We arrived to the island paradise of Kalymnos ready to spend 9 days climbing and enjoying island life. Little did we know, 9 days was not nearly enough time. As we came by ferry from Athens, Bleu Lightning got to come too – her second boat ride.
Everything about Kalymnos was perfect: watching the sun set from our balcony, post-climb swims in crystal clear water, the delicious Greek food, and most importantly – the people.
The climbing surpassed our expectations – nearly every route we got on was an incredible classic. There are over 3000 routes on the island with a large variety of styles, but the most memorable were climbs on huge tufas. Each cliff had a beautiful view of the sea and nearby islands, a perfect island breeze that brought the scent of local herbs, and often curious goats hoping for careless climbers to abandon packed lunches.
One day we took a boat to the neighboring island of Telendos. We were dropped off at the base of the crag and spent the day “trying hard” with two proud Canadians we met in yoga class the night before.
We fell in love with Kalymnos, and are already dreaming of our return trip.
