Tag 54-59 - Climbing, Climbing, Climbing!

As a climber in Berlin, it is notoriously difficult because there is a shortage of rocks, at least nearby. Nevertheless, there are some areas that are suitable for a short climbing stay. At the forefront: Mouzaki near Pyli. At least statistically, because in five days, four Berlin climbers showed up there.

We treated ourselves to a total of four climbing days (and one rainy day) in Pyli, and we rarely made so many new friendships so quickly. We found out that our travel route is not as extraordinary as we once thought. Except for Johanna and Nico, two Berliners who had traveled through the Balkans, we met familiar faces from Croatia, a French couple with whom we had already shared a camping spot near Limski Kanal. We also made the acquaintance of a memorable group of European travelers, consisting of Lucas, also from Berlin, Ewin, a Scot, Yonatan, an Israeli, and Daphne, a Greek.

These new acquaintances deepened because camping directly in the parking lot and in a small hut next to the rock was explicitly allowed, and so despite the cold nights, we spent the evenings in great company around the campfire or camping stove.

Nevertheless, the Mouzaki sector was not crowded, except perhaps on the weekends when local climbers came by. One must credit them for keeping the area in good condition. There is a small hut where you can spend the night, a wooden platform with benches, steps along the path, and route names marked with mosaic tiles. The parking lot is large enough for several campers and equipped with a trash can, and the approach takes barely a minute. It is a place that invites you to linger. The rock itself offers routes ranging from 5c to 8c in a relatively small area, and they are well secured. Slowly, the feeling creeps up on me that not every bolt is exceptionally well drilled, but in Germany, it is just normal to have bolt distances of several meters...

The harder routes are characterized by tufas and overhangs, while the easier ones are more vertical to slabby. The routes in the lower grades up to 6c are also very beautiful and reliably marked as beginner-friendly or warm-up routes in the guidebook. (Thanks for that.)

With an average length of 20-30 meters, there was plenty of time to enjoy the routes and the view, and some routes with multiple pitches were even much longer.

In addition, the difficulty grades stated here were comprehensible compared to those in Croatia and Slovenia, and finally, it seemed like we both rediscovered the joy of climbing. And after reading Jerry Moffat's "Mastermind," we now know that joy and success go hand in hand. With Johanna and Nico, we have found someone who climbs at a similar level - at least a thousand times more similar than the two of us. It's impressive how motivating it can be to project a route together!

Both Jan and Nico were able to redpoint 'Unnamed' on their second go, a 7c+ that truly deserved a name. The slightly overhanging 35-meter route, with increasing difficulty and a crux just before the anchor, perfectly matched Jan's style. He has certainly earned his second 7c+ after years of projecting in many routes! If he continues at this pace, reaching the goal of 8a will be within reach.

I was also able to tick off a fair amount in the French 6th grade, slowly getting back to my level before Croatia. However, I am still a long way from my big goal for this trip, which is to climb a 7a. With Johanna, who actually has the same goal in mind and prefers a very similar climbing style, I have made an agreement to project a beautiful 7a together in Leonidio. It worked wonderfully in the routes here in Pyli - why shouldn't we also hope for a joint 7a success?

As you may have already gathered, we will meet Johanna and Nico again in a few weeks in Leonidio. In general, it seems to us that everyone we meet here is heading to that area, and half of Berlin will be there in December as if it were a tradition for a climbing holiday in the New Year. We are very much looking forward to it!

Until then, dream on!