Greece and Turkey Climbing Tour

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Take a tour through the mystical world of the Aegean sea and all of its ancient ruins, party on the Mediterranean, indulge in some of the best cuisine in the world, drive through beautiful coastlines, and of course climb world-class limestone rock. That’s what this trip is all about. Kalymnos, one of our stops, is one of the best places to climb in the world due all of its unique features, tufas, and stalactites. There are some 2000 routes to climb here!

Spring is “a brilliant time to go climbing on the island. In addition, the landscape teems with wild flowers in the spring, despite the lack of trees. Breathe in the fragrant air on your walk to the crag. The chances of rain in spring are somewhat higher than those in autumn; and the sea is too cold to enjoy.” – ClimbKalymnos.com

As always, members of the Portland Climbers and Mountaineers get a 20% discount. Cheers!

Day 1

Depart home country and arrive in Athens, Greece by the afternoon. Meet and greet with your fellow adventure companions, trip briefing at the Athens International Airport in the late afternoon/evening. Take taxis to the ferries. Board overnight ferry to Kalymnos at about 10pm. Sleep in a 2 or 4 berth room. Once you wake up, you’ll be in Kalymnos!

Day 2

Arrive in Kalymnos at about 6am. Take the bus or taxi 15mins to Aspro Studios which offers 2-bed, 3 bed, and 4 person apartments overlooking the beach. We’ll unpack, settle in, have some breakfast and then visit a couple crags in the area. Our accomodation is within walking distance to all these walls: Odyssey, Ocean Dream, Iliada, Jurassic Park, Spartacus, Spartan Wall, Afternoon, Grand Grotta, Panorama, Stankill, Ivory Tower, Kalydna, Iannis, Poets, Zeus and Gerakios. It is also a stones throw from Fatolitis Climbing Station. Climbing grades for all abilities!

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Day 3-6

Spend the days climbing and doing lessons and clinics catered to your strengths and weaknesses!

Rest Day (it’s up to each individual which day they want to rest)

Rent a moto-bike or a mountain bike and cruise around the island exploring caves, monasteries, museums, or castle ruins. Or take a wooden boat to the Telendos Island and hike to the top of the mountain. Take a greek cooking class. Visit the sponge factory. You can also take a day trip by boat to surrounding islands such as Leros, Kos, and Pserimos and Bodrum in Turkey. You can even hire a sailing boat in Pothia with or without crew and set sail to all nearby islands and the beautiful – but otherwise inaccessible – inlets along the NE coast of Kalymnos.

Day 6

We’ll spend the day climbing more crags and getting our crimp on! Finish some projects or find new ones!

In the evening we’ll board a ferry to Kos Island then to Bodrum, Turkey and lodge there for the night.

Day 7

In Bodrum we’ll pick up our rental van(s) and drive through scenic country side and farm land through Yatagan and turn off towards Fetihye on highway 550. We’ll make a pit stop in the small port town of Fetihye and have lunch and maybe check out the ancient Fetihye tombs. We then continue on from there on highway 4oo for more scenic driving along beautiful coastline. Arrive at Kadir’s Tree Houses in Olympos, Turkey in the evening. There are bungalows, dorms and tree houses to stay in. The drive from Bodrum to Olympos is roughly 6.5 hours. Breakfast and dinner are included while lodged here!

Day 8 – 10

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Olympos offers awesome rock climbing as well as deep water soloing. There’s numerous crags and lots of routes for all skills and abilities. Check out a video of Olympos here.

Rest Day

Activities for your rest day include hiking, mountian biking, kayaking, table tennis, and canyoning.

Day 10

Drive up to Geyikbayiri near Antalya (about 1 hour 15min) to our last climbing destination. We’ll stay at the Climbers Garden which offers bungalows with breakfast and dinner included. This is the most developed climbing area in Turkey with hundreds of great routes!

Day 11-12

Rock climbing! Total number of routes here are over 600. The climbing is on excellent limestone rock, with features such as slabs and faces with small crimps to overhanging tufas and roofs.

On our last night here we will drive a few short miles to Antalya, drop off our vans, and check into a hotel on the coast where we’ll debrief then party it on at one of the many disco clubs bordering the shorline.

Day 13

Transfer to the airport early and catch our 8am flight back to Athens. Arrive in Athens at 11:50am. After bidding your new friends adieu, depart for your home country.

Other Details:

• Visas for Greece are stamped upon entry. Check out the visa information for Turkey. You can now get an e-Visa online. Apply for your Turkey visa before you leave.

• Climbing gear can be rented at our climbing destinations. You are encouraged to bring your own gear if you have it, however!

• Travel times and transfers are subject to change as you can’t always predict what will happen. Ferry schedules are set month by month so times could change and our course may deviate a little from the overall itinerary. Be prepared to be flexible!

• Bring clothes for warm and cold weather. Packable jackets are great. Don’t worry about bringing rain gear. If it rains we won’t be outside anyhow. There are however caves and spots that stay dry for climbing. Swimming may or may not happen, be prepared!

• When staying in hostel dorms, do not leave valuables or money behind in your room for any reason. Not even for a few minutes. Usually there are lockers to use. Keep your valueables with you(especially your passport and money) at all times!

• What you eat is up to you and at your expense. There are lots of food options even for vegitarians, but nothing is guaranteed.

• Transportation and alternative activities while at our destinations are at your expense. There’s tons to do and see!

• Make sure to purchase travel insurance. Check out WorldNomads or TravelGuard.
Keep your luggage minimal. Bring only what you can carry/pull around easily! A large backpack, and a small shoulder bag is ideal. You could also opt for a medium sized suitcase with wheels if you’d prefer not to carry your gear. Either way, you don’t want to be lugging around several suitcases or bags!

To register for this trip, RSVP here and make sure to register and pay the deposit at http://www.theedgeclimbing.com/?page_id=3365 to secure your spot. You can also find full trip details there.