Once You ve Tasted Tufa, You Never Go Back!

Transcription

1 Once You ve Tasted Tufa, You Never Go Back! Kalymnos is a small island north of Kos in the Dodecanese group, just off the coast of Turkey. Although small, the island offers a concentration of fantastic climbing, most of which is within 30mins walk of the accommodation. In October the weather is generally perfect for climbing, and both Ryanair and Easyjet offer affordable flights to Kos. A short taxi ride, a ferry crossing and another short taxi ride get you to the village of Masouri, which lies just below the main line of cliffs. The speciality on Kalymnos (apart from the delicious Mermezeli - kalymnian salad) is tufa there is tons of it on almost every cliff, giving incredible lines on very steep faces but generally with huge holds, its just a case of how long can you hang on! Karen and I travelled this year with one other MMC member, Katy Dartford, and a number of friends from Sandstone Paul Highams, Ed Lamb, Dave Potts, Nat Welch, Ian Butler, Jerome Curoy and Steve Pearson. After a very early start on the 15 th, we had a 4 hour delay to our flight because of industrial action by greek air traffic controllers. Once we arrived on Kos, all went smoothly and we enjoyed a lovely sunset as we arrived on Kalymnos. The first day we headed for a crag called Galatiani, a large cave high on the hillside above the road, covered in weird tufa blobs and pipes. It wasn t our most successful day! We warmed up on a couple of easy routes, then, on a third, the rope drag was so great that Karen couldn t take in as I top-roped it, so I ended up soloing most of it and then tying in about 5m from the top. Next we were beaten to the musical note 7a K44 in the main cave (a musical note in Kalymnos means a 4-star route) and decided to try another called Lustzapfen this turned out to be the hardest route we tried all holiday, with desperate moves over roofs low down, then an unrelenting, leaning wall on crimps. As darkness descended we stumbled down the path in a dejected mood.

2 Ian on K44 - the route we wanted to do! It rained overnight so we made a late visit to a crag called Arhi, again based around a large tufa cave. We warmed up on a very thin, crimpy 6b Traiana and then did a superb 6c called Poseidon, which bridged up a corner formed by an enormous tufa, then followed a lovely slab to the lower-off. We finished off with two pleasant, easier climbs to make sure Karen s quota of sponsored leads (for charity) was increased, and once again descended in the dark. The following day we had planned to go to a crag called Arginonta, but it was rammed, so we plumped for sectors around the Grande Grotta, the biggest cave on the island. We tried to warm up on some routes at the sector called Afternoon, which, oddly enough, isn t in the sun in the morning. I ended up falling off a route because I couldn t feel my fingers! We hurried round the corner to a sunnier sector called Panorama, and while Paul and Ed got stuck in to a fantastic 6b tufa route called Uncle Ernie, Karen and I returned to a climb that had defeated us the previous year - Steinpilz 7a. This climbs amazing tufas over a bulge and up a wall, before suddenly changing to a hard crimpy grey wall for the last 5m (where I fell off repeatedly last year). This time, I fell off in the same place on my first go, then got it second try maybe some of the evo training was paying off!

3 Paul on Uncle Ernie 6b Me on Steinpilz 7a. Worn out from our efforts, we decided to have a rest day, we drove up over the mountains to the port of Rina, visiting a typical local chapel on the way, and eating far too much at a restaurant on the harbour. We got back to our apartment just in time for a gorgeous Kalymnian sunset. The next morning, a beautiful sunny one, we made the long walk up to Olympic Wall. Not a cave, but still mostly overhanging and covered (you guessed it) in tufas of all shapes and sizes. We warmed up on a nice 6b called Reve De Femme which started as a slab and ended up as a leaning wall, all in 20m. Some other people had

4 their clips in a superb-looking 7a+called Saule, so we asked and they said we could have a go it was very steep, but the holds were huge and the rests excellent, in fact it was probably a soft touch, but who cares? Karen on Saule 7a+. After a rest and some lunch, I decided to have a go at Tornado Lou, a 7b that followed am amazing tufa pipe up a steep wall, this would be a PB for me, and as Ed had just done his first 6b, and Paul his first 7a+, I was feeling the pressure a bit. I rested several times on my first go, then Karen top-roped it and Dave led it, showing me all the places I could have rested but didn t! Eventually it was my turn again, and all was going well until the last hard move, pinching the tufa to reach a jug my foot shot off and so did I. It was getting late by now so that was it for the day another (long) descent in the dark. On the crux section of Tournado Lou.

5 We had another lazy day, ticking some climbs at a shady sector called Summertime, as the weather was getting warmer. Later in the day we met the others at another crag called Odyssey, close to the road and very popular, but with some very good climbing. They were doing a short, unpleasant looking 6b+ called Why Not? and of course we had to have a go it was just as hard as it looked. Karen on the crux of Why Not? 6b+. The next day we finally made it to Arginonta, a beautiful crag with red rock covered in pockets and of course with the obligatory tufas everywhere. We both led a 6a called Pornokini, while Ed and Paul enjoyed Wild Sex (6b) a bit further right, then I tried No Sleep Til Hammersmith, a 7a+ with a very steep start and some huge tufas higher up. I got the clips in and Karen tried it on a top-rope but by then it was too hot, so we rested and I waited for the shade, while Karen led a great 5a called For Sue & Steve. Karen on For Sue & Steve 5a.

6 Finally ths sun went behind the ridge, and I could get back on the 7a+, this time, knowing where all the holds were and where I could rest (and more importantly where I couldn t!) it went fine (apart from one moment where I started to panic because I forgot to use my feet) and I lowered off feeling very satisfied. On the steep start of No Sleep 7a+. The next day we paid another visit to Summertime, then went snorkelling from a jetty below an isolated chapel. The water in October is really warm, and there are lots of fish, sea urchins and sponge-like creatures to look at. Unfortunately I lost the strap from one of my fins, and although we could see it on the seabed, it was too deep for us to retrieve it. Our penultimate climbing day was spent at the oddly-named Ghost Kitchen, another leaning wall covered in the most bizarre tufe formations yet.

7 There were two routes we wanted to do: Axium 6c+ and Resista 6c, and we were fortunate that some other climbers had just done the former and were happy for us to use their clips. The climb follows a technical slab, then a tufa chimney on huge holds to a no-hands rest on a monster munch tufa and finally an overhanging wall on more tufas absolutely brilliant. Karen on the rest on Axium 6c+. We headed round to the other part of the crag to find Ed and Paul, and luckily enough Paul had just led Resista and left the clips in for us. Karen decided to lead it and cruised up it, declaring it to be the best route of the holiday, and she was probably right great moves on a leaning wall on superb pockets, with a tricky leftwards traverse at the top. This was an equal PB for Karen, and boosted her confidence so much that she decided to try a 6c+ the following day. For our last climbing day on the island, we headed back to Arhi, as a few of the others had recommended End Of Mythos as a good first 6c+.

8 We warmed up on the lower tier and then headed up to Balcony Helvetia, which was deserted except for a couple of goats. I did End Of Mythos, which had a hard overhanging start, after which you raced up an enormous flake to an overlap, whare a sharp pull on good holds landed you on the headwall, wondering how the incredibly thin flakes you were holding didn t just snap off when you pulled on them. A coupl of thinner moves led to the lower-off and relief. Karen wasn t too sure about leading it, but with a bit of encouragement she set off and (as she usually does) made it look easy, although I had to get her to move left at the top as she seemed to want to climb direct up a desperately thin wall to the lower-off. Another PB! Soon after, on the lower tier, Katy got her first 7a, and then by the end of the trip (six of the party stayed on for 5 more days) three more people had PB s: Nat and Ian climbed 7c, and Jerome got his first 8a!!! End Of Mythos follows the wall, flake and tufa on the right. We finished the trip with a gorgeous, long 6a+ Komak, up a slabby wall with amazing solution pockets and holes, never desperate but always interesting right to the top. As usual we left in the dark! We had a wonderful trip, and Karen led 20 routes in total, which means she managed to raise around 300 for the Motor Neurone Disease and Supranuclear Palsy charities that she supports any donations gratefully received! Tim Skinner.