Maya Calderon
In my book of destinations for the travel climber, I outline five different regions of the world and outline their characteristics to give you a solid sense of what to expect from your next climbing trip. Each region outlined in my book has excellent quality rock and good infrastructure to access it. Most importantly, each of the destinations to be outlined in the following articles have a season in which to travel to them for the climbing. I have been fortunate enough to have traveled to and climbed in five of the major climbing regions around the world. The following are the top destinations for the traveling climber.
Kalymnos, Greece
The friendliest place for traveling climbers in the world is to be found in Greece. The island of Kalymnos has hundreds of high quality limestone routes for every level of climber, all within walking distance in the sport climbing mecca of Massouri. It’s a village with a village, and a large amount of accommodation, food and drink for all tastes and budgets. The season is from May to October, with July and August too hot for serious climbing in the middle of the day, but perfectly tolerable in the evenings. There are direct ferries from Kos to the island, as well as flights from Athens to the island’s capital, Pothia, every week. Kalymnos is often one of the destinations featured in climbing guidebooks, but it’s the practical details that are often omitted – such as all of the above. Every time.
Ceuse, France
Ceuse is a serious climbing destination that demands commitment, first and foremost an approach that takes 45 minutes up a steep hill to the crag from the free camp site at the base. The rock is superb, but the routes are very demanding (as most are of grade 7a and above). The best time for climbing is from mid-May till end of September, with best weather in June and September. The area is served by the nearest town Sigoyer which has a very small bakery and a few other services, but generally climbers self-cater and head to Gap for the large supermarkets.
El Chorro, Spain
El Chorro is a very affordable alternative for winter climbing, it has some of the best routes in Europe, from 4- to 8b- grade, around the famous Caminito del Rey tourist path. The climbing season for El Chorro is from October to April, best months are from December till end of February, due to very high temperatures in summer. For accommodation there are a few options, around the Olive Branch restaurant and Finca La Campana, both are well priced for what you get, run by climbers and they have good knowledge of the area.
A friend who lives in El Chorro has pointed out to me that the main option which the travel articles never mention is the pool of routes which are a couple of hours’ walking time into the limestone gorges from the village, via dirt tracks and then a steepish descent.
Railay, Thailand
I think Railay is the easiest place to tropical climb for as a beginner as it means you can find routes for all levels, and soon climb some of the best in the world as the setting is superb as the cliffs rise straight up from the beach. I’d recommend going in the wet season (November – April) when the rock and air are at their best, but the stone does get very slick and the heat becomes almost suffocating. It’s best to book all manner of accommodation from a beach bungalow to 5-star hotel as Railay is a car free haven that can only be reached by longtail from Ao Nang.
Squamish, British Columbia
Squamish is the only North American granite destination worth international travel. The season for climbing is from mid-May to end of October, with the best months June to September. Climbing in Squamish is suitable for all types of climbers and for multi-pitch routes of all lengths. There are crack, slab and overhang routes, and hundreds of them. The town is climber-friendly, accommodation ranges from camping at the Stawamus Chief campground to short-term rentals in Squamish town.
What to take from this for your next trip
Everyone who has gone on a climbing trip of this nature has returned for more. That is because climbing is a physical and mental discipline that needs to be developed over time. With each passing year, the routes that could have been done years prior become even more attainable. However, one must be honest with regards to his or her physical fitness and take routes that correlate with the current level of physical ability. Elevation gain and climbing at high altitudes can be grueling tasks and can lead to very poor days if one is not prepared. Keeping a log of the gear used on a trip and how it performed on the trail is also invaluable. Many months later, one may not even remember the specifics of the items used on a particular trip, but the log will bring back memories of the good and the bad, helping to improve future excursions.
Closing perspective from years on the road
The information outlined in this piece is the result of countless long-distance travel experiences and conversations with other traveling life enthusiasts along the way. There is no single, perfect way to go on a long-distance trip and the general information provided will likely have to be changed in order to be applied to a particular long-distance traveler’s specific long-distance trip. The more readers learn about to do long-distance travel before embarking on their own long-distance travels, the better, and the most informed long-distance travelers are typically those who have read about and talked with other traveling life enthusiasts before going on their own long-distance trip and then putting what they learned into practice on the long distance trip. A reader can use the article provided here as one of many resources to help learn the ins and outs of long-distance travel in order to have the best long distance travel experiences possible and create long distance travel memories that will last a lifetime and be remembered for years to come.
Reviewed by Marcus Webb. Cross-checked against my own time on similar trips.
Reviewed by Marcus Webb, Cross checked against personal time on similar trips. Editorial Standards & Fact-Checking Policy and Contact page.
