Tag 60 & 61 - Ommmm.

Often you run the risk of being disappointed in a place after such a long anticipation and half-knowledge nourished only by Google Images. However, the opposite happened in Meteora, because our expectations of what we would see and also of what we wanted to do here were far exceeded.

Meteora offers a backdrop that is second to none. Rock towers upon rock towers in various shapes and heights point skyward close to each other. No wonder it is one of the most visited places in Greece. The massive pillars exert a strange fascination on people and have done so for centuries. Already in the 11th century, the spiritual atmosphere attracted hermits and monks who sought answers to to life's big questions on the mountain peaks. In the 14th century they erected 24 impregnable monasteries on various rock peaks, despite great sacrifices. Until 1925, steps were carved into the rock, and they could only be reached either by lowered ladders or rope pulls. Today, the six still inhabited monasteries can be reached quite comfortably on foot.

The monasteries, which seem to hang almost in the air on the mountain peaks, owe their name to the place: the Greek word "meteoros" means "floating in the air".

Of the six monasteries we only visited two and inspected the rest from a "safe" distance.

The Agias Triada Monastery is the most remote and the most difficult to reach. Some teep steps lead into the interior, even if the ascent is quite limited to about 15 minutes. Film fans may know the building from the James Bond film "For Your Eyes Only".

Since we also wanted to visit one of the two women's monasteries, we also went to the Agias Varvaras Rousanou Monastery, where 16 nuns now live. In addition to the beautiful frescoes, the visit was especially worth it because of the unforgettable image of a nun with a smartphone in her hand. Despite some innovations like this, we were able to discover some power and water cables- here some somewhat outdated rules still apply. As a member of the sinful sex, I was not allowed to enter the monasteries in pants, a ankle-length skirt is required here. Jan had it easier, because for men only shorts are prohibited.

Impressed by the rock formations, we spontaneously decided to stay one more day because we absolutely wanted to climb at least one of the towers ourselves. The fact that Meteora is one of the oldest and most important climbing areas in Greece is evident at first sight, because the massive pillars probably awaken in everyone the irrational desire to be on the summit.

Even before sport climbing was even thought of, hermits and monks, as well as hunters and shepherds with their herds, who were pulled up with ropes, climbed the pillars. They used simple tools such as ropes and ladders, but the risk was of course much higher back then (and we complain about the distance between bolts). It is all the more impressive that probably as early as 1348 a climber ascended the tower "Holy Ghost", which is a full 300 meters high. The Serbian emperor at that time wanted a 1.80 meter high metal cross on the summit, and this cross actually stood there until the 20th century. Since no traces could be found on the rock anymore, it can be assumed that a brave climber climbed to the summit without any aids and pulled the cross up on a rope. Remarkable, especially since the walls have a continuous difficulty of about 5c!

In 1975, modern climbing arrived in Meteora with German climbers, who bolted diligently in a very minimalist style. Within 10 years, over 200 routes were established. From 1990, the Greeks also developed routes - fortunately with more bolts - and the area gained more and more local importance. Greek climbers come here for the weekend like we drive to Franconia.

Today, there are almost 800 sport routes and multi-pitch routes in Meteora, with the latter being more numerous due to the tall towers.

As enthusiastic sport climbers, we chose Doupiani Rock for our first attempts, one of the smaller rocks with beginner-friendly routes and exceptional protection for multi-pitch routes. We made it to the highest point of the pillar via the route "Daedalus" (5c+) with three pitches on 95 meters, and we also climbed "Ostria" (5c).

Nevertheless, the undertaking was very exciting for us. These were our first multi-pitch routes together, for me even the first ones ever. Luckily, everything went well and there could have hardly been a better place for this great new experience than this fascinating environment. Not only the unusual length and the peculiarities of belaying were something new, but also gneiss is rarely found elsewhere in Greece. A mixture of pebbles and larger stones is encased in a concrete-like surface, which leads to a very special way of climbing.

Although in the future we will mainly stick to sport climbing, the feeling of reaching a "real" summit was an exciting change. Besides, since we are climbing at very different levels in sport climbing, it is a nice experience to really achieve a route together and to be more dependent on each other than usual.

Climbing one of the towers in Meteora and enjoying the view is highly recommended to any climber, regardless of whether they are experienced in multi-pitch climbing or not - the view alone and the fact that every route ends on a summit provide an almost meditative climbing feeling. The closer you get to the sky, the more you can empathize with the monks who chose to settle here.

Our stay in Meteora was precious because it amazed us and made us try something completely new - something that was further outside our comfort zone than taking cold showers in Gretchen. When you have been on the road for as long as we have now (two months already), the enthusiasm for travel and climbing occasionally wanes. And that's okay, no one can be cheerful and curious for 60 days straight. Everyday life also starts to catch up with you, even in the van.

But when we aimlessly stumbled through the rocks towering towards the sky and finally even climbed one of the peaks, we could feel once again exactly why we embarked on this journey. Of course, it is also about being free and having time for ourselves, for climbing and to see beautiful places. But above all, we want to be present and learn as much as possible, about the countries we travel through, but also about ourselves.

There may be places where this is easier than others. If that is the case, then Meteora and its floating monasteries are among them.