Kyparissi is surrounded by consecutive belts of rock. Some describe it as ‘Two Céüses’ or ‘Half a Kalymnos’. These claims may sound exaggerated, but there is a lot of truth to them. Kyparissi truly is phenomenal, and it does have everything it takes to become an international climbing venue in the footsteps of Kalymnos.
Cliffs are abundant; their quality is exceptional; climbing conditions are perfect, especially in spring and fall; touristic infrastructure is already in place; the setting is spectacular and authentic; and the locals, who are genuinely kind, would greatly welcome an extended tourist season. So far, the scant amount of routes wholly misrepresents the vast climbing potential of the area.
Local authorities have pursued funding for a project to develop climbing in the area.
Climbing: Highly featured, compact red and gray limestone of exceptional quality. There are endless stalactites and tufa formations, caves, overhangs, and the height of the cliffs often exceeds 50m. The existing routes are equipped with stainless-steel bolts and they are mostly in the mid- to high-grades (6c-8b+).
Gear: A 70m rope and 18 QD for longer routes.
Conditions: Climbing is possible year-round, but the best seasons are spring and autumn.
Sector 'Vlychada' | ||||||||||
Le Sabre | 6a+ | 40m | Toumpano | 6c | 15m | Myrtoan | 6c+ | 25m | ||
Malvasia | 7b | 30m | Artemis | 7a | 25m | C' a l' envers | 6c | 25m | ||
Katsikos | 6c+ | 25m | Tufa Tango | 7b | 25m | Mare Nostrum | 7a+ | 25m | ||
Nectaria | 6a+ | 20m | Tandalo | 6b | 20m | In to The Groove | 6a | 20m | ||
Laloudi | 5c+ | 17m | Mura Rossa | 5b+ | 17m | Nikoforos | 5c | 15m | ||
Sector 'Stavros' | ||||||||||
Paliochora | 6b+ | 35m | Alonaki | 6c+ | 35m | Ymettia | 7a | 25m | ||
Moma (Pyliza) | 6b | 30m | Zastano | 6a | 30m | Vigliza | 6c | 32m | ||
Gyres | 6c | 40m | ||||||||
Sector 'Jerome's House' | ||||||||||
Pinkerton | 6b+ | 30m | Bay Area | 6b+ | 30m | Kalderimi | 6c | 30m | ||
Black Jack | 6c | 30m | Epitirisi kai Timoria | 6b+ | 20m | Epitirisi kai Timoria Ext 1 | 7a | 30m | ||
Epitirisi kai Timoria Ext 2 | 7b | 38m | Out of System | 6c | 25m | Piliza | 6a | 20m | ||
Piliza Ext | 7a+ | 30m | Hospeatality | 6b+ | 30m | Choco Heaven | 6b+ | 30m | ||
Bangsters | 6c | 30m | Bangsters Ext | 7a+ | 38m | The Crazy World | 6c | 30m | ||
The Crazy World Ext | 7a+ | 35m | Of Arthur Brown | 6b | 20m | Of Arthur Brown Ext | 6b+ | 30m | ||
Catalavenis? | 7b | 25m | Catalavenis? Ext | 7c | 50m | Kidoni | 6c | 20m | ||
Low Cost | 6a+ | 20m | Strikebreaker | 6a+ | 25m | Teleferic | 5c | 25m | ||
Sector 'Psilovrachos' | ||||||||||
Nama | 7a+ | 30m | Sarantos | 7a | 35m | Mon Amour | 6c | 30m | ||
Cavo Kortia | 6c | 35m | Cavo Kortia ext. 1 | 7a | 45m | Cavo Kortia ext. 2 | 7b | 55m | ||
Thalassoplagtos | 7a | 25m | Aoratos Roz Monokeros | 7b | 30m | Ploes | 7c+ | 25m | ||
Syneidito Afti | 8a+ | 25m | Poisonous | ? | 25m | Bona Fortuna | 7c+ | 25m | ||
Siderenia fterna | 7c+ | 25m | Manifesto | 8a | 25m | Rush | ? | 25m | ||
Parapola | 7b+ | 25m | Astropeleki | 7c | 25m | Falkonera | ? | 25m | ||
Blue | 6c+ | 25m | Blue ext | ? | 35m | S. Rovatsos | 6c+ | 20m | ||
Ektos Edras | 7b | 25m | Ektos Edras ext | ? | 35m | |||||
Sector 'Babala' | ||||||||||
Gloom of Triumph | 8c | 30m | Mythos | 8b/+ | 30m | Carpe Diem (1st part) | 8a+ | 25m | ||
Carpe Diem | 8b+ | 35m | Mea Culpa | ? | 30m | Gerobabalis | ? | 30m | ||
Woood n' Metal | ? | 30m | Aima kai Sperma | ? | 25m | Father of Lies | ? | 20m | ||
Tiresias | 7c+ | 20m | Leodokardos | 8a | 30m | Skliros Theos | ? | 30m | ||
Stokos | 6b+ | 15m | Ntinos | 6b+ | 20m | Mitsaras | 6c | 25m | ||
Magnum Opus | 7b+ | 25m | Magnum Opus ext. | 7b+ | 45m | Lefko Pnevma | 25m | |||
Streptokoccus | 8a | 25m | Advocatus Diaboli | 8a+ | 30m | TCHAO Wild Goat (part 1) | 6a+ | 15m | ||
TCHAO Wild Goat | 7c | 30m | I Am a Don Key | 7c? | 30m | Octo Plus | 8a+ | 30m | ||
Marion | 8b+? | 30m | ||||||||
Sector 'Playground' | ||||||||||
Le Serpent | 6b | 18m | Lizard | 6b | 18m | Maricela | 5a+ | 20m | ||
Monkey Bars | 5b+ | 18m | Wizard | 5b+ | 18m | Anketi | 5b | 20m | ||
Aristos | 5b+ | 20m | Cookie Monster | 5b | 16m | Crocus | 5c | 16m | ||
Trambala | 6b | 12m | Foxy | 6b | 12m | Kopana | 5c | 12m | ||
Sector 'Watermill' | ||||||||||
Tiris | 6a | 20m | Welcome to Kyparissi | 6a | 20m | Welcome to Kyparissi Ext | 6c | 35m | ||
Vryl | 7c | 20m | Pita 4-Ever | 7a+ | 25m | Kalimeralex | 7a+ | 25m | ||
Esterattitucle | 7b | 25m | Neromylos | 8? | 30m | Zarax | 8a | 25m | ||
Medousa's Blood | 8b | 30m | Asclepius | 7c+ | 25m | Thanks George | 7a | 30m | ||
Myros | 7b | 30m | Jerome the Gangster | 7c+ | 25m | Kyparissi | 7a | 20m | ||
Stelios House | 7b+ | 20m | Stelios House ext | ? | 35m | Kyfanta | 7b+? | 25m | ||
Tetoros | 6a | 18m | Smoke on the Water | 6b+ | 30m | Sidiropoulos | 6c | 30m | ||
Krikos | 7a+ | 27m | Kiafa | 6c | 20m | Skourkos | 6a+ | 20m | ||
Gelis | 6b | 20m | Giouzelis | 6c+ | 30m | Trypes | 7a+ | 20m | ||
Trypes Ext | 7b+ 3pa | 36m | Koumara | 6c | 20m | Koumara Ext | 7a+ 2pa | 36m | ||
Kyparidiso | 7a | 36m | Cave Man | 6c | 33m | |||||
Sector 'Kastraki' | ||||||||||
Pipis | 5a | 10m | Koles | 5b | 10m | Tsitos | 5c+ | 15m | ||
Koufos | 5c | 10m | Sirmas | 6a | 25m | Kotsipetros | 6a+ | 25m | ||
Batarolos | 5c | 22m | Rozos | 6a | 25m | Mantrakoukos | 6b | 25m | ||
Kolios | 6a+ | 25m | Zafiris | 6a+ | 25m | Kakaras | 6a | 30m | ||
Kastraki | 5b | 20m | Kastraki Ext | 6a+ | 35m | Mougaras | 6a+ | 30m | ||
Kepas | 6b+ | 28m | Bouras | 6a | 28m | Pontikos | 6b | 18m | ||
Monimos | 6c+ | 18m | Frydias | 6c | 18m | Tzambas | 7a | 18m | ||
Gandemis | 6c | 18m | Jumping Fish | 6c+ | 18m | Krinos | 6c | 18m | ||
Tantra | 6a+ | 18m | Panotsis | 5c+ | 18m | |||||
Sector 'Kapsala' | ||||||||||
Kapsalismenos | 6c | 35m | King Albert 1er | 6a+/b | 150m | Thrylos | 6b | 30m | ||
Thrylos ext. | 6b+ | 40m | Fokiano | 6a+ | 38m | Laconia | 6a | 35m | ||
Spetses | 5c | 30m | Dokos | 5b+ | 20m | Hydra | 6a | 20m | ||
Bolton Celtics | 7a | 22m | Born to Lose | 7a | 25m | Live to Win | 7a+ | 25m | ||
Sunburst | 7b+ | 32m | Whiplash | 6c+ | 18m | Nobel Bolt | 7a+ | 30m | ||
Nobel Bolt ext. | 7a+ | 45m | Batwoman | 7b(+) | 30m | Faros | 7a | 25m | ||
Titox | 6b+ | 25m | Pearl Jump | 7a+ | 25m | Red Wine | 7a | 28m | ||
Samali | 6b+ | 20m | Ravani | 6a | 25m | Anastasis | 6b | 16m | ||
Lukumades | 6a+ | 22m |
* Information is courtesy of climbgreece.com
From the beautiful seaside village of Kyparissi, it is hard to imagine that hidden amongst the surrounding cliffs lies a large fir forest on a mountainside offering a number of lovely hikes. The entirety of Mt. Hionovouni comprises a Natura habitat and was once filled with human activities, as evidenced by the many huts and goatfolds and terraced fields, most of them now abandoned. A series of paths, based on the original network, provide an opportunity to enjoy these traces of human endeavour and to enjoy the wonderful landscape. The main route forms part of national hiking path 33 that crosses Hionovouni from the village of Kremasti to Lambokambo.
Other routes branch off to villages in the foothills – the three settlements of Kyparissi and Harakas. All the paths can be combined as desired, beginning and ending at different points, depending on hikers’ interests and abilities.
Information is courtesy of Municipality of Monemvasia
Kremasti - Lambokambos Length: 12,977m | Difficulty: 3/5 | Drinking water: No |
Kyparissi - Kremasti Length: 10,099m | Difficulty: 3/5 | Drinking water: No |
Harakas - Kyparissi Length: 12,256m | Difficulty: 4/5 | Drinking water: No |
Babala Length: 8,738m | Difficulty: 3/5 | Drinking water: No |
Palaiohora & Agia Varvara Length: 5,689m | Difficulty: 3/5 | Drinking water: No |
Agios Georgios Length: 1,723m | Difficulty: 1/5 | Drinking water: Yes |
Piliza Length: 5,689m | Difficulty: 3/5 | Drinking water: No |
You can get your free copy of hiking routes map at the hotel. |