I went to Kalymnos;....it was fun.....mega-fun.....



The weather was great;.....some say it was too hot;....78 degrees to 85 degrees didn't seem too hot to me;..but I live in Joshua Tree...sooooo...I look at "hot" differently, I suppose.


The place is very beautiful and the climbing is wonderful.



The rock is excellent, the protection bolts close, and the limestone friendly and not polished (except slightly on a few routes..)..


The climbs we did had positive holds or holes, and the climbs were mostly very steep;....compared to the low angle dummy-domes of joshua tree



I went with my climbing pals who I have known for most of my adult life and have climbed with all over the place for the last 35 years....
Here is Tom Michael; one of my best pals ever, and one of the best climbing partners you could ever ask for. He made this trip happen for me;..thanks for such a wonderful gift;...the gift of rad and awesome friendship and adventure.


When I first got there and started climbing the routes;..it was sort of difficult to rap my mind around the climbs;..they seemed so excellent and fun. Soon I got used to the quality and awesomeness of the routes but was still amazed at how excellent the climbs were...the climbing is truly amazing.



I prepared myself for the trip by losing some weight and climbing alot outdoors;...I was minimally prepared.
Training indoors would help a lot;....the gym climbers shred here at Kalymnos.
We climbed 5.10 and 5.11 climbs up to 5.11+/5.12-.........
(I climbed 5.9 to 5.10+ climbs).
There were lots of climbers around us climbing harder routes;...but a lot of hangdogging was going down;...we tried to "send" with minimal or no hanging on the routes....which we were able to do for the most part.


I know Greece is going through some economic hardships;..the locals didn't seem too concerned..but I am sure they were worried a bit. Scary to think that you may not get a pension that you were planning on.
I have traveled around a lot in Europe and many places you need to watch your stuff closely for rip offs;...I didn't feel that way in Kalymnos, which is way cool. I don't like always worried about getting stuff pinched and always locking everything up..



Most of the rock is not too sharp but i did get this flapper on the first day;...RATS!.....


The food was excellent and not too expensive. Unfortunately, I am a very fussy eater;.....I did OK with breakfast at our hotel. Lunch was these cool Greek "powerbars" made of honey, peanuts, seseme seeds, etc. Dinner for me was tough;..I mostly had bread and french fries....sort of sad;..wish I was a better eater. Everyone else loved the food. The views at dinner were usually stellar and the company five star.


The approaches to the crags we went to were usually short.....5 to 40 min ..



The climbing was five star/world class....but the best part of the trip was hanging with my homies;.....I have the best and coolest friends in the world!...they are beyond mega-awesome.
Above is Radim and Maria Bedan;...my Czeh Republic climbing friends who I love dearly and who I have had many many great adventures with;.....so amazing to hang out with them on this trip!




The bolts and anchors were all excellent...but still;.....I like DOUBLE all the way on anchors;.......but I am sure it was all bomber...(pretty sure, anyways..)..


My friends all chipped in to help me afford this trip;...which I was very very appreciative of....the teacher salary and 3 kids don't cut it for Europe trips;..not for me anyways. My friends are very kind, generous and wonderful.



At the end of everyday..the last climb seemed WAY hard to hang on and I was dicey , pooped out, and huckin' and throwing for holds and pockets. But the next day, I was "good to go" again. I came home stronger and more fit for sure.



Many people belay with the mirrored "belay" glasses. If you are used to them, they can save your neck with all the steep climbing and steep angles for belaying. ( i never used them or tried them, but they did seem quite popular).....who would have thought.....


Steep and amazing climbing....



The ratings seems about right to me. It's just different when the pro is EXCELLENT and the holds are all positive.......because of this, the ratings can seem "soft".......and it depends on your ability to hang on to them positive holds on very steep rock. I still had to work hard on the 5.10+ climbs.



Climbing on the "tufas" and stalagtites was outrageous and way cool....amazing to me.


some of the crags do get a bit crowded, but there are lots of climbs at each sector...so it's really no big deal....



Although the climbs are bolted closely and safely, they still have a few accidents here;...some are lowering accidents. Many climbs you need a 70 or 80 m rope and if you have a 60m, people have been lowered off the end of the rope......(something to be very aware of clmbing here in Kalymnos)..



I was nice to be on a strickly climbing trip to Europe;....no big decisions as to what to do, where to go, what to see, and what to experience....we were there to climb and enjoy ourselves and our company. It was easy, relaxing, and super awesome. We were not tourists;...we came to climb.




Most of the climbers at the crags were nice, friendly , in a good mood, happy, cool, and awesome. We met a few americans, but mostly Euros.


Again;..the highlites of the trip was not the awesome wonderful climbing...but hanging out with my even more awesome and wonderful friends. It's that way most of the time, isn't it. Guess that is why climbing RULES so much!!



There is climbing of all grades;....5.5 to 5.15 I would imagine..but the climbing sort of starts (like in the gyms) at about 5.9;...with positive hold and bomber protection;..why not.


There are goats and goat sh#t at almost ever crag......I don't like the goat sh#t and some of the goats are alittle protective of their "homes".....but the little ones are cute and their antic and climbing prowess is entertaining and cool.





Meals were always plentiful, with lots of food and booze and conversation. Beer, wine, ouzo (sp?)......lots of booze.


Almost as fun as the climbing was ripping around the island on the little scooters (which go about 50 MPH). The are dicey , dangerous, and we had two crashes amongst our group (I was one of the crashes...lost it on a sharp corner at a very slow speed...luckily not injury)...
People routinely drive scooters way to fast, in sandals, no helmet, and it's dicey and dangerous.......I always wore closed toe shoes and my helmet......made sense to me....The scooters are about 10 -15$ a day.....


Kalymnos is a very beautiful and small island, and not over-crowded or expensive like some of the other Greek Islands. It seemed like many of the tourists were climbers....and I understand why. The beaches are awesome and the water bright blue and beautiful. (The water wasn't all that warm, but not cold either;...at least not in june). The locals were friendly if not over friendly, kind, polite, and generous...happy and wonderful to us.


We did spend a day at Telendos...the island just across from the main island and climbing. It's a couple bucks to get there...and once there..you can hike to the crags...or (better)...for maybe $20 to $30 extra, (split it up amongst you), you can get a boat ride to the more distant crags...and avoid the longish hike through some sticky bushes too....save your time and energy for climbing..and the boat ride is super cool.


The climbing is usually less crowded at Telendos, and just as awesome.


The views and vistas from all the crags is wonderful;..especially wonderful on Telendos.




Tom Michael, East Wenetchee, Washington 3rd trip to Kalymnos


Long steep pitches with lots of bolts.



Very Euro and not really welcome or accepted in America;...all the routes have the names painted at the base..


Quiet and peaceful, ...beautiful and serene...awesome and wonderful...(etc, etc, etc...)..


What the.......(this was alive and growing out of the earth...)..


Fantastic and super awesome climbing....



Transportation to and from the crags...


Tufa climbing....


Helpful signs to the crags..


Having a blast!


The main island from Telendos...the towns and the cliffs.....


breakfast at the hotel.......I liked it...






Brave and patient parents.....


scooter madness.....


Some serious hangdoggin'going down at the crags...


creepy and colorful at the crags..



Wonderful views from the ET sector...


One of the highlights of the trip;...hanging out with Mark Walters (Portland , oregon/Palm Springs/Smith Rock). This was his 5th trip to Kalymnos.....





Looking across the sea to Turkey........


These German girls had a certain style about them..


Girls from Finland shreding the gnar


Kip Aszman;....awesome friend, awesome climber, awesome dude. From Portland , Oregon. Has been to Kalymnos 4 times now.......another wonderland person to hang out with an climb!


Brian Povolny, Seattle , Wa.
Full on rad dude awesome pal and adventurer who I have spent many days climbing and hanging with. This is Brians 3rd trip to Kalymnos. So fantastic to hang out with Brian Again....a most awesome treat!


some of the popular sectors can get crowded. Here was a group of high school kids from Switzerland...


Ghost Kitchen Sector



3-D climbing......


She found the no hands rest!...



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In 12 days of climbing, we took one rest day off and went to nearby Island of Leros.....a fun day of riding around on scooters, eating, and booze.


Taking a boat to nearby Isle of Leros


Deep Water soloing?
Sport climbs from the boat?








Leros was a great idea for a rest day!


The Grand Grotto;....top ten crags in the world....



The Grand Grotto is like a dream;...it's one of the most wild and incredible climbing walls I have ever been to......it's mind boogling....fully surreal and amazing;.....other worldly, and so cool as to be bizarre.....



The hotels and apts. where the climbers stay at.


When you fall off, it can be a big effort to get back on the wall.....


Again;..we saw no one "sending" but lots of parties hang doggin'. Actually..(no brag)..we were sending with no hangdoggin' are falling...but we were only on the 5.11d stuff....(just stating facts;...no horn tooting, chest beating, or judgement here....so just move along....)..


Trela (5.11+..and amazing line....truly amazing...)...



Our Hotel...just under the Grand Grotto; Hotel Philoxenia....


As soon as the climbing is done..the beer starts to flow......


Hotels, apartments, shops, and restaurants of Masouri, with the various climbing sectors on the cliffs on the hillside...


Food, booze, great company and great views and wonderful weather at every meal.


Too much ouzo...or not enough;...something like that....












We went to different sectors each day...sometime a couple different sectors each day...



The mega-awesome and painfully handsome Marc Walters....


Liam shreading the gnar...


We did about 60 climbs on this trip.......steady but not psycho or over-busy....




Our hotel...(with the pool)..
(Hotel Philoxenia)...


This goat was pestering these scandanavian girls;...I went to shoo the goat away;..he tried to head butt me......


Steep and thin....




Dennis Sanders;......totally cool friend and awesome climber.....so psyched to hang out with him and Lauren....













A new guidebook is supposed to be out in Sept (2015).....with many more sectors, climbs, and I'm sure many more awesome pictures of rad and cool climbs. The current guidebook is very very good;..I'm sure the new one will be even better!







(Note the proper belay technique...)..


There are cats everywhere;..but not so many dogs. There are cats under the tables at many of the restaurants;....cat bites and scratches are not to be taken lightly........



Hoodlums....hooligans...




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Senior's Day at the crags...(how did this happen...)...


Climbing at ET Sector









The Kalymnos trip was beyond awesome;.....no doubt one of the best vacations/climbing trips of my life hands down...(and I've been on a lot of climbing trips......).....but;....the BEST part of the whole trip...was coming home to my awesome wife and kids. I had never been away from my family for more than a few days since my son Beck (age 11 now) was born. The few times I did go away...I missed my family too much and had anxiety issues that made traveling very unpleasant and pretty much almost impossible. This trip I took adavan with me, which helped "even things out" in my head, and made the trip possible, actually....(modern medicine comes to the rescue!). Here is a picture of my wife and kids at the airport in Las vegas.....
I got to take the trip of a lifetime..and come home to my awesome wife and kids. Life sure is sweet!
If you are planning a trip to Kalymnos, hope these few words and many pictures help get you psyched for the mega experience of climbing at one of the greatest climbing areas on planet earth. Enjoy it all and live for today!