UKC

Planning a Kalymnos trip hopefully staying in Masouri.

Be great to hear what peoples experience on best crags there are. Planning to climbing all through 6's and lower 7's over 3/4 climbing days.

Also any ideas of to do's on rest days as well as general tips would be great to hear about.

I like different crags for different reasons, and of course the time of year makes a big difference due to the need to either hunt out or avoid the sun, what time of year are you going?

My overall favourite is probably Spartacus/Spartan Wall for the sheer range of quality routes at all grades, I'm also a fan of longer routes which helps here.

Kalydna/Stankill/Ivory Tower is great if you want a quiet climb within walking distance of Massouri.

The Beach is good for hot days as it predictably has it's own beach (which you may have to share with goats) so as the sun comes round you can ditch the climbing and go for a dip.

E.T is quality over quantity, not many routes but they are great. The walk in is a killer though so try not to get a project up here...

I've not been to a crag that I would suggest you avoid really, although I've certainly not visited them all. If you really must go to Poets, then don't do it on day 1 as it will destroy your skin.
Yes, Odyssey is as polished as they say, although there are still quality routes there.
The Grotta is a must if you have never been, Ivi or DNA are good pint-sized tasters of the bigger cave routes, if you can get past the queues.

The best thing we did on a rest day was to drive over to Vathi and hire kayaks. Take your shoes for the small DWS cave or just paddle out to sea, it's a beautiful area.

Hope that helps!

When we were there (May) Beach was in the sun in the morning and went into shade in the afternoon - which was handy if you fancy a lie-in.

Re rest days: leisurely lunch in Vathi, Emborios or over on  Telendos

My favourite crags are the ones which offer 3-D tufa climbing at my level (6a+ to 6c+ Kalymnos grades). Ghost Kitchen main wall, Grande Grotta right-hand-side, Panorama Left, Panorama Centre, Secret Garden ... all sensational, and unlike crags that I've been to anywhere else west of Thailand.

Take a couple of head-torches, and explore the cave at Cave. It only takes an hour, but is certainly worth doing.

Kalymnos is very much an 'in' crag at the moment and although there's a lot of rock there can be a lot of climbers too - depending when you go. A friend of mine just came back and said they went to one crag, The Secret Garden, and there was a rope hanging down every single route on the crag. And that crag has a 30 min walk in too.

Spring and Autumn are the popular times so if you go then the 'best' crags will likely be those with the fewest climbers. If you go in the summer it quietens down considerably though early starts are required to beat the heat.

For rest days try the Pirate's Cove. Great little bay with cool bars and boat and canoes to ride around on.

Na, that's Leonidio. Kalymnos when out of fashion in 2013. I still think it's great mind.

All the stuff around Masouri is great so. If you see routes in the guide that look good then you are unlikely to be disappointed. It's has to be said that it's often too sunny to climb your best on most of the Masouri crags. Seeking out crags in the shade is worth a grade.

The only crag that's disappointed so far has been Palace. 

It's definitely 'in' at the moment. My friend complaining of crowded crags was there just a few days ago.

  Are you sure he wasn’t taking the piss?

I hope you are right as when I was there at Easter it was quite saddening to see so many empty shops and restaurants. 

In reply to the OP, Sikati Cave was very spectacular and worth a visit. Empty when we were there and totally dry when Secret Garden (similar aspect) was very greasy. Ghost Kitchen is good as well and obviously Grand Grotte

I hope you are right as when I was there at Easter it was quite saddening to see so many empty shops and restaurants. 

In reply to the OP, Sikati Cave was very spectacular and worth a visit. Empty when we were there and totally dry when Secret Garden (similar aspect) was very greasy. Ghost Kitchen is good as well and obviously Grand Grotte

Really? I'm here at the moment and none of the crags have been particularly busy. I've been here 5 times and it's definitely a lot quieter than previously. 

Secret Garden is one of the few shady crags, and it's been hot and sunny, so not a good barometer for how busy the place is generally. 

What is a rest day ?

I always seem to climb best at Odyssey personally. But almost every crag I've been to at Kalymnos would be a top 10 crag anywhere else, especially in the grades you're talking about.

In terms of rest days, I really enjoyed doing a moped tour of the whole island. You can basically pick a place to lunch in as nearly everywhere has excellent food. The little harbour at Vathis was nice and has a couple of good places for lunch. The Archaeological museum in Pothia is actually quite good too and a cool respite from the heat. I didn't go but I was told that it's worth doing a day trip to Leros for general sightseeing on a rest day too.