Bad News from Kalymnos....Trella, RIP

We have not so good news from Kaly: The big stalactite of Trella is broken! The huge stalactite of the awe-inspiring and outrageous route Trella in Kalymnos was a monument of the nature and trade-mark of Kalymnos ’ climbing.  “Trella” is elegantly demonstrated (just on the big tufa) by Liv Sansoz on the front cover the guidebook. Unfortunately this stalactite broken at 18-06-2007  when a climber tried to unclip his quickdraws not by re-climb the route on top-rope as the topo suggests. While he cleaned the route his rope stacks down of the stalactite and pulled it with force to outside so the stalactite broke. Mercifully no injuries happened to the careless climber or his partner. The following text is the comment for the route “Trella” from the current topo of Kalymnos . Trela – 6c+ 40m **** Trela means MADNESS. A Spanish climber just after lowering: “O my god, how did I exist without having done this climb?” A route that takes you into a different dimension. No single move is above 6b, but the exposure and the overall engagement well deserve its grade. Traced impeccably to make the easiest possible way through 40 very, very overhanging meters, by meandering through amazing tufa formations. A must, but prepare yourself psychologically! Remove your quickdraws by re-climbing the route on top-rope. 70m rope. A report from the witness Pete Hill: "I'm in Kaly and was there when the stalagtite dropped, and have the before and after photos. Briefly, a French climber was on Trela, an American couple just to the right, me next to them having a break from climbing and taking some photographs. The French climber, goes around the OUTSIDE of the stalagtite, clips the chain, starts to lower off unclipping on the way down. He just touched the stalagtite and it dropped. The American belayer and I just made it out of the way as it hit the ground, both hit by debris, the American's boots and rucksack hit and rope badly damaged. I had to get rock debris off his rope so that he could lower his partner, and he had just enough good rope to do so. The French climber didn't seem to be particularly bothered, the rest of us were in need of a launderette. Interesting that the base of the stalagtite, now on the ground, showed that it had been only holding on with about a 2 cm rim of rock, the inside was damp and rotten, like a bad tooth. A good lesson in belaying with your back to the wall as Aris suggests in his guide (and as the French bloke's belayer was doing) and not being underneath these features when 'in use'. I reckon the grade is still the same as before, as although that obvious rest has gone there is another nearby. The whole island is talking about it, and there are plenty of people making their way up the altered route. Pete Hill. "