We get a lot of emails from climbers / frequent Kalymnos visitors asking us about new sectors and routes worth visiting, particularly in the mid-grades (6a-6b), which appeal to a good portion of the climbers coming to the island. Kalymnos is packed with mid-grade climbs; what’s more, many of them are at a safe distance from the island’s overcrowded trademark sectors like Grande Grotta, Odyssey or Spartacus. Approximately 200 new routes are equipped on Kalymnos each year. Some are real gems; in guidebook-speak, they are musical!

 

(Photo: climbing at sector Glaros, Telendos)

 

 

Enough said – may the tour begin.

 

SECTOR ARHI

 

At Arhi, try some of the routes on the left. Most of these routes range between 6a-6b, and only a few are as hard as 6c. They are beautiful but long slabs, so an 80-meter rope is essential.

 

ROUTES
Etsi
Ki Etsi
Axe
Komak
Kalyneus
Del Mabul extension
Kalymero
Adonis extension
4U
Le bras du guide
Masouri
Nixou
Les Penibles
Monolith

 

 

SECTOR BELGIAN CHOCOLATES (Dalle à Patouche)

 

Belgian Chocolates, a bit further left of Arhi, features a new sub-sector. It is called Dalle à Patouche, and it was created by Frenchman Claude Idoux, a permanent resident of Kalymnos (for more about his work, seeprevious post about sector E.T.). Dalle à Patouche is a new sector for multi-pitch routes (mostly 2-3 pitches). Again, it is very important to bring an 80-meter rope plus your helmet. The sector could have easily been named ‘Petit Verdon’, as the solid limestone (especially on the second pitches, which are the most beautiful) with a profusion of gouttes is fascinating. Here as well most routes range between 6a-6b, with some exceptions in the 6c-7a range.

 

ROUTES
Grignotte
Madeleine
Marie Laure
Loulou
Le Glod
Mika
Plouf
Stone Diver
Patouch
5 a 7
La Puffetta
Il Grande Puffo
Le Coq
La Mouette

 

 

TELENDOS (Pescatore, Glaros)

 

On the gorgeous island of Telendos there are two exceptional new sectors, namely Glaros and Pescatore. Sector Pescatore is not brand-new, so it already features 25 routes ranging between 5b+ to 8a+ on a smooth, 30m wall adorned with large stalactites and tufas. The wild beauty of the seaside landscape offers unforgettable views to the island of Leros and the coast of Kalymnos near Emporios village. The absence of homes and ‘civilization’ nearby makes climbing here all the more enjoyable. Here is a list of easier routes at Pescatore, on a smooth slab to the left:

 

Lucas Bad Boy
Hot Roc
Agelica Babis Bar
Farabutto
Forza 99
Karabolas
Rita
A l’ovest di Kaboul
Leane
Axel

 

Sector Glaros is located on a stunning natural balcony overlooking the sea on the north side of Telendos, immediately above Pescatore and to the right of sector Irox. Despite its proximity to the sea, the rock is not sharp and this sector has all the makings to become one of the gems of Kalymnos climbing. Additionally, one of the most important benefits of sector Glaros is that it is in the shade all day, making it ideal for hot summer days. The only time when climbing at Glaros is not indicated is on very humid days with no breeze, or after heavy rainfall. The easiest routes are located on the smooth grey wall on the left, with unique slopers and underclings –certainly unusual for Kalymnos and for such easy routes (5a-6b+).

 

ROUTES
Dirty Dog
Heather
Claudia
Ingvild
IClimber
Kyra
PhanX
Laruna.

 

 

SECTOR E.T.

 

E.T. is another new crag suitable for climbing on hot summer days (our previous post was dedicated to this new sector). Climbing at E.T. is on smooth inclines or clean-cut walls teeming with good pockets and slots. The climbing is delicate and balancey and good footwork is a must. As for the routes, they are long and sustained, and despite the dense bolting they feel positively alpine. Some of the 6a-6b routes at E.T. compete for the title of ‘Best Route on Kalymnos’ in this category. Some routes feature 2 pitches from which you descend by abseil. The bolting is very good, albeit a bit spaced in some easier portions of the routes. For a list of routes at E.T., please see the complete post here.

 

 

SECTOR ARGINONDA (Infrared Wall)

 

Last but not least there is Arginonda, which overlooks the quaint village by the same name. Not a new sector, but it features some fantastic 6b routes worth a special mention. Infrared Wall, in particular, is a great red wall with large holds, beautiful climbing, and everything it takes to become one of the most popular walls on Kalymnos in this grade range (before ‘Infrared’ it was casually known as ‘The 6b wall’). Try the routes listed below:

 

Bouboulina
Bouboulina extension
No Mercy
Pornokini
Kosmas
Free Style
Wild Sex
Bôrhok
Cap Arvithis
Barba Yorghos
AnnaMaria
Kel Karma
Avri
Klausi

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, and if you can tackle a 7a-7b+ route, these gorgeous lines, mainly on tufas, are just waiting to be climbed:

 

Katergo
Motörhead
No sleep ‘til Hammersmith
Albi bak
Code Quantum
Red Sea secrets
Fire Wall
Hard Primal

 

 

Our mini-presentation ends here, but it is far from complete; many, many new sectors and quality routes not mentioned here are scattered around Kalymnos. At the moment, Kalymnos features a total of 1700 climbing routes. They will all be included in the new edition of the Kalymnos guidebook with new photo topos and descriptions (the new guidebook’s publication date has been pushed back to October 2010 to include the new routes and sectors which keep popping up — it’s a race against time!)