2 October 2015
New Bible on the island
Lars Gilberg has used the new Kalymnos guidebook with the free App for a week and he says it is the best topo ever.
"If in need for guidelines in life, some people turn to the Bible. Others go to bed reading the Kalymnos guidebook.
The new edition was presented in Massouri a week ago. So many climbers were gathered at the Wild Sport climbing store that even the Norwegian best selling crime author, Jo Nesbรธ, was impressed. He just came to Kalymnos to climb after speaking to 4000 of his fans in Athens.
I've spoken to a number of climbers using the new guide during the last week, and so far they have all been full of praise. Considering the number of routes has increased by a 1000 since the last edition, itยs amazing the books size is up only from 340 to 448 pages.
Theyยre all packed with useful info, presented in a delicate and user-friendly way. In fact, this should be a manual to every club around the world on how to do it. Unfortunately, there are so many guidebooks that are not giving info on essential facts like length of routes or when the sun hits.
Aris Theodoropoulus is the man behind all the kalymnian guidebooks, and also the man behind a big percentage of all the routes on this island with all the biblical references, from the crag Prophitis Andreas to the summit of the Island, Prophitis Ilias. Of those two, I have to admit, I know the latter one best. It is a stunning running destination.
Theodoropoulos himself raises the Q in his intro of the book: Is it sensible to make a printed book in our digital age?
His answer: Many climbers say they love to have a book coz it has a soul that a digital topo doesยดt provide.
However: This time Theodoropoulos has included a free app for tablets and smartphones for everyone buying the book. Lots of my friends have been using both the book and the app the last week.
One of the smart features with the app is that it will be updated regularly. It also has GPS coordinates for the crags. I donยดt have any factual backing for saying this, but I guess the younger generation might feel that the app is all they need, whereas oldies who grew up with paper books and printed newspapers like to own the book.
Iยm afraid I belong to the last group. I have been coming to Kalymnos to climb every year since 2001, when Aris convinced me about the richness of rock over a dinner in Tonsai. Now that Iยve been 17 times to Tonsai and 15 to Kalymnos, one of the differences I experience is this one: In Tonsai there is not much left to climb, but in Kalymnos the number of unclimbed routes is increasing from year to year.
Just look at this timeline:
First edition of the guidebook came in year 2000 with 200 routes.
Second one in 2003 with 500 routes.
Third in 2006 with 850 routes.
Forth in 2008 with 1100 routes.
Fifth in 2010 with 1700 routes.
Sixth in 2015 with 2700 routes.
According to the author, this is probably the last time that all routes fits in one book. This time he has left out a few not so popular crags to give place to new ones.
I should probably not finish off this article without touching the issue that a lot of climbers were discussing before the book came - and after: Which routes are downgraded? I have found examples of routes sliding from 7c to 7a+ over the last two guidebooks, but there is also a lot of routes that has been upgraded, som even with two grades. This is a natural process, I guess, not only because some stalactites are breaking, but also because grades are nothing like exact science, just numbers meant to guideline people who want to play.
To sum up: I have around 20 guidebooks from all over the world in my bookshelf at home, and this is the best one so far.
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