Dave Smith

A route I’ve walked under a hundred times and never thought I would climb

I think this was the first time doing the variation. I did the original in 2001. Interestingly the line marked here is not the same as that drawn in older topo's, including the original Suomen Alppikerho topo published in 1992. In those the variation route is marked as going right under the first roof (6-) to a belay on the ledge, then back left into the short corner and second roof (6-). To my mind the variation combination marked here is the best line going left through both roofs. With suitable care and long slings it can be done as one pitch without too much rope drag. Nice route and great exposure over the second roof.

Rather soft

Second go after putting draws in

With a quick pull..

Pretty nice really, a good addition.

Last try at the end of a long session...

I guess the style suits me..

Thought this was great, though not sure why you should use the pocket slab start which seems a bit artificial.

First 7c. Its taken a while...

Really nice moves but doesn't get three stars because of the ending. I first climbed this in the mid-90's - not sure if that was the first ascent or not.

Might have done it before...

Tougher than it looks

Involved and sustained climbing

Really nice, but should have brushed the top holds first...

Avoided the final very dirty corner by the bolted wall on the right

Dementia flash. Done this a long time ago. What a fine route

Better than it looks

Might have done this before

Might have done this before

Didn't start with left hand on sloper as it seemed a bit artificial that way so had both hands right side. Anyway, nice route at about 6c

Done before

Done before

done before

Dementia flash

Great traverse on big holds with a few slopers at the end. Struggling to imagine this as a 7a...

Lots of moves and no dyno to make this work for me.

Better than it seemed at first. Nice climbing on the slab and then some sketchy moves above the overlap

Think this was the route, felt about 6a-ish but not so high?

Given 6b in the pdf topo but maybe 6b+ is more accurate

Polished and very chalky but still good

6b in the 2019 guide, to 6a+ in the revised version.

Led first pitch. Bit scrappy.

Nice one

Warm down

Top rope dogged in the sun with Eli. Tough crux sequence then much easier

Not an easy one

Thought this was really great, just loved the climbing.

Lead dog, not top rope. Slippery and covered in chalk...

Hard moves near the top for a 6a

Thought this was the best of the grade I've done in Kalymnos. Tough moves at the start for a 6a+

Led pitches 3,5,6,7,9. Great day out with Andy

Great route. Draws were in. Wish it was 7a as in Kalymnos guide but its not.

Slippery, wet, mossy topout

A real fight, some complicated climbing to get around the long - and for me impossible - reach.

Broke a hold near the start. Needs a longer reach now.

Tried a couple of different ways getting over the edge and settled on straight over from the slopers. Nice route.

First lead attempt, felt... easy. Good route, deserves more attention.

With Emma as first ascent. Sorry Joel, didnt get around to putting this in

Date not exact. Some suspect rock.

Nice addition. I'd looked at this line a year or two ago but it seemed hard. 6b+, 6c ? depends on the day!

First lead try so happy with that.

Not much gear as I recall

Not as good as the corner IMO

Sometime in 2013

Sometime in 2013

Longer and harder option. Nice.

Nice. Climbed once before but always found it hard and have not been able to repeat it until last night.

Tricky. Date not exact

Nice long route. Date not exact

Real date unknown

Real date unknown

Great route through improbable terrain for a Finnish 6a. Date not exact

Date not exact

Date not exact. Quite tricky.

Took a long time to get around to leading this one

Date not exact but some time in 2010. Surprised myself..

Nice short route

If you are small you need something to stand on to be able to reach the starting holds. A spotter is a good idea for this one.

Small crimps and a slightly scary top out.

One of my favourite problems. On a good day it feels a bit soft for 7a

Approximate date

Date not exact

A nice and obvious line, but weird moves.

This is called Plastic Man and not the route on the other side of the boulder

No difficult moves, a stamina route.

Classic. Immortalised on film in Torsti Laine's 'Crux'

I think it's called Die Weiss Leder Tanga. Date not exact

Don't know exact date. Save some strength for the last moves

Nice route. Date not exact. Its not 7a...

Got a little bit harder a few years ago when a small side pull for the left hand at the start came away.

Classic. Can also be reversed, which makes it a bit harder.

A technical and tricky route. Needed a lot of tries on this one.

Tricky

Not sure of the grade, but it took a lot of tries.

High

Don't know exact date, but sometime soon after these routes were put up

Don't know exact date, but sometime soon after these routes were put up

Don't know exact date, but sometime soon after these routes were put up

Date not exact

Date approx

You can also reverse it. Right to left.

Used to be significantly harder before a piece of rock came off the sloper to make a bigger hold

Not the most logical of lines, but superb, long and sustained climbing

Long time ago... date not exact

Date not exact

Date not exact.

Not a great route by any means

Another great adventure on the laatta

A very fine finger crack with good protection

Seconded in September 1993

Always found this tricky

Delicate climbing up to the first bolt.

A unique climbing experience

May 1994 but date not exact. Good route done many times since

Followed somebody up it and Led it a while later

My first climbing on the laatta. Led it 2.9.94