UKC

Has anyone done some climbing on Kalymnos while staying on Kos? I'm trying to work out if that's a feasible thing to do. We've been looking for a half term break but so far flights only to Kos seem to cost the same as an inclusive week in a hotel on Kos! It would be a family holiday where I will be allowed to go and climb with some friends who are going to be on Kalymnos at the time, so in some ways a beach hotel with swimming pools could be great for the rest of family, but is "commuting" to Kalymnos on the ferry for a day of climbing then coming back to Kos in the evening feasible? How long does the ferry take and how much does it cost? Might it depend where on Kos you were staying? etc etc.

Thanks in advance for any advice from Kalymnos veterans!

In reply to TobyA:

The fast ferry from Kos town took no more than an hour, I'd say approx 45 min, from Kalymons to Kos. But then you'd have to get from Kalymons port to the climbing areas on the other side of the island, which I reckon you could be at the crag in an hour from docking. I'd say depending on the ferry times, the whole endeavour would be ambitious but probably doable? You can hire a moped for 10 euro/day at the port. 

In reply to TobyA:

It is not uncommon to book a package to Kos and forgoe the accomodation to stay on Kalymnos.

If you choose to stay on Kos, consider arranging a pass out for a night as travel from your Kos hotel to the crag will take a lot of time out of your day. Go over on the first ferry day 1 and return on the last day 2. Hiring a scooter in Pothia (the port) would make a lot of sense.

In reply to TobyA:

The Climb Kalymnos website is worth a look, they put the ferry timetables online and also there's links to the two companies that run the boats: https://climbkalymnos.com/wp-content/uploads/Ferries_July_Aug_Sep_Oct_2022-...

Fares look to be about 8 Euros on the fast boat. My Greek is too rubbish to understand the PDF for the slow boat. 

Looks like you'd potentially have around 11 hours between the first ferry arriving and last leaving. 

From memory it takes about 40-45 mins for the fast ferry and around an hour for the slow ferry. 

In reply to Presley Whippet: also worth noting is that the cheap packages often have weird flight times which don’t match  with first or last ferries , however they do come with a convienient hotel attached . This means that first and or last nights of the Kaly trip can be spent on Kos in civilised comfort . Much better than getting lashed up and sleeping in a chair by the ferry terminal and then trying to climb straight away the  next day   after a skin full of mythos  and retsina and a sh1t nights sleep . ( allegedly ) . 

In reply to mike123:

I think that could be me next weekend.

In reply to TobyA:

I would suggest that where you are on Kos could be as important as the Ferry to Kaly, and then getting from the port to the climbing.
Personally I do not mix climbing and family holidays, other than a bit of Via Feratta. Pick another island, and take away the distraction of Kalymnos, only a teasingly short ferry ride away, where your friends will be enjoying superb rock, generous bolting and ice cold Mythos as they watch the sun go down over Telendos, preparing to do it all again the next day.

In reply to TobyA:

I think Olympus the greek holiday travel package company do all in deals on Kalymnos..have you tried them?

In reply to neilh:

I don't know which company it was but my partner found package deals to Kalymnos but it was double the price of the same length of time on Kos.

In reply to Godwin:

My family are used to me doing some climbing on family holidays - maybe only a day or a couple of shorter sessions but it feeds my rat and they're happy enough without me for some time! Sometimes they actually come climbing as well, but also are happy if I go off and climb some days with friends when they do things they want to. It's worked well enough for the last 18 years. 😀

In reply to TobyA:

A lot depends on where you are on Kos. You really want to be on the first ferry in the morning - most of the good crags on Kalymnos, especially the ones that are easily accessible for a day trip, are west facing and get hot in the afternoon. The whole idea would only really be viable - albeit still strenuous - if you are within easy reach of Kos Town or Mastichari.

In reply to TobyA:

Have you thought about  buying the excellent Guide to Greek Sports climbing and hunt round for hoilday areas near Athens. There are quite a few well bolted areas on the north of the Pelponesse pennisula which are Greek family hoilday desinations.

The wealth of sports climbing on mainland Greece is pretty mindboggling.

In reply to TobyA:

There's also some bouldering on Kos, although all I know about it is what I've read online.

In reply to neilh:

The issue is my family (wife in particular) wants to go to Greece but doesn't want to climb. One of my best friends (and oldest climbing partners) is going to Kalymnos anyway that week so I can climb with him and the others he is with. My wife thought Kalymnos looked lovely for a non climber also, so she suggested we go there and I could climb but by the time we were organised there weren't cheap flights to Kos available - half term week and I'm a teacher so can't be flexible on dates really...

In reply to TobyA:

As said above it depends where you are on Kos, but almost certainly you will need taxi>ferry>taxi to get to the crags and the same on the way back. Personally I would try to wangle a night over there even if it involved making a trip of it by taking the families and stopping somewhere nice - Massouri in the evening is gorgeous,

Chris

In reply to TobyA:

The general concensus is that for non climbers its pretty rubbish........its a climbers DisneyLand...and and a brilliant place...for climbers.

Sounds like you are catching the fast ferry to sample the delights.

In reply to AlanLittle:

Its been 8 years but I remember the bouldering being surprisingly good, and atmospheric with goats joining in and climbing pretty flipping hard!!!

but if i had mates on the other island i'd probably disappear for 2 days too.

In reply to AlanLittle:

Yes, good boulder field just behind the resort of Kardamena on Kos. Some photos here: https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/kos-17616/#overview

In reply to TobyA:

Been to Kalymnos twice in the past year and it seems very possible to me, although might be a bit expensive unless you can get your mates to pick you up from the port on Porthia. 

It's €18 to get to the other side of the island where the climbing is via taxi. 

So per day trip you're looking at about €36 on taxis, and another €20 or so for the ferry. 

€56 all in. 

For reference, that's about the cost of a nights accommodation in Kalymnos on the climbing side of the island (Myrties).

Timing should be fine. Once you hit Porthia you're only about a 25 minute taxi drive to Myrties, and there's a bunch of crags that are walkable from there in 25 minutes. 

Porthia to crag in a hour is more than doable. 

I have never got the ferry from Kos town though, which is probably be where your package holiday has you staying. Check the climbkalymnos.com site for ferry timetables from various ports. 

In reply to TobyA:

I know you’re looking at Kos, but just an alternative thought - I had a day at this place recently in the Ionian Sea off the back of a family holiday. 
https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/mytikas-24391/

Good range of grades, very well bolted and there are plenty of beaches and apartments in the area. 
If your wife would be happy to belay for a day, it might be worth a look. The nearest airport is Preveza (less than one hour from crag/resort) and there are flights from a number of UK airports. 

In reply to mike123:

Mate you should have gone on one of loungers on beach, got a decent night's sleep on one of those....

In reply to neilh:

Kalymnos is a beautiful little island with some really nice beaches and a relaxed, non in your face Brits-abroady type vibe.  

Ok other than climbing there's not a great deal to do on the island other than relax by the pool or beach and bez about on a scooter and eat amazing food, but that sounds pretty good to me?

I've got a non-climbing mate coming out for a week this year, just fancied it...

In reply to Iamgregp:

I will wait for the reviews after they have been......

In reply to neilh:

I've been every year for the last 6.  He knows what to expect!

A beach, a good book and a beer is pretty much all he's looking for.

In reply to Iamgregp:

Has he been there though!

I have yet to meet a non climber who has enjoyed it and gone back( which is the true endorsement)

In reply to neilh:

No he hasn't visited before.

I've met plenty of people out there who have gone back again and again who don't climb at all some are connected to people who climb, others not.

In reply to neilh:

There's a pretty big scuba diving scene - mostly in the summer when climbers aren't there. But if you're into vineyards & ruins, I guess pretty much every other island has more to offer (than basically none!)

In reply to TobyA:

Depends where you are on Kos- but if you were at or near the port and got up early for the first ferry (times are published online a few weeks in advance), left on a late one it would be totally doable.

Another nice option might be to do the package in Kos then hire an Airbnb on Kalymnos for one night for the whole family? You could then all watch the beautiful sunset over Telendos together with a Mythos, you could have 2 days climbing for a few hours and it would be a mini adventure for everyone!