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Climbing in Greece in Early January

Original Post
Erin Frey · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2016 · Points: 0

I will be in Greece in early January (sometime between December 30 and January 6), and I am looking for a climbing partner (or partners) for a few days. In terms of location, I'm open to climbing in Peloponnese or near Athens.

I'm comfortable following trad or sport up to 5.9 or low 5.10s, leading up to 5.7 sport, 5.6 trad. I can offer a rope and some draws, but I won't have a rack.

Anyone interested?

Adrianne B · · Bozeman, MT · Joined Nov 2016 · Points: 0

I'm thinking about going to Greece from the middle of December to middle of January but I was hoping to find a climbing partner as well. Are you not interested in going to Kalymnos? What is the climbing like around Athens and Peloponnese?

Erin Frey · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2016 · Points: 0

Hi Adrianne! I've always wanted to go to Kalymnos, but it seems to be a spring/summer/fall climbing area, not a winter one. January is the rainiest month in Kalymnos, a lot of the island shuts down, and even getting there can be difficult in late December and January (because there are strong winds that prevent planes from landing).

I've never been, but I've heard good things about winter climbing in the Peloponnese area (especially Leonidio). I believe it is mostly sport (though people should feel free to correct me if I am wrong), with grades from F4b to F9a (5.6-ish to 5.14d-ish).

Some sites to give you a sense:

climbgreece.com/leonidio/

climb-europe.com/RockClimbi…

Closer to Athens there's also sport climbing at Hymettus and Parnitha. Again, I haven't been, but both areas seem to have a range of grades and be suitable for winter climbing.

Where in Greece were you planning to be?

Adrianne B · · Bozeman, MT · Joined Nov 2016 · Points: 0

Hi Erin,
I don't have any set plans but the places you mentioned near Athens sound great so I'm hoping to check out those areas in Jan. I'll probably be in Athens for New Years and so it would be great to meet up there if you're interested in climbing together.

Shadrock · · Here and there. · Joined Jun 2009 · Points: 430

Hope this isn't too off topic since I haven't climbed in Leonidio, but wanted to post a quick note that, if in Athens, Anavasi Maps & Travel Bookstore has a wide range of guidebooks for climbing in Greece. They had really comprehensive guides for stuff around Athens. Address is #32 Voulis. We sampled climbing all over the country but the only climbing we did in the Peloponnese was in Nafplio, which was quite nice, but probably not a destination in itself (unless you're already there). We used the general Greece Climbing guide by Aris Theodoropoulos, which was pretty worthwhile. You can sample a few pages on Nafplio on his web site. Finally, if you're in the Peloponnese, take a day to tour wineries: some of the best stuff I had in Greece.

mike bronson · · Denver, CO · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 10

New guidebook to Leonidio came out last month and can be purchased in town at Panjika.

al3xander · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2015 · Points: 0

Hey there I live in Athens and can give you some beta how things are here,in general Athens is a climbing destination by itself but not touch promoted when you have kalymnos ,Meteora,Leonidio,Kyparisi and other wonderful climbing destinations.So back to Athens there might be more than 10 crags within Attica region some of them very beautiful climbing mostly sport but trad and boulder too the grades varay and will meet the demands of every climber, I will be in Athens for Christmas holidays so if anyone interested we can climb and guide you also for the Peloponese crags.You can pm and ask me for anything

John Douglas · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2017 · Points: 0

One of the best place in Greece to go climbing during the winter months is Leonidio.

Check this website with many details about Leonidio:

https://olympusmountaineering.wordpress.com/2018/06/25/climbing-in-leonidio/

.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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