Frygani

Frygani is the latest development in Peloponnese climbing. A long limestone face with conglomerate features, it is located less than 1,5 hours west of Athens (120 km), on the eastern foot of Mount Ziria and near the plateau of mythical Lake Stymphalia. Perfect for starting (or ending) your Peloponnese climbing tour, and ideal for a weekend getaway, Frygani is in idyllic rural surroundings with hills covered in vineyards, earthy colors and low vegetation. There are two crags: the main cliff (Frygani), which featuring about 40 routes, and a smaller cliff (Mylos) just down the road on the opposite side, with 10 more difficult routes. All routes are fully and densely bolted with stainless steel bolts, hangers, and clippable lower-offs. With an emphasis on the easy and mid-range grades, routes have been densely bolted to allow climbers to climb safely and to encourage lead climbing and onsight attempts. Frygani has a bit of a history. In the 1980s it was used as a trad multi-pitch crag with 12 routes; in fact, it was the venue of one of the first climbing meetings in Greece (1986) with nearly 40 participants — a significant number for Greece at the time (The author has a personal connection: he grew up in nearby Xylokastro, and Frygani was one of the few places close enough for him and his friends to climb as teenagers.) Sadly, the crag was abandoned in the decades that followed. The old trad routes are still there, but the 30 year-old pitons and slings are in poor condition and vegetation has taken over. But we do hope to equip some new multi-pitches and rebolt some of the old ones, so stay tuned. The Remaking of Frygani: Community Spirit in Action It was early 2016 when the rebirth of Frygani as a sport sector became a possiblity. It all started with a phone call we received from the lovely folks at Experience Corinthia. They’d heard about Frygani’s potential, but not being climbers themselves they had no idea how to develop it. A Q+A session between the author and local businesses owners ensued, and before we knew it the funding was secured and the Frygani project took off. As most equippers know, things don't usually work out this way. Contributions by a few individuals or local businesses are not uncommon, but mobilizing an entire community is. In this case, thanks to a dynamic and inspired project coordinator, individuals and businesses were swiftly convinced to "adopt" a route. In return, they got to name said route (if you wondered about some of the route names, now you know). And without further ado, the new project was ready to take off.