Tag 81-91 - Fight or Flight!

We're back with a review of the past ten days in Leonidio. It's crazy how quickly time flies - we've been on the road for almost three months now and have already passed the halfway point of our journey. It's not a pleasant thought because we can't imagine giving up our nomadic life and the climbing paradise of Leonidio just yet.

Speaking of negative thoughts: as mentioned in the last blog post, our charging booster is once again not working as it should. At first, we thought it was just a problem with the voltage detection and were able to charge again for a few days by connecting directly with an additional on/off switch. Unfortunately, that doesn't work anymore and we're somewhat at a loss. For now, we've been able to charge our second battery through a power outlet, but that's obviously not a permanent solution. We really hope that we can soon get the charging booster and our electrical system back up and running, as it's quite annoying without it.

But for now, let's focus on more positive things, namely climbing. In the last few days, we've been able to test out several more of the 60 sectors in Leonidio and we still haven't even come close to trying them all. Almost all of them are worth a second (or third or fourth) visit!

In that spirit, we spent two days directly at La Maison des Chèvres. The rock offers a few easier routes, mainly on slabs, and plenty of options in the steeper sections in the upper 7th and 8th French grades. So if you're a less ambitious climber like me, there's only enough to keep you busy for a day or two, but it never gets boring because there are so many incredibly strong people to watch.

Routes like "The Kid" (7c) and "Mr. Nice" (7c+) are very popular and almost always occupied, but the routes in the 8th grade also get a lot of traffic. On the second day, we even had the chance to watch Michael Schreiber and a French climber work on their project "Capricorn" (8c+). It's an insane route - it's hard to imagine that Alex Megos was able to flash it.

Of course, we didn't just watch, we also climbed a lot. Jan was able to climb "Mr. Nice" and complete his third 7c+ in the fourth go, and Lukas was finally able to tick off his long-term project and his first 9+. I was able to achieve my main goal for this vacation by climbing "Finding Mono" (7a) and reaching my first smooth 8.

Thanks to the overhanging rock, we were also able to put our static rope to use for the first time and take some beautiful photos. All in all, it was a very successful time in a very beautiful sector.

Our stay in Limeri, on the other hand, didn't quite convince us. That's probably mainly because the climbing style and the difficulty levels didn't suit us as well as we had hoped. Limeri is more of a sector for climbers who feel at home in the 8th grade and overhanging terrain. On top of that, it was the coldest day we've experienced in Leonidio so far.

Nevertheless, we still had a nice day of climbing - we had cold pizza from the day before, Jan got a taste of his first 8a ("Symmoria Ext."), Nico checked off one project after another, including "Tho Fthino Manaviko" (8a+) and "Coffee Right" (7c), and we got to admire Daila Ojeda's beautiful climbing style.

After all the hardcore climbing, a sector like Theós Pillar was just what we needed. Since Theós Pillar, Theós Cave, and Theós are all close to each other, we originally planned to visit all of them or at least two. But somehow we ended up staying here together with Miranda and Patrick, acquaintances we met in the "Van Village" by the sea.

The rock offers only 8 routes, but each one is more beautiful than the last. The climbing on the vertical wall, with crimps, small pockets, and holes, is surprisingly diverse and offers long routes up to 7a.

Together with Miranda and Patrick, we went to a Leonidio classic the next day - the H.A.D.A. sector. We were quite lucky that we only had to share the rock with one other, albeit quite loud, American climbing group. The approach to H.A.D.A. through the dry riverbed and the view from the significantly elevated huge cave (30 meters) alone is an experience. The routes are heavily overhanging due to the rock structure, making them suitable for rainy days and especially hot days. The natural balcony offers beautiful climbing in all grades, and there's something for everyone, from technical slabs to overhanging routes. Where else can you find a wall where you can climb in the 5th and 9th French grades? Interestingly, both easy and difficult routes are equally beautiful.

The sector was developed in 2014, so it's already considered one of the older sectors in Leonidio, and classics like "H.A.D.A." (7b) are unfortunately a bit greasy. But there's still potential here, and some new routes have been added this year. Jan was able to tick off both "Medousa Ext." (7b+) and "H.A.D.A." (7b) in just two tries. We will definitely spend more time here, especially considering the increasingly rainy weather.

The next day, we returned to Skiadhianiko. Together with Mike, whom we met in H.A.D.A., we planned to climb despite the morning rain - especially me, because my project "Brown Cougar" (7a) had been waiting for far too long. It turned out to be a good decision because the sun came out after two hours and even the slab routes without roofs dried quickly. It was particularly rewarding for me because after some shaky attempts, I found a stable beta and completed my second 7a in a total of five goes.

By the way, a few goats once again targeted us and threw stones at us from above - a helmet is recommended in this sector.

Last but not least, after another rainy day, we spent a very sunny and relaxing day at the Theós Cave sector. (It's crazy how quickly the weather changes by the sea.) The routes in Theós Cave are similar to those in H.A.D.A. or the Mars sector - they are located on a small balcony. You have a beautiful view of the sea, the fields and plantations of the farmers, and the routes offer plenty of options for large and diverse groups like ours.

Jan had a look at "Mis en place" (8a) and finally found his first long-term project on this trip. So we will definitely spend more time at this rock, which is fortunate because of the many beautiful routes in the easier grades and the nearby sectors Theós and Theós Pillar.

All in all, we had probably the most successful climbing days of our trip. But it's not so much about reaching a new grade or ticking off a lot of routes. We've found ourselves in a real flow and it's just fun to be in these carefully selected and maintained sectors. We've met so many amazing new people, spent nice evenings at Panjika, and are enjoying our campspot right by the sea surrounded by other climbing enthusiasts.

Between climbing days, picking mandarins, swimming in the sea, climbing, eating pizza, giving van tours, climbing, taking ice-cold beach showers, cooking together, and of course climbing, Leonidio has truly become a home for us. We're doing our best to enjoy the remaining time until January to the fullest and we're sure that we will return here again and again. We're even getting visitors soon and we're looking forward to sharing this magical place with our friends.

In that sense, magic on!