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Summary
Limestone
Episkopi is a Cyprus village built on the west side of the Ezousas River. It is situated 10 kilometers from Paphos and it is characterized by the steep limestone rocks that dominate the village.
Description
Overhung
The area consists of 2 main sectors.
Lower Tier Sector
A brilliant sector with vertical to slightly overhung routes. The sector faces south and it gets the sun until 12:00 – 13:00.
Left Side
Follow the directions towards the overhang sector. When you reach the wall of the sector follow it all the way to its south end and then follow the cave to your right that takes you to ‘’Bat Trip’’ and then the rest of the routes in the sector.
Main
Currently the sector with the most routes. Steep overhanging routes are an ideal choice for climbing in mid-to-high range difficulties. Despite the east orientation of the crag, it gets the sun only early in the morning. It is notably cooler than the rest of the crags and it makes climbing possible even during the summer months.
Dome
This free-standing pillar offers some short but worthy routes. The sector faces south and it gets in shade late in the afternoon or never depending on the season.
Upper Tier Sector
Massive crag but not developed yet. Some trad routes were established many years ago mainly on the left side of the crag and an amazing line following the most prominent feature on the wall, a cracked dihedral in the middle of the crag. On top of the trad lines, two new sport routes were recently bolted on the right side of the crag.
Those limestone walls offer some versatile routes from vertical to slightly overhanging crimpy routes to steep athletic overhangs. With currently 30 routes ranging from 6a up to 8b/8c and a lot of space for potential new masterpieces, Episkopi definitely worth a visit from mid-grade to high-end sport climbers and developers.
Climbing is possible all year round but July and August are the warmer months and probably worth avoiding. Rain in Cyprus is infrequent but normally occurs in December and January. Despite the overhang character of the lower sector, the rock gets wet (except a couple of routes) after one day of consistent rain and it takes longer to dry up. The rest of the routes dry up quickly.
Approach
Episkopi village can be easily reached due to the short distance from Paphos and it can be combined with climbing in the rest of the crags in the area. From the main roundabout in the entrance of Paphos follow the E710 road towards Episkopi which is 10km away from there. If you are driving from elsewhere and you are coming from the A7 motorway it is also possible to exit and take road E606 for 6km and then turn left into an unnamed road towards the village. The sectors are in close distance from everywhere in the village so you can park your car and walk to the crags.
Ethic
Environment: Be thoughtful about your presence and minimize your impact. The inadequate monitoring and enforcement of environmental legislation in Cyprus leaves ecosystems vulnerable to individuals’ behavior. Toilets: Try to use your home toilet or the public toilet in the center of the village before hitting the crag. If nature calls while in the crag choose a location as far away from the crag as possible. Bury your waste and take all the paper with you. Do not bury toilet paper since animals can dig and expose it. Contrary to popular belief, toilet paper does not disintegrate easily. Personal Responsibility: Accept the risk of climbing and take full responsibility for your actions. Respect: Be aware of the people in your vicinity and act respectfully to other climbers and locals. Refrain from playing loud music in the crags. Litter: Take your litter with you (that includes your cigarette butts) and if possible collect some more from the already heavily littered crag.
History
The development of the routes and the sectors was carried out mainly by Andreas Parparinos, Stefanos Papadopoulos, Kyriakos Rossidis, Nikolas Patsalos, and Marios Hadjipetris. The majority of the bolts that were used were sponsored by the Get Out store while the rest was funded by an initiative from the Cyprus climbing community.
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Wed 24 May
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