The North Face Kalymnos Climbing Festival - day two

The first The North Face Kalymnos Climbing Festival kicked off officially on Thursday and the Greek island was certainly ready for it. Thanks first of all to that sun, that deep intense blue and those quality crags which - it seems superfluous to say - have become something all climbers dream of. And thanks also to that joy which only the colours and something intangible lingering in the Mediterranean air can offer. Perhaps this is why the official opening ceremony, with special guests including the man who first discovered the island's climbing potential Andrea Di Bari, Simone Moro, the mayor of Kalymnos Alexander Megos and other authorities - smiles abounded and the atmosphere was relaxed.

Yes, perhaps it was the Kalymnian air and Mare Nostrum (meaning sea of people) that gave motivated all the top climbers taking part in the PROject Competition. And, we are certain, this atmosphere will continue to linger during the next couple of days and inspire not only the champion climbers but also all those taking part in the OPEN and Big Marathon events.

Talking about big names, the list of those taking part here is impressive to say the least. Just as impressive and beautiful as the crag - it's no longer a secret - bolted by Jacopo Larcher and Simone Moro (check out the photos to see what we mean). There are 4 routes for the men and 4 for the women in this PROject Competition and the climbers need to send them in the least number of attempts possible. For now, the provisional results of day 1 are led by "cat-like" Yuji Hirayama with two routes in two attempts each, just like the talented 18-year-old German Alexander Megos. Gabriele Moroni, Andre Neres, Kilian Fischhuber, Michael Fuselier, Dani Andrada and Sam Elias have all managed to send one route while, for now, Hansjoerg Auer, Iker Pou, Nicolas Favresse and Jonathan Siegrist haven't topped out.

The "works in progress" in the female category is currently led by Anna Stöhr, Barbara Zangerl, Caroline Ciavaldini, Melissa Le Neve and Anna Mikushkina, all with 1 top (Stöhr and Le Neve on their 1st attempt) while Daila Ojeda and Argyro Papathanasiou are still attempting to clinch for that first lower-off. But the game is a long one, still wide open and... unleashed. Almost as much as today's Open and Big marathons.

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