Kyparissi, a new sports climbing paradise in Greece

Kyparissi is a secluded paradise backed by the craggy slopes of Mount Parnon and fronted by the cobalt blue of the Myrtoan Sea. Home to about 400 people, it is tucked away on the east coast of the Peloponnese—between Leonidio and Monemvasia—at the end of a scenic mountain road. The time by car from Athens is about 5 hours. Until 1970, Kyparissi was only accessible by sea or on foot by walking down a long, steep mountain path. Then, the road connecting it to Sparta was completed. And what a road… the last 10km of the drive down to the village are enough to intimidate even those of us used to verticality! As it meanders down through steep cliffs and lush ravines, the road is enormously scenic, but also quite dizzying.

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. Even though it was discovered back in 2005, until recently only 25 routes had been equipped in Kyparissi. In spring 2015 the Kyparissi Bolting Project commenced with the aim of equipping 120 sport routes, as well as extending the area’s tourist season from the summer months into spring and fall.

Kastraki is the easiest crag in Kyparissi, with routes starting at 5a. Kastraki is in the middle section of the village, above the church and not far from the beach, in lush surroundings with beautiful views. Kastraki has all the makings of a popular crag: very good quality limestone, low to mid-grades (5a-6c), a "central" location and a very easy approach.

TOPO: the crag Kastraki


Kyparissi Climbing Festival (October 2-4, 2015)
To introduce gorgeous Kyparissi as a climbing venue, a small festival is planned for the first weekend of October (2,3 and 4 October 2015). The event will be organized by the local municipality with support by The North Face Greece, Vertical Life, and Zlagboard. Special guest at the festival will be Angy Eiter, the four-time world champion with three 9a ascents under her belt. Angy and her partner Bernie Ruech are very familiar with Kyparissi and Leonidio, as they have already invested a lot of time in developing new routes at both venues. The festival will include a climbing marathon on Saturday, Oct 3rd; live music and and award ceremony on Saturday evening, and free climbing on Sunday.