Manikia – Mpougazi · Manikia (Evia) · Greece
Bail with caveatsBolting confidence: medium
An even-graded route in a beautiful gorge setting: pocketed and sculpted slabs below, steeper walls above, with one athletic 6a+ move on P5. There are short walking transitions between the lower tiers.
The route
A six-pitch route at an even grade on the big rock at Mpougazi, the group of crags directly above the village of Vrysi in the Manikia area of Evia. Two pitches of pocketed slab on a lower tier lead, after a short walk, to four pitches on the main wall: a sculpted slab, then steeper walls with one athletic 6a+ passage. The only trip report found calls the rock and the bolts excellent and the climbing flowing. Very little is published: route details come from a single camptocamp page and one 2026 report.
In pictures
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 5b+ | 25 m | Slab with big pockets and water-worn runnels. |
| P2 | 5a | 20 m | Reached by a short, obvious transition. Pocketed slab. Afterwards follow the path to the foot of the main wall, slightly to the right. |
| P3 | 6a | 25 m | Sculpted slab. |
| P4 | 5c | 30 m | Wall. |
| P5 | 6a+ | 30 m | Wall with one athletic passage: the crux. |
| P6 | 5c | 25 m | Wall. |
Getting there
Vrysi, near Manikia, on the island of Evia. From Athens it is about 160 km and 2.5 to 3 h by car: E75 towards Lamia, the Chalkida exit and bridge onto Evia, then the EO44 towards Aliveri and Kymi and the signs to Vrysi. A car is needed. For Mpougazi there is a designated parking area in an olive grove, which saves about 15 min compared with starting from the campsite.
About 20 min from the parking; a 2026 party found the start easy to locate. The route page itself only says 'see topo'. A 2024 visitor notes that on the track towards the Dragonera cave, large cairns on the left mark the turn-off to the multi-pitch sector. Carry the Manikia guidebook for the exact line.
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
Point from camptocamp waypoint 1903829
Contains the route point. Opens in most mapping apps and GPS watches.
Points are compiled from published sources, with the precision stated above. They were not surveyed on the ground: check them against a current topo.
Coordinates: 38.54838, 24.03061 (crag)
Getting down
Two options. (1) Walk off: from the top go up a few metres to pick up a well-cairned path that leads back down to the foot of the route, first through limestone pavement, then meadow. You can also continue across the meadow to the track. (2) Abseil to the big ledge, then walk (see the topo). No abseil lengths are published in the sources read.
Retreat
Bail with caveats
Probably, but the details are not published. Camptocamp describes a descent by abseil to the big ledge and then on foot, so the main wall is rigged for abseiling. No abseil lengths are given, and a 2026 party understood that this descent needs double ropes. The first two pitches are separated from the main wall by walking transitions.
Partly inferred from the route facts
Safety
Sun and weather
South-east facing. The crag record gives October to May. The single report (early May, hazy sun) found conditions perfect. Another crag at Mpougazi with the same aspect loses the sun around noon. After heavy rain a 2024 visitor found seepage on the Mpougazi crags the next day.
Sun on the wall · SE-facing
Working out the sunlit hours for this month.
Sun on the wallDaylight, wall in shade● Usual season
Estimated from the wall's aspect only. Ignores surrounding terrain, gullies and the wall's exact shape. Clock times are local to the wall (Greek time), for the 15th of each month.
| Measure | Jan (usual season) | Feb (usual season) | Mar (usual season) | Apr (usual season) | May (usual season) | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct (usual season) | Nov (usual season) | Dec (usual season) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily high °C | 9 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 21 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 24 | 19 | 15 | 11 |
| Mean daily low °C | 4 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 13 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 6 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 11 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 11 |
● marks the usual climbing season. Averages for 1991-2020 at about 432 m. Area climate from Open-Meteo reanalysis. Temperatures are adjusted to the height of the crag; rain comes from a grid cell of about 10 to 25 km, and summer highs on sea cliffs can read a few degrees low. The wall and valley can differ. Data: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0.
What to carry
No gear list is published. A 2026 party climbed it on a single 80 m rope and walked off. They looked for a walk-off because they had not brought double ropes for the abseil descent. Pitches are at most 30 m.
Derived from the route data; check it against a current topo
From climbers
Reader reports are not being collected yet. Until they are, check a current topo and the local club or guidebook publisher for recent changes to Efcharístisi.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Same area
Greece · Manikia (Evia)
A varied route in two tiers: two pitches of pocketed wall and sculpted slab, a walk across a big ledge, then four longer pitches up the main wall. The upper wall holds the 6c and a superb 40 m pitch of continuous vertical climbing. A quiet valley with a gentle walk down through meadow.
6c6 pitches200 m
Around 6a+ · about 6 pitches
Switzerland · Furka
The classic of the Hannibalturm: six short, wandering pitches of slab, quartz veins, cracks and a 6a+ slab crux on perfect high-mountain granite at 2800 m. A bench and a bus-stop sign wait on the summit. Very popular, so expect company.
6a+6 pitches180 m
Spain · Costa Blanca (Morro Falquí)
A superb sea-cliff multipitch. P4 makes an impressive exposed exit from a cave with 100 m of air below, and the 6a+ P5 has a chimney and fingery slab. Balancy, airy and great for introducing someone to multipitch.
6a+6 pitches170 m
Read the cautions
France · Chamonix valley
The great classic of the Aiguilles Rouges: six varied pitches of gneiss, ten minutes downhill from the Brévent cable car and finishing at its top station, with Mont Blanc opposite. The crux is a short, physical corner crack and the last pitch is a long, clean corner. It is extremely popular.
6a+6 pitches200 m
Croatia · Paklenica
Classic Paklenica water-groove climbing on beautifully sculpted rock. The crux is a rising crack traverse on P5, with delicate slab moves above.
6a+6 pitches160 m
Read the cautions
Compiled from published sources and last verified October 2026. Bolts, anchors and access change. Climbing is dangerous and you are responsible for your own decisions: check a current topo and read the disclaimer.
