Kalamos (470m) is the second-highest peak on Anafi and the largest limestone monolith in the Mediterranean. On its secondary summit (450m) stands the Old Monastery of Panagia Kalamiotissa, built around 1600 AD, taking advantage of the rock’s natural defenses and offering panoramic views of the Aegean. The steep southern face of Kalamos, rising directly from the sea, was described by the French explorer Joseph Pitton de Tournefort, as the most terrifying rock in the world.
Kalamos offers big wall routes, both traditional and sport, with heights of 250m to 500m and difficulties ranging from V to VII+, mainly on the South headwall. There are also bouldering routes near the New Monastery of Panagia Kalamiotissa, which is located at the northern end of the monolith, at a low altitude, where a road reaches. The approach to the south headwall is only possible from the water and requires the use of a small boat.
Access
Kalamos forms the eastern tip of Anafi and can be reached from the New Monastery of Kalamiotissa via the Chora - Kalamos provincial road, by car, bus, or on foot.
Reaching the base of the main (southern) wall requires a boat, which can be rented in Chora with or without a skipper. Due to the unique sea approach, significant care is needed when disembarking, as well as special planning in case of an emergency rappel retreat. Some climbers have utilized fixed-rope techniques to enable an upwards escape.
To access the bouldering field south of the New Monastery, we follow the trail from the New Monastery towards Prasies beach for 300m, until the obvious cliff with scattered boulders underneath.
Climbing history
Kalamos features three large headwalls (200m - 500m), with the marble and limestone massif being described as easily protected using nuts and friends and generally of high quality. Kalamos was added to the Greek climbing map at the end of the 1990s, during a period when climbers were searching for new challenges and is one of the few headwalls where big wall techniques dominate. In this effort pioneers were K. Kounitis and G. Bisias who opened the incomplete sport route “Caper” (V, 40m) in 1998.
The completion of the first long route on Kalamos was done by A. Theodoropoulos and Th. Michailidis in 1999 with the route “Argonaut expedition” (V, 250m), on the steep southwest ridge. In 2008 A. Theodoropoulos, G. Torelli and N. Chatzis equipped and climbed the first long sport route “Halcyon” (6b+ A1, 435m) on the slab below the Old Monastery. In 2012, climbers N. Morell, I. Peikova and S. Perrin freed the route at 7a/b+.
2023 saw increased efforts on Kalamos with the contribution of foreign teams, spearheaded by that of K. Andreou, K. Rossidis, A. Rossidis (Cyprus), Daniela Banc (Romania), and Jenny Schauroth (Germany) who spent two days climbing “The ritual of hardship” (7b, 500m), which was included in the American Alpine Club journal for 2024. A German team composed of A. Schweikart, C. Igel, and F. Schüle followed, travelling to Anafi by sailboat and climbing the new route “Strompiraten” (7c, 500m).
Impressed by Kalamos, American guide M. T. Turner begins offering bolting skills courses on the island in 2024, as well as completing “Into the blue” (7b, 300m) and “Pilgrims of the vertical” (7b, 260m).
