KALYMNOS ROCK COURSE – Information & Accommodation

Set deep in the heart of the Aegean Sea, lies the quaint and homely island of Kalymnos, just a few miles off of the Turkish coast and close to the well known holiday island of Kos.

Alpine Energy Guiding is very pleased to be offering the KALYMNOS ROCK CLIMBING COURSE trip from the 17th – 24th October 2020 where you can learn to be a safe, independent rock climber.

Firstly, where is Kalymnos?

Kalymnos Greece is located close to the Turkish coast, at the southeastern Aegean Sea and belongs to the Dodecanese group of islands. Kalymnos is famous for one thing in particular: its rocky landscape – fortunate for us!

Where will we be staying?

Our accommodation is in the village of Masouri, situated just 9 kms from the island capital of Pothia, along the west coast of Kalymnos. Compact, scenic and surrounded by rock, Masouri provides an excellent base for the week.

Accommodation – Elena Apartments

Elena apartments consist of an open balcony landscape facing the ocean which offers fantastic sunset views and a sociable friendly environment.

For more information, please visit: https://elenahotels.com/elena-apartments/

Brief History of Kalymnos

At 109 km² Kalymnos is the fifth largest amongst the Dodecanese Islands, with a population of nearly 14,000 people. On the east coast is the capital of Kalymnos, Pothia. Lively and picturesque, it is built around the port and combines strict traditions with the hustle and bustle of a modern town. The small and attractive “climbing” villages of Panormos, Myrties, Masouri, Arginonta, Skalia and Emporios are to the west and north; Vothini, Vlychadia and Vathy are to the south and east.

In the past, Kalymnos was known as Isola Umbrosa, the “island of shade” (oh, the irony). If you’ve been to Kalymnos before, you know that this is no longer the case. The Kalymnos we know and love today is dotted with low vegetation (woody herbs and shrubs), but it is virtually free of trees. The terrain is mountainous with a major rock escarpment all along the west coast. In the past, this barrenness drove the locals to sea for a living. The men of Kalymnos became sponge-divers, a traditional and dangerous occupation; they excelled to such an extent that their island went on to be the most celebrated sponge trade center in the Mediterranean, until the sponge trade began to decline in the 1980s. Nevertheless, the history of Kalymnos will forever be linked to that ubiquitous little creature, the sea sponge. When rock climbing was discovered on Kalymnos in the late 1990s, the island found its place back onto the map, so to speak.

So there you have it! If you are interested in coming along or have any questions, please contact us here.