel; Danny Friedman's Blog: 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...