It’s been a long day hanging on ropes while cleaning a nice route full of loose rocks on Pentadaktylos. I and Andreas Theofanous are really tired and it’s time to call it a day. On the way down we spotted a very interesting looking crack that intrigued both of us. Almost simultaneously we said ‘we definitely have to climb that line at some point’.
To crack (VIII) or not to crack (VI+)
Sector: Pentadaktylos – Pinky Finger
Details:
1st Pitch: Grade: III, 35m. Follow the easy rock groove up to a slab and to the base of the wide crack from where you can belay.
2nd Pitch: Grade: VI-, 20m. Follow the off-width crack. Belay below the overhang where the line split into two possible exits. Gear placements can be found in the walls of the crack.
3rd Pitch: To Crack. Grade: VIII, 20m – After the belay follow the diagonal crack to the right until the small ledge from where the crack gets steeper. Then follow the steep crack all the way with good gear (crux) until you reach easier terrain on dubious rock. Belay at the top.
Rat Crack/ Not to Crack. Grade: VI+, 25m – After the belay follow the wide crack to the left with a challenging exit to easier terrain. Belay at the top.
Descent: An abseil point with two separate bolts can be found on the wall next to the left exit, there is a third bolt with a chain to secure the traverse to the abseil. From there you can reach the base of the route with a 60 meter abseil.
Gear: 2 x 60m half ropes, 1 set of cams (worth taking some extra medium size cams), 1 set of nuts, 4-5 hexes, slings, extenders, quickdraws.
Rock Type: Gray – Orange Limestone. Sharp in places.
Story
After we finished with the cleaning and climbing of a route on the ‘ring finger’ of Pentadaktylos (Five-finger Mountain) it was time to check out and start working on the crack. I and Andreas Theofanous in December 2015 spent a full day cleaning and removing massive rocks that were stuck in the off width crack. During the process we found out that the line can be splinted into two different exits after the off-width pitch. The exit to the right, which looked harder (To Crack) and the exit to the left that looked a bit easier (Rat Crack / Not to crack).
In January 2016 I and Andreas Theophanous headed back to Pentadaktylos and got on with the climbing of the easier variation of the route. The first pitch that Andreas Theophanous led was easy and straight forward. Then it was my turn to lead the off-width crack. The beginning was a bit challenging until the point that I decided that the only way up is to get my body in the crack. Luckily, the walls of the crack offered some good protection. However, the crux of the pitch was the gear placements while I was stuck in the crack. Following this, it was Andreas’s turn to climb the last pitch. The start of the pitch was a bit awkward but well protected, as a crux for that final pitch I found the exit after the crack that led to easier ground.
After this, we headed back to Pentadaktylos to give the harder variation a go, that time Elena Ktisti joined me and Andreas Theophanous. Andreas wanted to lead the second off-width pitch as he seconded it the last time so I got the third pitch which looked harder but doable from the belay after the second pitch. The traverse was straight forward with good protection all the way up until a small ledge just below the hand-sized crack. When I arrived at the ledge I realized that the crack would be harder than I expected but I was psyched to give it a go. So, I placed gear as high as possible from the ledge and I started working my way up the crack. The moves were hard and the crack sharp and after a while of trying hard I fell all the way to the ledge. Luckily, I did not get injured and I gave it a second go. That time I managed to get to the top with some rest on gear half way up. We had an amazing day out but the route stuck in my mind and I craved to go back and try to free climb it.
After almost three weeks of climbing in UK with my brother where we ticked some amazing grit stone classics it was time to head back to Pentadaktylos. On the 11th October, I teamed up with Evagoras Xydas and Andreas Parparinos to head back to the wall. When we arrived we did not have a plan thought out regarding what to climb. Following this, we went through the different options and finally decided to go for the route that I had unfinished business with. Because I and Andreas Parparinos had led the 2nd off-width pitch before the plan was obvious: Andreas P. would climb the 1st pitch, Evagoras the 2nd and I the final pitch. Andreas P. led the 1st pitch easily and fast and I and Evagoras followed him to the belay. Then, it was Evagoras turn to get the lead who had actually not seen the off-width pitch before and had little experience with off-widths. After he took some beta from us, geared up and started to make his way up the off-width. At first, Evagoras struggled a bit until he took the decision to get his body in the crack and afterwards as a strong and experienced climber he adopted to the climbing style and he steadily made his way up to the belay. Then, it was my turn to give the 3rd pitch another go after a while. I traversed easily to the small ledge and I placed good gear as high as possible in the steep crack from there. Then I climbed a bit higher, placed a no.5 Dragon cam and down climbed back to the ledge to rest, chalked up, worked the moves in my mind and then I went for it. The moves were hard and unbalanced, at a point I found myself close to falling however because of the motivation that I was given by Andreas P. and Evagoras I managed to free climb the pitch.
Special thanks to Andreas Parparinos, Andreas Theophanous and Evagoras Xydas for the amazing climbing excursions and their input on the grading.
Marios Hadjipetris
I am so happy for all of you. Keep climbing guys.
Kyriakos Rossidis
On January 2016 the route cleaned and secured from the big loose rocks and repeated from me and Andreas Theofanous. Following on you can find the original route description for the easier variation (Rad Crack / Not to Crack)
RAT CRACK 50m, A Richards, R Cox, C Weavers 23 May 69
Location, on the left of Great End Chimney there is a huge bulge with a ten inch crack running up ft. Climb the small slab on the left then move right to enter the crack. Climb the crack which is very strenuous, to a large V shaped opening containing a dead tree. Belay on a good flake 25m. From here move up the wall on the left. Exit from here is hard. An awkward fight with a chock stone and a large ledge is reached, if you win. Climb up into a dovetail shaped gap and exit this by a crack on the right 25m. A fine strenuous route. The crux is reaching the ledge on the second pitch.