The main thing which strikes you about Kalymnos is …. rock.  Craggy mountains rise steeply above the harbour and are the dominant backbone the whole length of the island.  Much of the rock is precipitous and this plus warm, sunny weather attracts climbers from all over Europe, especially at this time of year before the weather gets too hot.  Climbing with the sun on your back is not only energy sapping but also means sweaty, greasy fingers which a chalk-bag can only do so much to remedy.

At the moment hire cars and scooters are zooming around taking climbers to the many parking places which the island council has provided close to the climbing crags to successfully encourage the sport to the benefit of the island’s economy.

I’m not doing much climbing myself as I don’t have my kit here and no climbing partner but I do take advantage of my limited climbing ability to try to get better perspectives for photos, occasionally leaning out from the rock holding on by one hand while operating the SLR with the other.

Just a few rocky shots below.

Following the ‘Italian Path’ from the main town, zigzagging steeply up between towering crags

…. climbing the crag on the right of the path for a perch on top to eat a banana

Looking through an ‘eye’ in the rock along the channel between Telendos Island and Kalymnos

The sun peeping over the top of towering crags

The ‘Kastri’ above Emborios, ancient fortress built into the crags

Another angle on the Kastri, ancient olive perss in the foreground

High among the crags, the local variant of the ‘Stink Lily’ smells like excrement rather than corpses

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