In reply to mbh:
Here is a brief run-down of my trip to Kalymnos (Tried to make it as concise as possible so not to bore you to death!):
Week 1
T - Arrived
F - Symplagathes – Homo Sapiens (6c), Igel direct (7a) and Iason (6b+) on-sight. Did Ermix (7a) first redpoint after missing a hold on the on-sight.
S - Secret Garden - Warmed up on Ballos (7a+) thinking it was 6c, not a great warm-up! Did Stigmata (7b) first red point - thin, bouldery crux and then on-sighted Bourre mais pas pleine (7b+) by the skin of my teeth. First 'proper' 7b+ on-sight.
S - Olympic wall: On-sighted Biloute (7a), Tornando Lou (7b) and Saule (7a+)
M – Prothitis Andreas – Woke up late. Managed to on-sight Prothitis Andreas (7a) before the sun came round. Beach.
T- Went to Arhi in the morning - resembled a climbing wall on a winters night - very busy! Warmed up on Poseidon (6c) and then tried Eros (7b+) - basically a horrible, polished boulder problem followed by an easier finish. Seemed totally over-rated to me so stripped it. Went to E.T. in the afternoon – On-sighted Ibiscus (6b+), Et Defi Fit (6c), Manu (7a) and Zupp le Pinquoin (6c).
W- Secret Garden - Warmed up on Ricounet (6c+) and then tried Kaly Diva (7c) - got it on the 3rd red point - really cool route with a technical vert wall, with a couple of desperate moves on slopey holds and then a steeper wall with big moves to good pockets and some tufa squeezing to finish. First 7c away from the UK. Finished by on-sighting Mayumba (7a+).
T- Cave – Felt tired. Failed on the on-sight attempt of Saroman (7a+). Then fell off the top of Eirini (7c) on the on-sight – hard, bouldery finish. Worked out the move but fell off on the redpoint going for the final hold. Decided to call it a day.
F- Saint Photis – On-sighted Ikare (7a+), Oups (7a) and Captain Correli (6c+).
S-Rest Day
S-Took the boat to Telendos. Went to Pescatore in the morning. Warmed up putting the clips in Amores Perros (7c+). Worked some of the moves but struggled with the crux span to the sloper. After a rest, managed to find a better way of holding the poor, slopey sidepull for the left hand which made the span a lot easier. Worked all the other moves. On the first redpoint fell off on the final tufa as I didn't catch the sloper correctly, two moves form easier ground! Gutted but pretty happy to be so close on the first redpoint. Sun was coming round so stripped it and went to Eros - fell off Eros Telendos (7b) low down on the flash attempt but got it first redpoint.
Week 2
M – Summertime – Warmed up on Vlassis House (6c+) and then fell off A Room With A View (7b) after 36m of climbing! The last 4m being a boulder problem. Got it fist redpoint. Then on-sighted Nikolas Ext. (7a+) – another 40m monster with the hard bit in the last 3metres!! Tried K tsi K (7b+). Very bouldery and the sharpest holds ever. Decided to save my skin.
T- Woke up to dark, foreboding skies. Went to Ouriana. On-sighted Haralampos (7a), though more like 6c, and then did Klettern Paradise (7b) first redpoint after making a silly mistake on the on-sight. Started to rain so moved to the cave and tried Ouriana (8a). Utterly desperate! Felt like a V6 boulder problem into easier 7b climbing, followed by a V5 boulder, then some easier climbing, and another V5 boulder to finish! Managed to most of the moves but definitely nowhere near trying it on the redpoint. Wrist started to hurt.
W – Secret Garden – Warmed up on Magirosos (6c+) and Remetzo (6c), felt tired and an old tendon problem was showing its head again. Tried L’Insoutenable (7b) which was easy climbing with a hard boulder problem crux. Stripped. Tried to on-sight Chein Juane (7b+), fell at the roof going for the wrong hold. Felt really tired so stopped there.
T – Odyssey – Never really liked this sector for some reason, could be that its always rammed! Warmed up on Highway Island (6c) and then had a terrible on-sight attempt at Kultiristika (7b). Fell off at the crux. Tendon was still hurting slightly. Beach.
F- Prophitis Andreas – on-sighted Bonjour Viessiele (6b) and Hellini (7a+) – both incredibly sharp! Tried Torcicolo (7c+) – hideous boulder problem on sharp holds followed by technical moves on even sharper holds. Didn’t like in the slightest so stripped.
S- Arginonta – Arms beginning to hurt. Warmed up on Red Sea Secrets (7a). Fell at the boulder crux on Fire Wall (7b+). Got it first redpoint. Started to get really busy so called it a day.
S – T – Went to the islands of Patmos and Lipsi for some relaxation and to escape the Festival in Kalymnos.
F – Back to the UK – depressed.
S – Nothing – too depressed.
S – A lacklustre boulder at UCR.
Positives – 7b+ on-sight and first 7c abroad. Very close to 7c+ on first redpoint. Lots of nice routes and managed to avoid the masses on the whole.
Negatives – But disappointed not to get the 7c+, especially as I felt I had enough juice left to do the final hard moves but made a mistake with my footwork. Still find it hit-and-miss to on-sight anything above 7a+. Needs some work. Didn’t get on Dani boy as it was always rammed. Though we did manage to avoid the crowds most of the time, it also means that I missed out trying some of the “classics”.
So, back to reality. With the change of the seasons and the inevitable seepage, it’s time to concentrate on bouldering more and try and tick some projects at Huntsham and in Devon and the Peaks.