Another shady crag and another venture into the Vathy valley. The imaginatively named ET crag (or strictly speaking Meltochi Pyramid) is strikingly obvious on the hillside above the village of Meltochi.
Actually, there are two main sectors. We started at Koukouvas at the far left of the photo below.
The climbing is on the shady bit of cliff and confined to a not very impressive looking wall about 50m wide and 20m high. However, the dozen routes here (mostly 6bs and cs) are surprisingly good and very unlike the rest of the climbing on the island. Vertical grey wall with slots and pockets and some big reaches and smeary footholds. Quite like the best Peak limestone in nature, reminiscent of High Tor without the polish, and with the benefit of shade!
Back right on ET’s face (actually it’s his right cheek and left eye that have most routes) there are some really long undertakings.
To give a sense of scale, his forehead is about 150m above his mouth, and there are some great looking 2 pitch 70m routes so far. More like French limestone, not dissimilar to Verdon. We just had time / energy for one route – Iris, which was good. Anyway, worth coming back for.
