Glocke (The Bell), south-west wall, Western Group · Meteora · Greece
Read the cautionsBail with caveats
A short, steep and very well-protected line up the middle of The Bell's smooth south-west wall, on typical Meteora cobbles. Three sustained pitches of 6a to 6a+ lead to a short 6c bulge that goes at A0. An unusually reassuring introduction to Meteora conglomerate.
Climbing mode: Big type, screen kept awake, tick pitches as you go.
Highest point about 300 m above sea level (camptocamp waypoint 651271 (summit)).
Included as an exception: very well bolted, but belays 2 and 3 are a single glue-in ring each, so carry a sling to back them up.
6cVIII-5.11b4 pitches · 100 mBail with caveats
Interamerica (originally Alemannischer Schelledanz) climbs the centre of the south-west wall of Glocke, The Bell, a smooth conglomerate dome on the western edge of Meteora. Four pitches, about 100 m, of steep, technical climbing on cobbles: 6a, 6a+ and 6a, then a short 6c bulge under the summit cap that goes at A0. It is one of the best-protected routes in Meteora and parties call the bolting rock solid. The exception to the atlas rules is the belays: the second and third belays are each a single large glue-in ring rather than two bolts.
The atlas doesn't show topos: they are the work of the people who bolt and document these routes. See the topo at Camptocamp – Hervé Thivierge photo-topo of The Bell, or in Meteora Best of Classics.
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 6aVI+5.10a | 35 m | A vertical wall. |
| P2 | 6a+VII-5.10b | 30 m | Directly up the wall to a bulge. The belay at the top is a single large glue-in ring; back it up, for example by clipping the first bolt of pitch 3. |
| P3 | 6aVI+5.10a | 20 m | A steep slab to a break below the cap of the Bell. Another single-ring belay. An easier exit (4b on SummitPost, 4c on the Thivierge topo) leaves the route here instead of the last pitch. |
| P4 | 6cVIII-5.11b | 15 m | A short overhang to the summit, described as nice and short; it can be aided on the bolts (A0). Do not link it with pitch 3: a 2020 party who skipped the R3 belay had heavy rope drag on the 6c. |
Kalambaka is on the railway from Athens and about 85 km from Larissa airport; Kastraki, just north of Kalambaka, is the usual base. A car is useful but not essential. From Kastraki take the road towards the monasteries (St Nicolaos). Just after the Doupiani tower, on the left, take the steep road up to the left and park at the col (SummitPost describes the car park on the left just after Doupiani).
About 15 minutes. From the col follow the dirt track to the left along the rocks, then the path that passes between two cliffs (camptocamp); The Bell is visible about 200 m to the right (south-east), and a marked path on the right leads through a field and a small wood to its foot. Of the three routes on the wall, Carillon of the Bell (Glockenspiel) is on the right with its first point at 10 m; the starts of Interamerica and Pfadfinder are obvious, each with a silver ring about 1.5 m off the ground.
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
Coordinates · crag
Point from camptocamp waypoint 651271 (Glocke summit)
Contains the route point.
Points from published sources, not surveyed.
Coordinates: 39.72705, 21.62251 (crag)
Abseil. A 2022 party abseiled in two 45 m abseils down Pfadfinder, the route just left, and found the abseils very efficient. The Thivierge topo gives abseil descent with 2×50 m ropes. (The classic Glockenspiel descent, two abseils of 20 m and 35 m down the north-east side followed by a gully and a tunnel back round to the foot, is an alternative described by SummitPost.)
Bail with caveats
The route is short and the normal descent is by abseil, so retreat is realistic from any belay. R1 is a normal belay; R2 and R3 are single glue-in rings, so retreating from them means abseiling off one point (or leaving a sling to link it to the next bolt). The top pitch can be aided, which is often easier than retreating.
Greece
112Emergency: ambulance, fire, police
Emergency: ambulance, fire, police
Position of the crag
39.72705, 21.62251
Marks the crag, not the route: give route and pitch.
Say what happened, how many are hurt, and where you are. Checked October 2026 (sourceofficial sources).
12 quickdraws, two 50 m ropes, helmet. Extra: a sling or cordelette to back up the single-ring belays at R2 and R3 (to the first bolt of the next pitch). No source mentions cams or nuts.
The wall faces west to south-west (sources differ) at the western edge of Meteora. In mid-August 2020 it was hot but bearable in the shade thanks to the wind, though the summit was exposed; in May 2022 it was perfect at 23 °C. Spring to the end of May and early to mid autumn are the best seasons for Meteora; summer brings great heat.
Forecast · next 7 days · 300 m
Loading the forecast.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Low °C | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rain mm | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Chance of rain % | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Strongest gusts km/h | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Model forecast for 300 m. It cannot tell you whether the rock is dry. Data: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0.
Time plan · 4 pitches
Working out sunrise and sunset.
An estimate. Queues and route finding cost time, and shaded walls go dark before sunset. Local time (Greek time), flat horizon.
Sun on the wall · W-facing
Working out the sunlit hours for this month.
Sun on the wallDaylight, wall in shade● Usual season
From the aspect alone; terrain is ignored. Local time, 15th of each month.
Climate figures for Meteora are not available yet
No reports yet.
Around 6c · about 4 pitches
Italy · Sardinia
The harder classic on the Goloritzè spire: compact grey walls and smooth water-drop slabs at 6b to 6b+, then a 6c scoop and an airy finish to a tiny summit above the turquoise bay. Shaded, technical and on the feet.
6cVIII-5.11b6cVIII-5.11b4 pitches135 m
France · Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert
A short, sustained and very steep limestone line at the back of the Cirque du Bout du Monde. Four pitches of technical, hard-to-read wall climbing on sharp, grippy rock, with the crux on the third pitch. The grades on the local topo are widely considered stiff.
6cVIII-5.11b6cVIII-5.11b4 pitches120 m
Read the cautions
Spain · Liébana (Peña Cigal)
Long, sustained 6a pitches of slab, cracks and corners, then a technical 6c wall of small crimps on the third pitch, on the left side of the Peña Cigal wall. Stainless bolts and ringed belays throughout. Above the first pitch it is an autumn-only route because of nesting vultures.
6cVIII-5.11b6cVIII-5.11b4 pitches150 m
Read the cautions
Bosnia and Herzegovina · Spijonik (Visočica)
A new four-pitch sport route on the tallest section of a remote limestone wall high on the Visočica range, with corners, cracks, small roofs and bulges. It is sustained in the 6a to 6b+ range, and the last pitch has a 6c crux: an overhanging, wide block that you pass with slaps and a knee bar.
6cVIII-5.11b6cVIII-5.11b4 pitches100 m
Read the cautions
Researched and aggregated by AI from published sources, last compiled October 2026. It can be wrong, and bolts, anchors and access change: check a current guidebook and read the disclaimer.