Grande Grotta
A trip to Kaly wouldn't be the same without at least one visit to the big cave, so it seemed like a fitting way to end our stay on the island. I started the day with stomach issues, as usual (the food has not been agreeing with me these past few days) but after a late start we hiked up to a new sector (to us) called the Spartan Wall. Jeff, the Aussie from Sweden had recommended Lucifer's Hammer, so after warming up on a chossy 5c called Tigryonak and then Probleme Mineur (fantastic) we climbed Lucifer's Hammer, which was wonderful. Chloe flashed it too, which is her hardest flash! And that is after I gave her some really awful beta for the crux.
Next stop, the big cave itself. When we first visited back in 2003 I was fixated on one route: DNA. When I first looked at it and the routes next to it I will admit that I was pretty intimidated, not having climbed anything like that before. It took a little work, but I eventually sent. Over the subsequent trips we came back to do Ivi and Aphrodite, and I went more or less bolt to bolt on Aegialis. I would occasionally see people on a famous route called Priapos (named for the dong-like stalactites everywhere) just to the right. It is a spectacularly overhung route, and looks exceptional even for Kalymnos. Having heard that it is easier than Aegialis, I thought I would give it a shot. When you pull down on the first holds, you really have no idea what a long ride you are in for: Chloe tells me that I was on the route for almost an hour, milking every rest. I downclimbed from the crux a few times, and was in the red zone by the time I reached the 7c/7b+ anchors, but I made it! My proudest flash ever. The only down side is having to clean the route, which meant climbing it again, seconding. I think it might have actually been harder to second than to lead (especially after exhausting myself on the send).
Chloe then got on Aphrodite and promptly whacked her head on a stalactite. She did the moves, but was tired out from her effort on Lucifer's Hammer earlier in the day.
We walked down the hill for one final trip to Linaria to swim, have lunch and then drop the scooter off. A quick dip in the sea feels fantastic after a (half) day of climbing. At the scooter rental place, one of the teenagers that run the place during the day drove us back to the studio, nearly killing us and several other motorists along the way.
We had a wonderful last meal at the Aegean tavern
where the kitten was running around attacking it's mother and tableclothes again.
Then back home to pack
Next stop, the big cave itself. When we first visited back in 2003 I was fixated on one route: DNA. When I first looked at it and the routes next to it I will admit that I was pretty intimidated, not having climbed anything like that before. It took a little work, but I eventually sent. Over the subsequent trips we came back to do Ivi and Aphrodite, and I went more or less bolt to bolt on Aegialis. I would occasionally see people on a famous route called Priapos (named for the dong-like stalactites everywhere) just to the right. It is a spectacularly overhung route, and looks exceptional even for Kalymnos. Having heard that it is easier than Aegialis, I thought I would give it a shot. When you pull down on the first holds, you really have no idea what a long ride you are in for: Chloe tells me that I was on the route for almost an hour, milking every rest. I downclimbed from the crux a few times, and was in the red zone by the time I reached the 7c/7b+ anchors, but I made it! My proudest flash ever. The only down side is having to clean the route, which meant climbing it again, seconding. I think it might have actually been harder to second than to lead (especially after exhausting myself on the send).
Chloe then got on Aphrodite and promptly whacked her head on a stalactite. She did the moves, but was tired out from her effort on Lucifer's Hammer earlier in the day.
We walked down the hill for one final trip to Linaria to swim, have lunch and then drop the scooter off. A quick dip in the sea feels fantastic after a (half) day of climbing. At the scooter rental place, one of the teenagers that run the place during the day drove us back to the studio, nearly killing us and several other motorists along the way.
We had a wonderful last meal at the Aegean tavern
where the kitten was running around attacking it's mother and tableclothes again.
Then back home to pack
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