Solárium Guidebooks

Climbing Guidebook: Leonidio & Kyparissi

Published by the Panjika Coop in 2018. Fantastic guidebook with thousands of routes and color photos. Great directions to all sectors. Great index with trailhead locations, approach times, sun shade info, and breakdown of routes by grade at each crag. Many of the proceeds from the guidebook go towards equipping and maintaining routes. Obtainable at the Panjika Cafe and other locations in town. Highly recommended. Can sometimes find through online sources.

Greece - Sport Climbing: The Best of

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Updated 2017 2nd edition which has been expanded and revised.

In English!

31 crags spread across Greece. Does not include Kalymnos.

Greece, Sport Climbing: The best of

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Greece is a sunny country with blue skies, gorgeous beaches and rugged mountains. As a climbing destination it is mostly known thanks to Kalymnos, the 'gold standard' of sport climbing worldwide. Meanwhile, the cliffs in the rest of this stunning country remain a well-kept secret.

This book will introduce you to the best sport crags in the rest of Greece. It will help you discover world class venues combining Kalymnos-quality cliffs with beautiful countryside, no crowds and perfect conditions.

Created by the same team behind the successful Kalymnos edition, in the same style and quality, this guide book features full-color pages, custom photo-topos and maps, a crag planner and select routes in 29 different crags around Greece, including:

The 'sacred'' conglomerate towers of Meteora
The Kalymnos-style sport crags of Pyli and Mouzaki
More hardcore sport climbing at Chatzouri, Alepochori and Kleisoura in the Patras area
The solid limestone massif of Varasova, which rises from the sea to 917
The up-and-coming crags of Leonidio and other outstanding cliffs in the Peloponnese (Nafplio, Zobolo, Lagada and Nedousa)
The islands of Anafi and Symi, two little gems of the Aegean
Three crags on the famous island of Crete: Voulismeno Aloni, Plakias and Tersanas Cave (also know as the 'new Grande Grotta!')
Select crags in the Athens area, the only capital with such concentration of quality climbing so close to the city.

This guide book does not include the crags of Kalymnos.

Europe - Sport Vertical

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This is an overview book that sets out to list every single crag on the European continent a la Tim Toula's "Rock N' Road". Intended for a broad audience of various languages, the book uses an absurdly complex assortment of symbols & numbers to "describe" each crag without the use of text. The book is in full color, with plentiful glossy photos of various crags. This isn't a guidebook in the classic sense, but it can be a good way to learn about the locations & raw statistics of the multitude of little known crags in Europe. The book indicates number of routes, height of cliff, length of approach, sun exposure, and relative quality for more than 2600 sport, bouldering & alpine crags. The book also points you in the direction of the pertinent local guidebooks. Its a nice reference book, but probably not too useful once you're on the road. Set it on the coffee table or near your procelain throne for a few minutes of inspiration when the local weather is bad.

Rock Climbing Europe

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Rock Climbing Europe is the perfect starting point for Americans on their way to Europe. The book is far from comprehensive, so ensure that your destination is included before laying out $40 or so. If your destination is included, expect explicit, robust, American-style route descriptions (a rarity in European guides) & photo-topos, all prefaced with a good deal of "Lonely Planet"-style traveler information. The book also follows the Falcon Guide system of providing tips on lodging/camping and where to find amenities in the local area. The book is encyclopedic is size, so you may want to xerox the key sections if you're going for a short trip.