Name of route: Roof or the second summer

First ascent: Zaras D. , Spinthakis F.

Grade of difficulty: VII-

Length: 40 meters

Quality of rock: Perfect

Permanent protection (bolts etc.): one bolt

Starting point: see photo

Necessary Gear: big friends, nuts, hexendrics for the top section

Return: Walking either to the left (direction Agios Antonios church) or to the right, same as "Way to the Stars" and "Katerina". Taking walking shoes with you is recommended

Commentary: The route is climbed in two pitches to reduce rope drag.

First pitch. Start on the slab (easy but unprotected) and belay on the bolt. Backup the bolt (old and only 8mm) with nuts or friends in the cracks on the right.

Second pitch. Follow the crack up from the stance, traverse left under the roof, reach a small ledge then continue up the corner (large friends and hexs). Caution is needed as the rock at the exit of the crack is loose. Set up your own belay at the top with slings on the rock spikes Best season All year long.

Name of route: The way to the stars

First ascent: Spinthakis F. & G.

Grade of difficulty: V+ (VI-)

Length: 45 meters

Quality of rock: Perfect, watch out for the huge loose spike 10 m up the route

Permanent protection (bolts etc.): A piton in the middle of the route

Starting point: The left wall (walking towards the beach) behind the tower of Ariantho. Start lower and to the left of the big cave. For best orientation see the pictures and drawing

Necessary Gear: Nuts, big friends, double ropes

Return Walk: right from the exit, towards the sea and then scramble down to the beach, or the start of the route. Taking walking shoes with you is recommended.

Commentary: Very peasant route with beautiful layback moves. Set up your own belay at the top with slings on the rock spikes

Best season: All year long

The route has the same starting point with ''Katerina'' but it follows the left crack. To return walk to the right (as you see in the photo)

Name of route: Katerina

First ascent: Spinthakis Fontas, Kopidakis Nikos

Grade of difficulty: VII-

Length: 50 meters

Quality of rock: Very good

Permanent protection: one nail

Starting point: Same as the ''Way to the Stars'' for a few meters, then follow the crack on the right

Necessary Gear: Nuts, friends, double ropes

Return Walk: right from the exit, towards the sea and then scramble down to the beach, or the start of the route. Taking walking shoes with you is recommended.

Commentary: You will find a piton after you have climbed more than half the route. The route moves mainly on a small wall split by a crack, then follows a system of smaller walls and ledges. Set up your own belay at the top with slings on the rock spikes.

Best season: All year long

The route starts the same as the ''way to the stars'' then continues to the right. The return is the same as in both routes.

Attention! Most of the routes described in this web guidebook were opened using Natural protection (nuts - friends etc) and the climbers of the first ascent Placed permanent protection (pegs - bolts) where they regarded it as absolutely necessary. Therefore we request that, during a repetition of these routes,the character and the way the route was first climbed are respected and no more permanent protection is placed. Such an unfortunate event has already taken place in the route "The Way to the Stars" in Agiofaraggo, one of the best crack routes in Crete, climbed in 1995 with nuts and friends but now littered with bolts. Let this one be the last.

Move on to climbing routes of Agio Farago:

Climbing routes

Agio Farago, part II

Agio Farago, part III

Agio Farago, part IV