UKC

I read a very helpful thread about Kalymnos in November! But what about March? Obviously, you wouldn't be able to fly into Kos and instead would have to fly into Athens, but what about the weather, the atmosphere, what is open/closed etc?

Would it be better to just wait until April or May?

Masouri will be closed, but in the early stages of opening up in March, much painting will be going on, assuming its not raining.
Most if not all restaurants and mini markets will still be closed, apart from Stalas super market by the jetty to Telendos.

However, over the hill towards Pothia everything is open as normal. Nowhere is far, 5 mins on the scooter and you have il posto, Marino’s and a pizza place, plus 2 gas stations and a couple of shops. The AB super market also close by, open all the time. 

From a climbing point of view its 50/50. tufas could be wet, weather could be dodgy but when the sun is out (which is most days) it can be perfect and the grey rock is very quick drying and usually climbable somewhere, and you have the added bonus of being able to climb in the sun, probably. this year it was bloody cold and windy through till May, then boiling hot!! We missed spring out. You just never know!

Normally, May will be too hot for climbing in the sun, but more things will be dry by then if its orange rock and tufas you want. 

It would be better to wait for a technological answer to the co2 emissions of a flight to Greece. Errrr. Oh no that's never going to happen so perhaps consider climbing on Portland instead. Thousands of sport routes and quite a bit of tufa to pull on. The weather is suitable all year round. And the locals speak English. The dogs don't bark all night and there are beaches nearby should you choose a summer trip. 

Predictable dislikes. What answers to the imminent extinction of thousands of species possibly including our own do you all have? 

A small inconvenience to your priviledged lives can't be countenanced to prevent/delay/mitigate the melting of the north pole and all the permafrost. If the Greenland ice caps go you can expect water to be lapping at your front door wherever you live. 

Your selfishness is plain to see.

OK I'll tell you why I disliked your post. 

1. Sarcastic tone. You don't change people's views by coming across as too cocky.

2. Holier than thou attitude. Jumped down the OP's throat for wanting to travel to  climb. I wonder, as a climber, do you ever travel for your sport? According to your UKC profile you live in Southampton. Your last logged climb was at Boulder Ruckle which google maps places as 53 miles and well over an hour's drive from Southampton. I assume you drove there? This year you've also logged climbs in Wales and Cornwall to name but two of many destinations well beyond Southampton. Oh, and just to add to the hypocrisy of criticising someone for travelling abroad to climb, you've also climbed in Sardinia this year. Here's some sarcasm for you...I wonder, did you swim to Sardinia to save aviation or ferry fuel? 

3. And as for finishing your post with "your selfishness is plain to see" ? Well, in light of your recent trip to Sardinia, it's either hugely ironic or a brilliant bit of trolling tempting people like me to bite! 

Been there a lot in March and it is perfect, amazingly green/floral and so quiet - perfect if you want green and quiet that is. Could be a lot of seepage on the tufa routes depending on how wet the winter has been,

Chris

And that is so boring. Address the issue rather than attacking those who warn of the danger. 80 percent of the population opposed just stop oil. That is just depressing. Environmentalists have been criticized since forever for not being perfect. Fine if you want to disregard the science because everyone is flawed then let's all ride together to oblivion. 

However you want to attack me, it doesn't change the fact that flying is totally unnecessary and a major source of pollution. 

I hope the OP enjoys his holiday in Greece. 

Its your tone mate. You do yourself no favours and change nobodies mind writing in this way. You are of course absolutely correct, but come off like a total w*nker sadly. 

Anyway, maybe, like you, he drives to the crags?
I drove to Kalymnos
Took a while!

To address a few things in your answer to me:

"However you want to attack me" 

I don't want to attack you. You wrote about predictable dislikes so I thought I'd be bold enough to explain my dislike. 

"it doesn't change the fact that flying is totally unnecessary and a major source of pollution."

You are of course right. But as Mike says you come across  with the wrong tone. And my point was that you also come across as 'holier than thou' and hypocritical. In your answer to me you don't explain your double standards. How is it OK for you to fly and not others? Perhaps people might respect your views more if you could explain that?

"I hope the OP enjoys his holiday in Greece." 

Again, an example of your 'smart' and sarcastic comments which do you no favours in gaining support for your views. You clearly don't mean this genuinely otherwise you wouldn't have guilt-tripped the OP earlier in this thread, so why say it? 

Just take a moment to consider how many dislikes you're getting. I bet, like me, all of the people disliking your comments actually understand the science and actually agree with your fundamental point that flying is unnecessary. So why are they disliking? Because of your tone, I suggest. 

Anyone suggesting Portland is a suitable place to go tufa climbing is clearly trolling... 

🤣

The only time I've been to Kalymnos was April. We got up about 6am most days in order to climb in the shade, stopping by early afternoon. Struck me as better suited to winter temperatures.

Every time. So dull. Every time you do this it’s the same and you achieve nothing, and I would wager you have saved not an ounce of CO2 from being released. In fact your post alone results in carbon emissions. 

What you’re saying and trying to achieve isn’t wrong. But the way you go about it is all wrong.

Also:

1. I doubt there’s thousands of sport routes on Portland. There’s 2000ish on Kalymnos and that book is way thicker than the Portland guide 

2. There’s not that much tufa either. A handful of routes here and there at most.

3. The weather is suitable all year round but probably for less days than it is on Kalymnos because we rain.

4. The locals on Kalymnos may not speak English as their native tongue, but that’s not a bad thing and they’re absolutely lovely, as seem to be very welcoming to climbers compared to Portland.

5. Barking dogs? Wut? Not many people have dogs in Massouri. Never heard one barking at night whatsoever.

If you wish to have a go at me feel free, I’ve been many times.

However having a go at everyone who asks a question about a foreign destinations just isn’t a nice way of going about things. 

For someone quite so sanctimonious I would expect a log book populated solely with climbing destinations reachable by foot or bicycle. Not Sardinia. That’s actually hilarious.

Only got 40 more years of existing, until the lights go out. And that's if I'm lucky!
Not gunna waste it climbing polished sh!te in Dorset! 

The planet was around long before me, and it ill be around long after me too. 

As for OP, I was there back in mid April this year and it was lovely weather imo. I'm planning on going back 1st of April. 

I don't think I would really want to risk March. Speaking to the locals, it seemed April was the minimum. The tufas were absolutely dripping in Grande Grota when I got there in mid April, and people kept getting nailed by tufas at Ghost Kitchen while I was there which might have been due to climbing on them while they were still damp.

So I would say if you're after steep tufa action, definitely hold out until autumn when it'll all be bone dry.