Ideal for autumn climbing between September and November, Varasova (va-RA-so-va) is a solid limestone massif rising to 917m on the west coast of Greece, across the water from the city of Patras. Its south and southwest faces form an impressive promontory the end of which drops directly into the sea. Greek climbing took its first steps here in 1958, so Varasova holds a special place in the hearts of Greek climbers. Varasova is approximately 3 hrs 30 min by car from the city of Athens, or 30 min by car from the city of Patras. Along with Meteora it is among the most celebrated climbing venues in Greece, but don’t worry about crowds: there may be a few other climbers here on the weekends, but on weekdays you are more than likely to have the crag to yourself.
Varasova coordinates: 38.344214, 21.598112
Climbing: The three peaks of Varasova rise to nearly identical elevation. The rock is very solid, relatively sharp, mostly gray or yellow limestone of outstanding quality. It is generously featured and teeming with variety: compact walls, steep slabs, corners and vertical cracks, jugs, flakes, chickenheads, incut edges, and a surplus of hidden holds and footholds which make for sublime climbing over a remarkably blue sea.
Routes: The approximately 200 routes at Varasova include single- and multi-pitch sport routes. There are also several mixed-character ‘adventure’ routes with as many as 18 pitches and, although these usually have a few bolts per pitch (mainly on solid sections of rock) plus fixed belay anchors, they will also require placement of nuts or other trad gear (usually in cracks). In spring, many features are obscured by vegetation, so be prepared to do some gardening. Some parts of the multi-pitch routes are run-out, but most anchors are bolted and set up for rappelling. There is still vast potential for new routes in Varasova, especially for bolted sport lines. Grades range from very easy to very hard, the majority being in the mid-grades (5c-6b).
The latest addition to Varasova climbing is sub-sector Garden of Heroes, which was created in April 2014 by Claude and Christine Remy and is very good for easier single-pitch climbing. Garden of Heroes features excellent compact gray slabs, some of which steepen with height. At the moment, there are 16 very well-protected single-pitch routes graded mainly between 4c-6b. All routes were equipped with stainless-steel bolts provided by Aris Theodoropoulos. Sub-sector Garden of Heroes, which was previously unpublished, is fully featured in the new guidebook Greece Sport Climbing: The Best Of.
Guidebooks: There are two older Varasova guidebooks, one by Aris Theodoropoulos (1996) and the other by Yannis Aliyannis (2006). In Greece Sport Climbing: The Best Of, 50 of the best-protected and most classic routes of Varasova are presented. Additional information, especially about the trad routes (detailed sketches etc.) can be found online here.
What else is near Varasova? If you are a strong sport climber it is worth exploring the other Patras Area crags (Chatzouri, Alepochori and Kleisoura, which are covered in detail in the Greece Sport Climbing guidebook). Otherwise, Varasova is surrounded by sea, so swimming is usually the go-to option on rest days or during down-time. The town of Messolonghi, which is very near (10 km), is a good option for a walk, and the area of Tourlida is quite photogenic.
