Logistics

Seasons: Spring and fall are best, and the sea is warmer in the fall. Winter climbing can be excellent, especially on the longer sunny routes, though this is the most likely time for rain. Climbing goes on in the summer months, though this is the height of the regular tourist season, prices and crowds are at their maximum, and the weather tends to be not only hot but windy.

Getting there: It takes almost two days from the States to get established on Kalymnos. The best place to base is the strip of beach towns on the northwest side of the island, Mythria, Masouri, and Amphos. Once there, you can reach the climbing on foot or by scooter.

Fly to Athens, and then take a three-hour hop on Olympic or Agean airlines to the island of Kos, the closest airport to Kalymnos. There are two Athens-to-Kos flights per day; roundtrip is about 150 Euros. Once at the Kos airport, take a bus or taxi (10 minutes, 12 Euros by taxi) to the port town of Mastichari, departure point for the ferry to Kalymnos. Boats leave three times per day; there should be a boat that corresponds with your air arrival from Athens. If the ferry is delayed by high winds, which occasionally happens, you can stay in the city of Kos, founded in 700 BC, which has ancient architecture absent in Kalymnos. Hippocrates, father of medicine, was born in Kos, and the island even has a granite bouldering area, about 20 minutes from the Kos airport. To get there from the airport, drive to Antimachia and turn right to the village of Kardamena on the south coast of Kos. From there follow the road to Noridas Beach, which sits below a huge hotel group. One hundred meters before the hotel, turn left on a gravel road that leads to a chapel. Park there and stroll to the rocks.

The Kos to Kalymnos ferry costs 3.50 Euros, takes about 45 minutes, and lands at the busy port town of Pothia, on the opposite side of Kalymnos from the climbing. By taxi, it's a 15-minute, 8-Euro ride to the northwest beach towns.

It is also possible, and cheaper than flying to Kos, to take a ferry direct to Kalymnos from Piraeus, the main port of Athens, about a 12-hour ride. The Kalymnos-to-Piraeus return is an overnight trip, leaving in the evening and arriving at about 7:00 the next morning. Basic fare is 25-30 Euros, or 35-40 per person, double occupancy, for a small berth with beds.

Lodging: You will want to base out of Mythria, Masouri, or Amphos on the northwest coast. Directly above these towns is the huge cliff escarpment that contains the most popular climbing sectors on Kalymnos. If you have an hour of daylight left after checking into your hotel, you can hike to the crag and do a route in the Grande Grotta before the sun sinks into the Agean. You can easily book a room in advance through the internet (www.kalymnos-isl.gr/webweaver/climb/eng/accomodation.html). It's hard to go too far wrong, but the best value may be Lambrinos Studios, at 20 Euros a night for an apartment. Apartments located below the road are more expensive, but are nearer to the beach and protected from street noise, including that from the scooters that most climbers rent (about 7 Euros per day) for the short commute to the crag. You can walk to many of the main zones, but you'll need some transport for reaching the more out-of-the-way sectors such as Arhi or for sightseeing on the island. Camping is not allowed on Kalymnos. This lightens your luggage without being much more expensive than staying at many European campgrounds. If you're traveling in a group of four, you can manage on $10 or $15 per night for a room with a kitchenette, walking distance from the sea, the rocks, and all the bars.

Miscellaneous: Kalymnos is easily investigated on the web, but here are a few details: There are internet cafés near the crags. Traveler's checks are optional; you can use your ATM card in Masouri to withdraw cash directly from your U.S. bank account, in Euros. Restaurants are plentiful and cheap. Greek food is diverse and vegetarians will thrive on meals such as feta cheese served with olive oil, tomatoes, and cucumbers, followed by a veggie mousaka (eggplant casserole). Fresh fish, shrimp, calamari, and octopus are widely served. Another specialty is the local honey, aromatic with native oregano and thyme and famous throughout Greece. Adventurous carnivores should go for the goat dishes. Drink the retsina, a white wine seasoned with pine resin, only if you're planning a rest day.

There are enough climbs of 6b (5.10d) and below on the island to keep climbers of modest ability happy forever. Easy and hard routes are scattered through most sectors, so groups of different abilities can climb together. If you function anywhere near the 7c (5.12d) level, bring a long rope. Many of the newer lines and extensions in the large caves offer world-class big-hold endurance climbing, and some require an 80-meter cord. Even some of the 5.11s, most notably the Grande Grotta route Trella, require a 70-meter rope. As with many "resort" climbing areas, the bolts in Kalymnos are closely spaced and the grades a bit soft, so don't be afraid to push yourself up the scale.

Multi-pitch climbing in Kalymnos is not yet very popular, but there are numerous hidden adventure climbs that are worth the risk of getting hot, thirsty, and late for the bar. Most are south facing and best done in the cooler months or early in the day. There's no need to bring any trad gear, just a 60-meter rope and a thin tag line for rappelling.