04 Jun CLASSIC ROUTES – #34
Grade 6a
Route #34
Crag Petra Liagos
Our tribute to Attica’s single-pitch routes could not but start from where single-pitch climbing in Attica, and in Greece, essentially (and formally) began: “Petra Liagos”. This grey limestone monolith of Parnitha lies in the Thrakomakedones area and was formerly known by the name “Petra Varypombis” before it was baptised in honor of the late Dimitris Liagos, a leading climber of the SEO alpine club .
There, on the southeast side of the main rock, lies perhaps Athens’ most emblematic 6a, route #34 (6a, 30 m.), a trademark of the crag with its famous crack gaping for more than 10 meters that continues to challenge climbers until today.
Legend has it that this route was used by the old-timers to test their pittonage-aid climbing techniques, until the arrival of the famous British climber and speleologist of the 1970s Pete Livesey.
One fine morning in 1979(?) he would visit Petra with the locals and belay his wife while she lead climbed the crack.
His wife managed to free climb the route. After that, Pete, to the great surprise of those present, would free solo it!
It is not entirely certain but the first free ascent by a Greek seems to have been made by the usual suspect of those years, Dimitris Kores.
He himself will describe its 2 cruxes as “alpine”: the first, coming out of the starting slab requires a layback turn to the left with a hole on the right side of the base of the crack to facilitate the move.
The second one that follows immediately after is a small left ramp with poor footing to catch the vertical crack again with the “key” hole this time on the left, helping to set up the body for the two more demanding layback moves that follow until the holds improve and the route gets less steep.
What follows until the belay is pure pleasure with beautiful moves on good holds until the crack fades away and then up past the exit roof.
#34 at Petra Liagos was once the ritual hard test for young lads who aspired to enter the magical world of the Sixth grade, but its toughness has not yet been polished out.
Indeed, those who are used to soft grades, will find it at least half a grade tougher. But “real Athenians” know that the historic route is the quintessence of 6a, nothing less and nothing more.