Greece Tufas and Temples

 

I was talking to my good buddy Spence a few months ago when he mentioned that he was headed to Greece on a climbing trip with some other people. It just so happened that the dates that they were going were about the only dates that Kimber and I could take much of a vacation before I jumped into my busy 4th year of podiatry school which would put me on the road visiting residency programs all over the western part of the country. So we decided to throw down the doe and invited ourselves along for their trip.

Each of those numbers is another awesome climbing area. 

The flight was 14 hrs and included a few hour layover in Paris. Then from Athens we had another few hours to the island of Kos followed by a 30 minute ferry ride to the climbing mecca of Kalymnos. This island hosts the North Face Climbing Festival and is a pretty big deal in the climbing world. We arrived at our luxury hotel around 12:30am to find a huge balcony with a view of the Agean Sea and a huge cave called the Grand Grotta all light by a full moon. It was pretty impressive. We were set to stay for 8 days of climbing and hanging out.

Us in an Athens elevator approx 3ft square, with all our gear. 

Kalymnos is a very interesting island because it is literally over run by climbers. In the afternoons and mornings there are scooters zipping around all over mounted by climbing helmet dawned climbers and loaded with all of their gear. In the evening the small markets are filled with feakishly fit people dressed in casual mountain garb with sun damaged skin. I will have to admit, I felt pretty comfortable there. The climbing is endless. I believe there are over 2,000 routs on this little island and most of them are world class.

Russ climbing for the camera at the Grand Grotta. Our hotel is a 20min hike below. 

We followed suit and rented a scooter, because it was the cheapest and most efficient way to get around.

This scooter taught us of the importance of insurance when we laid it down and got a  little road rash. Should have known not to go with the pink!

We climbed at some amazing areas, offering excellent climbing and superb routs. Of course all of the super awesome ones were way harder than I can climb, but it was fun to watch the other guys in our group work them.

Spence(L) and I (R) pulling on some tufas, AKA weird shaped stalactite things. 

Me on a long sweet rout with a view.

Ryan climbing a "celestial" rout in the Grand Grotta cave. I know we weren't the first to take that shot. 

Sikati Cave. It is the huge sink hole in the middle of the picture. We had to climb down into the hole to get to the goods. 

The goods down inside Sikati Cave. They were harder than I could handle but had fun trying and watching other send. 

Kimber and I had the beach below Sikati to ourselves for awhile. 

Kimber getting in some physical therapy/rehab on her shoulder with Kara climbing below. 

We spent a total of 4 days in Athens (1 on the way there and 3 on the way out). Kimber and I were mind blown at how old all of the ruins were and at the detail of the stories that was recorded. We as a human race and come a long way since 1200BC, and the Greeks were pretty amazing as well.

Me playing tour guide on the Acropolis. A lot of cool really old  ruins up there. I was blowing Spence's mind! 

A model in the museum showing how they think that Greeks assembled their massive temples. I was impressed.  

 

Birthday necklace for Kimber. This thing is known as the "Phaistons Disk" ( and is famous for the fact that no one can figure out what all of the symbols mean and what the purpose of it is.

This little guy with the accordian got some change from me, however I shouldn't have paid him because he should have been in school learning. 

Our diet consisted of break, Greek salads and Gyros. We didn't mind. 

On the flight home we had a 14hr layover in Amsterdam so we got a hostel and checked it out. It was nuts. There was public transportation on what felt like every other street, a billions bikes! The city reminded me of how I imagine an ivy league university to look but the size of a huge city.

***As you can tell, the majority of my picture are, at best, sub-par. Kimber took the trip serious from a photography standpoint and I will have to post a few of her good ones later or you might see some of them on her website soon at kimberhansen.com. She is a busy lady these days so soon is being used loosely.