climbing experience and equipment

REQUIRED CLIMBING EXPERIENCE AND EQUIPMENT

It cannot be emphasized enough that anybody wanting to climb the Meteora rock towers, the majority of which are very difficult to tackle, will need a great deal of mountaineering experience and sound rock climbing equipment.

Any attempts to climb the rocks without these essential prerequisites are, as a rule, irresponsible and could even be fatal. The Meteora conglomerate mainly requires free climbing, often over exposed rock providing hardly and opportunity for belaying. Here one has to be prepared and able to climb freely over distances of ten metres and more corresponding to grade IV or V (UIAA).

Rope slings or better still tape slings and chocks should form part of the equipment of all climbers in the Meteora conglomerate, even though there are very few opportunities for using them. It is advisable to take not only a good assortment of of slings but also of chocks, including large ones (such as Hexentrics sizes 10 and 11), and Friends or Cams.

A climbing party setting out for the Meteora conglomerate should also take about 20 karabiners.

It should be remembered that up to 45-50 metres may have to be covered by rope climbing or abseiling. This means that every party should have two 50 metre ropes, 45 metre ropes may sometimes prove too short. You will also need a combined seat and chest harness for attaching the ropes.

Note : also in Kalampaka you can find a store with climbing equipment : Sideris Konstantinos,Patriarxou Dimitriou 26

Left,the route "Eirtanz"-(VI,A1) at the "Kelch"

Right, the route "Glockenspiele"-(VI) at the "Glocke"

( Photos : H .L. Stutte)