UKC

Trouble brewing on Kalymnos

© Aris Theodoropoulos
Trouble is brewing in Kalymnos, reports local Aris Theodoropoulos with local businessmen cashing in on visitors with a big fare increase on one of the main local ferries.

"Until last month," says Aris, "the return boat fare from Kalymnos directly to Sector Irox, on Telendos, was €5 return per person (for groups of 10 or more climbers). This fare has just been increased to €10 per person for climbing parties of 10".

This makes a trip twice as expensive. Local climbers are up in arms but the boatmen so far seem indifferent to their complaints. "As a party of 13 climbers reported this morning, when they pointed this out to the boatmen the answer they received was, "That's the way we do it now."

Last year Kalymnos was busier than ever with visiting climbers and this is set to be repeated this year. This increase has led climbers to start exploring crags further afield which has made Telendos much more popular with several excellent sectors being developed. It is possible to take the shorter trip to the main Telendos port for €4 per person still and then walk the 3km across the island to the main sectors.

Is this a case of local profiteering when they have a monopoly and times are good, or just a realistic increase in fares to compensate for falling summer trade on the island? There is some discussion on climbkalymnos.com

photo
Quentin climb Queen Potha 8B in Pescatore, Telendos island
© popey, May 2008

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25 Sep, 2010
10 euros isn't exactly a vast fortune to get dropped off right at the crag is it?
25 Sep, 2010
Isnt it just a teeny bit imperialist to get upset about people in foreign countries making economic decisions based on their own reasoning, their own assets, and their own economic priorities? There are lots of other places to climb on Kalymnos; if this proves to be too big a hike the providers will suffer, but I'm sure they've thought it through.
25 Sep, 2010
It wasn't very clear in Aris' initial report. I have now updated the news piece to say twice as expensive since I think that is the case. Alan
25 Sep, 2010
I have never climbed at Kalymnos, but what i have heard from thoes who have, it's an amazing place with welcoming people, let's not spoil this by being so "English", the chap with the boat is on to a good thing! I wonder how many locals living close to the crags, have had their fantastic tranquil landscape changed, by the sound of drilling and the squeeling's of the white middle classes from blighty?
25 Sep, 2010
that guy must be raking it in, the funny thing is that climbers are paying him whatever price he wants.
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