Strong chicks: Kalymnos guidebook-worthy!

Come to Kalymnos with us and who knows what will happen? End up in the guidebook perhaps?

We shot these pics on the first Upskill Climbing Camp back in 2008.

The camera just loves the girls, wouldn't you agree? So too did Kalymnos guidebook author Aris Theodoropolous who chose to include these pics in the latest 2010 edition. By the way, the 2010 Kalymnos guidebook is the best freakin' guidebook in the world. 360 pages, chock full of pics (maybe 1000+ pics?), good descriptions to get you psyched, accurate topos, sexy layout. All the beta for your holiday. It's awesome. You can buy it at climbkalymnos.com.

Susy G-Star Goldner - full page spread on Macabi at Summertime.

This was an unknown crushing chick on Kalydna

Goldner again, this time on Joggel & Toggle, Panorama.

Mrs Upskill (Sam) crushing Ammochohostos Vaselivousa at Summertime

Kalymnos 2008 - Trip Video

The video of the Kalymnos 2008 Training Camp is now online. If this gets you psyched, you're probably just the person we need on the next Upskill trip. Psyche and motivation are EVERYTHING! Check out the trips page for more info.



Well, what are you waiting for? :)

Kalymnos 2008 - Trip Report 5 (final)

Well, all good things must come to an end and so it is with the Upskill 2008 Climbing Coaching Holiday and Training Camp in beautiful Kalymnos.

The day before flying out, we hit up Arhi in the morning where Dave and Ruth tore up the slabs before I prodded Dave onto Mofeta, a wickedly technical and sequency gritstone-like flowstone wall. It was the perfect route to demonstrate that a strong upper body will only get you so far (keep up that footwork focus Dave!) Ben said later "On a packed day a week ago, I saw every route at this crag with climbers on it...except that one. It was free all day!"

Susy on Kastor 6c+/7a (c) L Cujes 2008

Susy wanted to get on something hard and steep, so Kastor 6c+/7a was on the agenda. No cigar after two shots on this beastie, so as the sun started baking us, we raced off in the car to Syblegades Rocks, a shady cleft high above Panormos. Never having been here before, we were stunned to find superb quality routes in a unique, cold, wind-gully setting. Definitely one for a hot summer's day. Susy and I sunk our teeth into the primo Homo Sapiens 6c, a perfect blunt arete composed of super hard marble (see pic) while Ruth onsighted the four star Phineas 5c - yep, it gets the musical note in the guide (better than ***). Sam proclaimed Climber's Nest as the second best 6a of all time.

Susy on Homo Sapiens 6c (c) L Cujes 2008

The next day (our last), Susy was champing at the bit to clean up her old Odyssey project Ciao Vecio 6c and managed to do it first try! The burly Itaca 6c+ remains for next time *snap*. With chalk still on or hands, we punched it for the airport and the beginning of the journey home.

Farewell from Team Kalymnos 2008: Dave, Ruth, Susy and Lee.

So what did we get out of this trip? Besides climbing on some of the best rock on the planet, our team each went beyond their comfort zones to climb more effectively than ever before. There were some personal best ticks, and there was a lot of knowledge shared and lessons learnt. Perhaps most importantly, each member knows what they now need to focus on to break through the plateau and fast-track their improvement.

If you're feeling like you missed out, perhaps you want to join us on the next one? Whether it's the Kalymnos 2009 trip or any of our other climbing coaching holidays in Australia or overseas, check out the offerings and get in touch. The trips page will be regularly updated.

Thanks to everyone for their kind words of support and for following us along on our adventures.

Kalymnos 2008 - Trip Report 4

It's been a ripper coupla days. Best of the trip so far I think in terms of adventure, scenery and achievement.

Three days ago was a rest day when we decided to explore two of the island's speleological wonders. The first was Skalia Cave which we entered through a small hole and a series of ladders which eventually opened out into a huge ballroom which our headtorches couldn't reach across.

Ruth inside the ballroom of Skalia Cave - amazing formations! (c) L Cujes 2008

The next stop on the so called rest day was the unbelievable Sikati Cave, which is one of the most unique climbing locations on the planet. We began the one hour walk in at 3:00pm which was ambitious, but we were just keen to see it. Neither words nor pictures really do it justice. Imagine an enormous sinkhole, 100m deep, overhanging walls, covered in stalactites and tufas. We're talking single pitch routes are 80m long. My rope isn't even that long! Forget lowering off! It seriously felt like being on another planet. I was lucky enough to borrow some gear from some climbers in there and do a long, steep runout 7a called Lolita. Amazing stuff.

Ruth approaches Sikati Cave (c) D Reeve 2008



Lee on Lolita in Sikati Cave 7a (c) S Goldner 2008

The next day was our wedding anniversary. Where better to celebrate than the Grande Grotta, the most famous crag on Kalymnos? Susy had been psyching up for the cover-route Trella which is 35-40m of severely overhanging craziness at the grade of 7a or 23. The grade has gone up a notch since last year when someone fell and took a giant stalactite with them. She put in an absolute mega prizefight on the onsight, and took a slip high on the route and flipped upside down with the rope behind her leg. Oh no! you're thinking! Hey, neoprene kneebar pads - no problem!

Susy on Trella 7a (c) L Cujes 2008

Another highlight was Priapos. I had been psyching myself up for this route all trip, and warmed up well in the shade in the morning, and when I was ready to go, a French dude started up on it about 45 minutes before the route was going to go into the sun. And he took AGES on it. Now, I don't do sun. But I was too psyched and had to try anyway, so I sweated my butt off the whole way up and somehow managed my first 7c or 27 onsight. You can't compare this route to anything else anywhere really. It's not like regular climbing, more like a weird form of caving. Check the picture.

Lee hanging around on Priapos 7c (c) D Reeve 2008

Yesterday we had a real adventure with our expedition via boat across to the island of Telendos. We checked out three different sectors and were delighted to find some really different rock compared to Kalymnos. Really varied. At Irox Sector, Ruth & Dave dominated, doing about seven routes up to 6b+, an onsight spree. I was very happy to tick an uber-classic at Pescatore Sector called Amores Perros 7c+. The guidebook describes this as "one of the best in Kalymnos" and I concur - it was super and fit my preferred style perfectly. Gently overhung with small tufas leads into a smooth blank face of marble with compression edges to a super dyno, then more tufa action culminating in a super delicate tufa climb which feels like climbing a palm tree cut lengthwise and glued to a smooth wall. I fell off the very top of the palm tree on my second try. Amazingly I had enough energy to come away with the tick on the third try at the end of the day.

Today was a rest day, and we partook of a yoga session thanks to Cat, an aussie instructor who is here climbing with her husband Ben Hargreaves. Me? Yoga? What's going on!

Kalymnos 2008 - Trip Report 3

Just a quick update because we're about to go cave-exploring on our rest day.

Two days ago: Early start, Ghost Kitchen. The most amazing features on a redonc, overhanging wall. Amazing photos of Suzy's redpoint of Daphne 6c+, see below. Dave onsighted Resistor 6c+! What the? He's on fire! Sam sent her equal hardest route on lead (6b) third shot. Persistance on a slab, go girl. I ticked a nails 7b on the third try (gah! it was hard) and onsighted 7a+.

Yesterday was Ruth's day! She redpointed a stiff and steep 6a at Odyssey. A personal best. I fell off Marci Marc again (high point), but did my proudest onsight of The Beast, a crazy 7a+ tech slab, way harder than the 7b+s! Mad! You know when you're climbing past bail slings on the bolts you're in trouble. I was off the whole way but somehow kept going up...

Like wrestling a buck deer! Susy deep in the three dimensional crazy world that is Dafni 6c+, Ghost Kitchen.

"Holy crap!!!" Susy is gobsmacked on Dafni 6c+, Ghost Kitchen.

Ruth enjoying the flash of Parasitos 6a+, her hardest lead to date. Ghost Kitchen.

Kalymnos 2008 - Trip Report 2

It's been a stonking couple of days, and we're all in need of our rest day today.

Two days ago it was Odyessey Sector. Susy put in some serious effort on a nice steep route - four shots, true redpointing tactics. Dave almost flashed a steepo 6c, and ticked everything else first try. Ruth was on the sharp end on the classic Laertes 5c, and Sam spent time projecting a steepo 6b+ which will be her hardest lead when she ticks. I onsighted a bunch of 7a things (I've nearly onsighted the whole right side of the cliff now) and put two more shots into Marci Marc 7c+ which is exploiting my current lack of focus on endurance! Hehe! :)

Lee burning on the supreme enduro pumpfest of Marci Marc 7c+ (28), Odyssey Sector. (c) Sam Cujes 2008.

Sam rehearses the sequence of her project at Odyssey.

Yesterday it was one of my favourite sectors - Spartacus! A shady, breezy, overhung bowl. It was a tip top day - Susy projected and sent the super long tufa line of the cliff, Les Amazones 6c. Ruth gave an awesome display, dispatching the 37m long Tales Of Greek Heroes 6b+, grades harder than her previous best. You only just make it down on the stretch of a 70m rope on this sucka! We did a rope clipping workshop to smarten up some sketchy clips for us all and practice some good techniques. Dave did everything first try, and I flashed the namesake of the crag, Spartacus 7b+ (26) and was staring directly at the anchors on the onsight of Tatziki 7c (27). No clipping hold! And the most exciting chapter of the day involved Sam who was punching it on the hard, pumpy overhung-ish Harikari and was well out from her last bolt and decided to throw to a big hold above the next clip, peeled, squealed and took a monster fall on vertical terrain - 6m+. This was a huge mental breakthrough. The whole crag let out a big "OOHHHH!" She's going hard.

Ruth ticking Tales Of Greek Heroes 6b+ (21), Spartacus Sector. (c) Lee Cujes 2008.

Some well deserved drinks as the sun sets for Team Kalymnos.

Kalymnos 2008 - Trip Report 1

The whole crew have arrived and we've had our first two days of introductory climbing on a variety of sectors. The weather has just gotten unseasonaly warm and instead of getting around in down jackets and beanies, we're chasing the shade and climbing in T-shirts, with 30 degree temperatures instead of 18. The Euros think it's great, but I would prefer the cold for a contrast to Queensland.

We've hooked into some awesome routes already in the 5 - 6c (15 - 22) range , even on the lower angle slabs and vertical walls, with superb limestone in all varieties. Here's some nice pics from yesterday...






Dave onsighting the superb Pillar Of The Sea 6a (19), Kastelli North Wall










Sam flashing the double thumbs up mega classic Ammohostos Vasilevousa 6a (18), Summertime Sector.










Susy onsighting Ammohostos Vasilevousa 6a (18), Summertime Sector.