Pezonda, yet another new crag on Kalymnos in Greece

Pezonda is an extensive new sector located midway along the Arginonta-Vathy road, in one of the wildest and remotest parts of the island. It takes its name from the beautiful fjord down below, which it overlooks. Beyond that, in the blue/green waters, is the small island of Kalolimnos; further in the distance is the coast of Turkey. Pezonda is an excellent addition to Kalymnos climbing: the limestone is fresh and abundant, the approach is not too long or steep (relatively speaking), and cool conditions in the afternoon shade prevail.

The very few signs of life and the almost complete absence of “civilization” make this a great spot for going off the grid, so to speak. You can forget your mobile phones here; there is no service.

At this writing, sector Pezonda comprises five smaller sub-sectors, and there is certainly potential for more. From left to right, the sub-sectors are Eora Cave; Lemon Crumble Wall; Valhalla; Peanut Wall; and Great Escape.

Almost all routes at sector Pezonda were bolted by Hannes Webhofer and Niels Abegglen in 2019-2021. Almost all bolts and lower-offs were provided by us (Climb Kalymnos / Aris Theodoropoulos) with proceeds from the sales of our Kalymnos guidebook.

INFO
Shade
Mostly between 13:00 and 15:00, depending on each sub-sector.

Approach (Walking time: 20 mins)
Drive along the Arginonta-Vathy road until you come to the col (37.004810, 26.994215). Turn off the main road onto a narrow dirt road starts on the left and leading to a goat pen. Park 100m further (50m before the goat pen) next to a big cairn and blue/red paint marks (37.003703, 26.995894). Follow the path until it splits. To Lemon Crumble Wall and Eóra Cave, turn right (red markings); to Valhalla, Peanut Wall, and Great Escape, turn left (blue markings). There are also big cairns along the footpat

ATTENTION: Look out for beehives, which are often kept nearby. Keep your distance!

1. EÓRA CAVE
A horseshoe-shaped small cave with good-quality, compact, slightly overhanging rock. At this writing there are 14 routes (6a—8a+) bolted mainly by Niels Abegglen in 2019-2020. They’re not too long, but they are good.
Shade: Around 15:00

2. LEMON CRUMBLE WALL
The wall is long, but it lacks much potential (loose rock at parts and chossy lower sections, despite much cleaning). Routes into the mystic and mindblower are accessed via fixed rope, which also helps with safer belaying.
Gear: 80m rope. Helmets mandatory.
Shade: Around 13:00.

3. VALHALLA
The star of Pezonda: a relatively narrow recess in the rock between grey walls with an impressive, compact orange wall full of stark features, some big huecos, and outstanding routes.
Shade: Around 13:00.

4. PEANUT WALL
A wall with a feature that looks like a giant peanut! At this writing there are only four routes. There is some potential here, especially for hard climbs; there is also a very promising wall between sub-sectors Valhalla and Peanut Wall which is untouched and best for easy-to-moderate grades.

5. GREAT ESCAPE
Still in the early stages of development, with only four routes at this writing and no names assigned yet. Access via fixed rope (approx. 15m). Views are predictably stunning, and it’s a great place to, well, escape.

For further information and to download the pdf with all the routes check out: climbkalymnos.com