In the past few days, climbers have been streaming on to the island in preparation for the third edition of the Kalymnos Climbing Festival that kicked off today. An expected 2500 climbers of all ranges will be participating in the competitions, the events and the parties that are held on this Greek climbing paradise and so far the buzzing vibes have been elated, to say the least. This morning the hills and the rock faces were dotted with colourful bodies as the first day kicked off.
Building on the success of last year’s edition, registered climbers will participate in the two competitions (about 600 – 700 climbers), the Open and Big Marathon, on Friday and Saturday. Although they won’t be taking part in the competitive side of the festival, the rest of the 2500 attendees will be on the island to support the other climbers, do some climbing of their own and to spectate the various festival events.
One of the most sought after moments will take place Saturday morning when 6 legendary climbers will be attempting to jointly climb 15 new routes from 7a to 8c on the island of Telendos. These climbing stars were truly the leaders of the sport in the 80s and 90s, and much of it’s development today is owed to them. It’s therefore understandable that much excitement is built up around when Japan’s Yuji Hirayama, Austria’s Gerhard Hörhager, Spain’s Patxi Arocena, Great Britain’s Ben Moon, USA’s Boone Speed and France’s Jean-Baptiste Tribout will be gathering in the Princess Canyon. They will also be sharing their stories and achievements from back in the day during the event’s Story Teller Night, which we will publish here afterwards.
The final new development for this year’s event is the addition of a Deep Water Solo trip which a select few climbers who will be climbing it together with the Pou brothers (Iker and Eneko Pou).
It’s clear that there are many highlights to look forward to from the 2014 Kalymnos Climbing Festival, so watch this space for all the content we will be sharing love from the island.
Find a more detailed overview on Planet Mountain:
The post Day 1 – A Snapshot of the Event appeared first on THE NORTH FACE JOURNAL.