Also known as the cover model on the 2010 Kalymnos guidebook, Greek climber Thanassis Sotiropoulos is one of the top in the country. He comes from Patras, a city on the northern coast of the Peloponnese peninsula in mainland Greece, where some of the hardest climbs in Greece are to be found. But you’ll be hard pressed to find the soft-spoken climber anywhere near his hometown these days. Having spent the last year and a half traveling and climbing around the world, he spent the final months of 2011 in Kalymnos ticking off an assortment of the island’s 8a-8b classics . We caught up with him a few weeks ago and asked him to share his thoughts. Here’s more about Thanassis.

 

Profile

Name: Thanassis Sotiropoulos
Date of birth: December 6th, 1982
Height: 188cm
Weight: 65kg
Started climbing in: 2004
Works as: Automation Engineer
Best redpoint: Geminis 8b+, Rodellar, Spain
Best onsight: 8a
Scorecard:here
Website: here

 

His passion for climbing began seven years ago. He started with mountain and sport climbing, and since then his involvement with climbing has been continuous. In the last year and a half Thanassis decided to dedicate himself strictly to climbing, so he started touring various sport climbing venues, mostly in Europe. In his words, “sport climbing allows me to get in touch with my body and to discover my limits on hard moves. Trad climbing in mountains at high altitudes is also an opportunity to test my mind and my limits in difficult situations”. Since last year Thanassis has climbed at Yosemite, Squamish, Rifle, Cataluña, Massif de Mont Blanc, St. Leger and Frankenjura, among other global climbing venues. Furthermore, he spent November and December in Kalymnos, where he met all his goals: he redpointed the routes Inti Watana 8b, Racomelo 8b, Gaia 8b, DNA Extension 8a+ and onsighted three 8as (Syrtaki Lessons, Sueur D’Hommes and Debout Les Morts), the last two on the same day. Finally, he did the first ascent of Cardio Palma 8a 125m at sector Ocean Dream with David Fuste from Spain. Thanassis onsighted the second pitch (7c) and was very close to onsighting the third pitch, but without success (he freed it on his second attempt).

 

Q&A

How and when did you start climbing?
I started climbing in November 2004 by attending a rock climbing course in Athens. That was it – the rock won me over from Day One. Since then, all my free time is spent climbing.

 

Which climbers have made a lasting impression on you and why?
The most important thing for me is each climber’s approach towards climbing. So I have been impressed by a lot of climbers, both Greek and foreign, thanks to the ideas and motivation I get from them. I would definitely mention climbers like Wolfgang Güllich for his incredible ascents in his time, Alex Huber, and Nico Favresse for repeating amazing routes on big walls (big wall free climbing). I also admire sport climbers for their patience in solving problems for the first time, problems which at first seem impossible, so they deserve high praise. Last but not least, Iannis Torelli and Aris Thanopoulos (note: climbers from Patras) who have been my main climbing partners since the beginning and have taught me so much.

 

The best thing about your climbing life?
…Is the contact with nature and the environment. Every day, every moment, a new image is stored in your mind. Also, the simple way in which climbers approach every day. And, finally, the ‘virus’ that invades you and compels you to travel, see new places, meet new people, experience different lifestyles and different habits.

 

A memorable story from your climbing life?
There are many stories to tell, the most memorable being during the summer of 2010, when my friends from Patras and I were in Squamish, Canada. One day, a German friend and I went climbing at Chief Wall, when suddenly a base jumper hit the wall and ended up hanging off a tree (250 m above ground!) because of a wrong manoeuvre. Within moments we set off to help him. After a scary climb on the slabs of Squamish, 2.5 hours later we managed to rescue the base jumper and lower him to the ground safe but very frightened.

 

Other interests (besides climbing)?
I’ve always liked photography and over the last year, during my travels, I’ve tried to capture nature and friends in action at various crags. I also like to ski.

 

What’s next – short and long term?
I will stay in Kalymnos until sometime in December and I’ll spend the rest of winter in Spain, climbing in Cataluňya. I don’t like to make long-term plans, but I will definitely spend the next few months climbing in various crags in Europe –since there are still so many places I’d like to visit—and, why not, maybe outside Europe once again.

 

When did you first visit Kalymnos, and what did you think during that first visit?
I visited Kalymnos for the first time in July 2005, when I was taking my first steps in climbing. That visit was key – I came to love climbing even more. What I remember most is “hot”. We climbed from 09.00 until 14.00 and then ran to the sea (laughs!!).

 

How many times have you visited Kalymnos since?
This is my fifth time in Kalymnos. The first two times I stayed 2-3 weeks, last year I stayed 4 months and this year 2 months.

 

What –if anything—differentiates Kalymnos from other climbing destinations?
“This island gives you energy”, for many reasons. Come and you will surely find your own reasons to love it. Some of my reasons are the climbing, the people, the place, the sea, all those things which attracted me form the first time I set foot on the island. Wild, Calm, Natural, Lonely are some of the adjectives I could use to describe it. All this makes Kalymnos an island different from the others, it adds character. The climbing is magnificent. You can climb all types –walls, walls with colonettes and tufas, overhangs, overhangs with colonettes and tufas, three-dimensional climbing in breathtaking caves.

 

As a climbing destination, where does Kalymnos get it right, and where does it go wrong? Any suggestions for improvement?
The last years in Kalymnos great progress has been made as far as equipping new routes and doing maintenance of the old routes. Many new sectors were established (and still are) and the maintenance of the old routes is very good. Climbers visiting for a second and third time still have new routes to try each time. What’s missing on Kalymnos is harder routes, but as I have realized this is slowly changing and it will not be the case for much longer; with the recent festivals more and more hard routes are being put up (here I would like to commend Simon Montmory on equipping several hard new routes). The weather, which a lot of people complain about (heat, humidity etc) is indeed a problem. What I would advise climbers is to visit the island on months like November and December, when the weather is phenomenal for climbing –for swimming, too, but only for fanatics— and they can enjoy climbing at crags which bask in the sun all day.

 

Most recently you stayed in Kalymnos for almost two months. What were the highlights of that trip?
The best part was the daily interaction with climbers and visitors from all parts of the world. The fact that in a village like Masouri you can meet so many different characters is something not easily found in other climbing areas. Every day was a different day. One day with friends from Spain, the next day from America, England, Finland, Germany and so many other countries that I forget now. And from all these people, each time you gain a different perspective towards climbing.

 

Most memorable routes you have climbed on Kalymnos (regardless of grade)?
Which route to mention first? Which sector?! Surely I can’t but mention Grande Grotta and the routes Aegialis and DNA Extension, which both weave through the 3D environment of the cave. Also, sector Galatiani and routes Gegoune, Sueur D’Hommes and Calcite Star Plus, which leave you with an ethereal feeling when you climb. The All-Time Classic sector Odyssey and routes Marci Marc, Inti Raymi, Inti Watana, Lucky Strike…and many more. Last but not least, sector Kalydna and its mesmerizing wall with a variety of 40-meter routes.

 

 

Some climbers may be worried about visiting Kalymnos due to the ongoing economic crisis in Greece. How did you experience Kalymnos this year? Was your stay in any way affected by the crisis compared to previous visits?
Kalymnos has not changed much in the last years, and that’s one of the things making it such a popular climbing destination around the world. In situations like the current economic crisis in Greece one of the things we rely on is tourism, so that the local communities can keep breathing. So I would urge everyone to come to the island, relax and enjoy their climbing holiday.

 

When will we see you in Kalymnos again?
I don’t know yet, but I would like to spend some time in Kalymnos every year. The last two years I have managed it; let’s see if I can continue…

 

Kalymnos ticklist (autumn 2011)

Las gallinas que Entran por las que Salen 8a / Odyssey RP
Punto Caramelo 8a / Grande Grotta RP
Achinos 6b+ / Secret Garden OS
Melodrama 7a / Secret Garden OS
Dirlanda 7b / Secret Garden OS
Syrtaki Lessons 8a / Secret Garden OS
Lulu in the Sky 7b / Panorama OS
The Path to Deliverance 8a / Spartan Wall RP
Frapogalo 6c / Secret Garden OS
Ballos 7a+ / Secret Garden OS
Savina 8a / Secret Garden RP (FA)
Sens Unique 7a / Iannis OS
To Nama 7b / Iannis OS
Racomelo 8b / Iannis RP
Aegialis 7c / Grande Grotta OS
Inti Watana 8b / Odyssey RP
DNA Extension 8a+ / Grande Grotta RP
Calcite Star Plus 7b+ / Galatiani OS
Sueur D’ Hommes 8a / Galatiani OS
Debout les Morts 8a / Galatiani OS
Gaia 8b / Odyssey RP
Cardio Palma 8a / Ocean Dream RP (FA)