Rock climbing in Meteora

The rock climbing at Meteora consists of hugh pinnacles and monasteries (similar to Montserrat in Spain), some of which are located on top of the pinnacles. The routes here are a mixture between bolted and traditional (placing own protection), and vary between single pitch and multi-pitch routes up to 285m long.

There is a considerable variation in the amount of fixed gear (bolts and some pegs) used on routes and, historically the ethic was to use as little as possible. Therefore you can climb a well bolted single pitch route, and then a more committing multi-pitch trad route, where you will need to place nuts and friends along with the occasional bolt or peg. The type of rock is a combination of limestone, granite and sandstone, with mainly slaby or vertical rock. This means the majority of the routes are in the 5a to 6b range (French grades).

Close to Meteora there are also some other crags (Theopetra, Pyli and Mouzaki), which offer well bolted sports climbing on good quality limestone rock. At Rizoma there is also some sandstone bouldering.

The information opposite has been extracted from Greece & The Middle East Rock Climbing Atlas, which is available to buy from our shop.

Rock Climbing at Meteora - Logistics

Meteora is located in the northern half of Greece, near the town of Trikala, with the closest main city being Larisa. The best time to visit this area is from autumn through to the spring, though it can be cold (and sometimes snow) in the winter.

To get the most out of the rock climbing at Meteora (with it's unique atmosphere), it is advisable to take twin 50m ropes and traditional gear such as nuts and friends. A single 60m rope and quickdraws are sufficient providing you are only looking to do sports routes.

Further information regarding the rock climbing to be found at Meteora can be found here.