Kalymnos – School / Jungle Book (beyond Odyssey) · Kalymnos & Telendos · Greece
Read the cautionsBail with caveatsBolting confidence: medium
A short gem with slabs, crimps, water-drop pockets, a bulge and a traverse on superb rock, with the usual big Kalymnos view. It is the most popular guided 6a multi-pitch on the island.
Fully bolted, but the hardware dates from 2001, an abseil-anchor bolt failed by hand in 2021 and there is no newer report on the anchors.
The route
A four-pitch route at the School sector, five minutes beyond Odyssey, and one of the original Kalymnos multi-pitches from 2001. Each pitch is different: a juggy first pitch, thin slabs on the second, a small bulge on the third, and a crack followed by a slab traverse on the fourth that is all footwork and reading. The rock is excellent and the view of Telendos is the usual Kalymnos panorama. It is short and friendly in feel and is used by local guides as a half-day route, but the descent is by abseil on anchors that were reported in poor condition in 2021.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 5c | 30 m | Juggy, beginner-style climbing. |
| P2 | 6a+ | 30 m | Very good, delicate slabs. |
| P3 | 6a | 30 m | A small bulge, then easy ground. |
| P4 | 6b | 30 m | A crack, then a slab traverse that depends on reading and footwork. Graded 6b on the camptocamp route page (6a+ obligatory); other sources give the route 6a+ maximum. |
Getting there
Base: Masouri. Use the same scooter parking as Odyssey: 1.5 km along the road towards Kastelli, then up to the isolated house under the electricity pylons and along the stone wall beside it. An hourly bus runs between Pothia and Kastelli. School can also be reached from Kastelli via the gravel road to North Cape, then along the foot of the cliff south-east round a rock step.
From the parking follow the blue-marked path up to Odyssey, continue past it northwards and follow the blue marks for another 5 min to the School / Jungle Book sector. 25 to 30 min in total. The multi-pitch routes rise above the short single-pitch routes; no source describes how the start is marked, so identify it from the guidebook topo (two other multi-pitches, Kalymnos 2000 and Platon, share the sector).
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
Point from camptocamp waypoint 241492
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: 37.01489, 26.94591 (crag)
Getting down
Abseil. The abseil line runs to the left of the route as you look down: 30 m, 20 m, 30 m, 30 m (camptocamp, with 2×50 m ropes). In September 2021 one bolt of the lowest abseil anchor pulled out by hand and the party had to improvise using the bolts of the single-pitch route that passes at that level. No later report says whether it has been fixed. Walk back to the parking in 20 to 25 min.
Retreat
Bail with caveats
Yes, abseiling is the normal descent, but the anchors need checking. The abseil line runs just left of the route as you look down, in four abseils of 30, 20, 30 and 30 m. In September 2021 a bolt of the lowest abseil anchor came out by hand, and no later report says it was fixed.
Partly inferred from the route facts
Safety
Sun and weather
South-west facing. The sector gets the sun from about 10:30 to 11:00 in October, so it is a morning route in warm weather and a good choice on cooler days. It is exposed to north and north-west wind. camptocamp lists October to May as the best period. Quieter than Odyssey because of the extra walk.
Sun on the wall · SW-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.
Climate figures for Kalymnos & Telendos are not available yet
What to carry
2×50 m ropes and 14 quickdraws (camptocamp). Take spare cord, a couple of maillons and a sling or two for backing up abseil anchors. Helmet.
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 Oraia Stithi.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Same area
Greece · Kalymnos & Telendos
The first route on the wall (Odermatt and Keller, 2008), climbing a long, exposed line on sharp, grippy rock right of the huge roof. The lower pitches are easy for the grade. The two 6a cruxes are a short odd corner over a small roof and a traverse high up, and they come with big exposure. Pitches are short, so you can link them with long draws.
6a11 pitches250 m
Greece · Kalymnos & Telendos
A sustained, varied line on sculpted limestone. It starts with an easy slab and builds to slightly overhanging jugs with huge exposure on the top pitch. Mountain Project and camptocamp grade the crux 6a+ (Rockfax says 6a). With a 70 m rope you can link several pairs of pitches.
6a9 pitches265 m
Greece · Kalymnos & Telendos
Kalymnos's best-known introduction to multi-pitch: a series of steps and slabs, always with plenty of holds, finishing on top of the Grande Grotta. The upper pitches feel very exposed. Real pitch lengths are shorter than the guidebook says (20–25 m).
5c+6 pitches175 m
Committing
Greece · Kalymnos & Telendos
Thin moves over small bulges, stemming and big jugs on 'cauliflower' limestone. The crux is P6, which ends at a hanging belay. Mountain Project gives the pitches in YDS only (5.8–5.10b), so French pitch grades are not listed; the overall grade is 5.10b (6a+), and some listings give 6b. You can link P3–P4 and P5–P6.
6a+7 pitches152 m
Read the cautions
Around 6b · about 4 pitches
Italy · Gaeta & Sperlonga
The showpiece of the Montagna Spaccata: four steep, exposed pitches up a knife-edge spur that drops straight into the sea, reached by abseil. Sustained around 6a+ on good holds, with an overhang at 6b to finish.
6b4 pitches120 m
Read the cautionsCommitting
Slovenia · Vršič Pass (Julian Alps)
A compact modern sport multipitch by Tomo and Dragica Česen, front-loaded with its longest and hardest pitch. It is close to the road and good for a half-day.
6b4 pitches90 m
Morocco · Amellago
The most accessible multipitch at Amellago: four short pitches broken by a walk along a ledge under the roofs, finishing with an exposed traverse on rough brown rock. Some doubtful rock at the start of pitch 3. In shade from mid-afternoon in winter.
6b4 pitches80 m
Read the cautions
Spain · Riglos & Agüero (Mallos)
Four 35 m pitches starting 3 m left of the Espolón del Adamelo and finishing at the same belay. Harder and more sustained than its neighbour.
6b4 pitches140 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.