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Speedo Man

5.12b, Sport, 15 ft (5 m),  Avg: 3 from 1 vote
FA: Simon Montmory, 2018
International > Europe > Greece > Kalymnos > Ghost Kitchen > Utopia Cave

Description

A candidate for the shortest route on Kalymnos...with a serious Napoleon complex. 

This thing is maybe all of 15 feet off the ground to chains, but uses more rope than that since it traverses the underside of the cave.

The easiest way to start is not the most obvious, and might require a cheater block for the short. Theres an obvious tufa blob inside the cave with a broken rail and vegetation, containing a manky left hand jug and sharp right hand jug. If you can reach this side of it (facing towards the sea) then great, otherwise have fun pulling on chossy V7 crimps to get established. Get some feet on and make a huge move to the dirty tufa rail behind you, where a faint tick mark can be seen. This is the crux move, and may require some brushing to clean the junk off it from neglect. Match or work some other magic, then start moving out left. It eases up from here with a few kneebar options as well as toe cams, maybe a heel or two depending on your style. Basically a V5/6 boulder problem on a rope, and the holds get better as you go.

We spent quite a bit of time (so you don't have to) trying to start left of the bolt line on the tufa with chalk, but this turned out to be one hell of a sucker sequence of 5.13-ish difficulty. The bolts trend outwards making us think this was the sequence, but once we saw the tick on the inside of the dirty tufa rail it made way more sense for the grade.

Location

This is the last overhung line in the Utopia cave before the vertical lines start to the right of it. 

Protection

Bolts. Highly recommend having the first 2 bolts clipped to prevent a deck if you don't stick the crux move.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Danny sending Speedo Man
[Hide Photo] Danny sending Speedo Man
The first move was the crux move, at least for us.
[Hide Photo] The first move was the crux move, at least for us.