My Big Greek EVS: Climbing Facility near Serres

Hello Everybody! How are you? Fine? Then good :)
I am aboout to tell you a story of my first experience with climbing with equipment.

So.. there was this beautiful when this opportunity had arise, and we could finally try - if I am a climber or a ground walker. Giorgos my Greek friend who took me and my flatmates to the abandoned village, collected a small team of climbers and we all went outside the city of Serres to climb a bit. The team was surprisingly young.. and not less surprisingly experienced. I mean - this boys where almost 18 years old.. but they climb and climb a lot.

Basically if you want to climb you need a rope for safety, harness to attach the rope somewhere and climbing shoes - in which your foot is dying in. not literally dying but.. it squeezed as fuck! And I really mean it.. it can't be squeezed any more.. because than you wold have to freaking brake your fucking foot, like Japanese geishas than back in the day. Than some carabiners like this one that Yannis is holding ( this little dude in the orange shirt) Now there - most of equipment is there on a photos for you to see how this shit looks like.

Giannis with carabiner, and little Jimmy attaches more carabiners to his harness

Giorgos and the team is adjusting straps of the harness for safety.

This Shoes are made for climbing.

This is the rope, it can hold on to 2,5 tons of weight. about 80 m. long.

And this is Climbing Safety - one dude stands at the ground, and the line is attached to him with a special part, that makes possible stopping and holding of the rope with the weight of the holders body.

And now we are climbing :), first the Giorgos, he showed me how to go up, during the way he attaches carabiners in the spots for them, and puts his rope threw them for safety.

Than he goes down, using the safety rope - this is pretty scary at the beginning but then.. when you know how it works.. it can be pretty fun too.

After Giorgos it was time for my initiation, the rope was at the highest point of the route.. So I did it just like him, only I was taking the rope out from the carabiner.. because I am a beginner.. it is a lot safer for start. But I did the route no problem :) and then I had some problems with going down. It is pretty hard. You need some trust to the rope, and to a person that holds it down there. Then.. when I finally got it.. (half way down) I started going down ( like Giorgos said) like a commando ;) because I was jumping on flowing down freely just some centimeters.

These is another route, and over here little Jimmy tries to do impossible route. He couldn't make it this time.. but although he is a very good climber - his muscles are not that big yet, training makes masters :)

This route.. made by Giorgos was very long.. like 30 m. up. He did it like 30 minutes I think, and went all the way up. then it was my turn.

Preparations.

The Climbing Facility wall contains countless numbers of different difficulties routes.

So I went up. and I must say it was not that easy.. also pretty scary sometimes, especially when I needed to grab on to a dry root that was in the wall, and jump a bit higher to get a proper grip with hand. amazing.

Also, I have reached almost the top of the rope that Giorgos set. I took the rope out of the last carabiner, and I was going higher just to touch the top, but I was tired I guess and made a little mistake, slipped or I think my hand and fingers where tired, and fell down a bit. Then guys told me to try again, but I was already tired.. especially my hands ;) It was very cool.

So it was time for me to go down. That was enough for a first time, and also Giorgos called me a professional beginner, because when he tried this route for the first time, he only got half way up, and I was like almost at the end :)