Located at the foot of Mount Erymanthos at an altitude of 750m, sector Spartia is only 5km from Alepochori. The nearest village for food, shopping, medical care and other amenities is Erymanthia, and the nearest water spring is in Alepochori. The crag is in a small cave above Spartia village. Despite its compact size, the cave packs a good assortment of routes and grades and was first equipped in the late ‘90s by the area’s “usual suspects” Aristomenis Thanopoulos and Yiannis Torelli.
Climbing: Very solid limestone, mostly featuring crimps and thin tufa pipes. The lack of rests means climbing is quite sustained.
Gear: 60m rope and 14 QD.
Kids: Not so good; best to leave the little ones at the village.
Approach: Take the Patras ring-road. Exit at Ovrya and go towards Ovrya. At the first intersection, turn left. Drive 500m. Turn right onto Germanou road. At the end of the road, turn right. Take the Patras-Tripoli National Road (111). At the 25th km, turn left towards Erymanthia village. 3.5km further, drive through the village. 1.2km after Erymanthia village, turn left towards Spartia. Drive 7km and you will see the crag on the righthand side, at the entrance to Spartia village. You can also go to Spartia from Alepochori, by following the road past Alepochori village for 2km, (37.980059, 21.789909). Walking time: 5 min.
Conditions: Best for winter, spring and autumn climbing, as the crag stays dry. You can easily climb here on a cold winter afternoon.
