The Gorge of Krasta is the largest traditional climbing crag within the wider area of the Vermio massif and is on the northeast foothills of the mountain, with the formation connecting the plains of Rodochori and Giannakochori.
Because the gorge dominates the outskirts of Giannakochori, the location was initially known as “Giannakochori”, while later the climbing area of the gorge was named “Bountola - Christopoulou”.
At the Gorge of Krasta there are at least 16 recorded routes and variations, with difficulties from V up to VII+ and a height of 25m to 310m. The routes are primarily protected traditionally, but most of the first pitches are equipped with bolts and can be repeated as sport climbs. With a southeast orientation, the gorge is ideal for climbing in the spring and autumn, but also adequate during summer mornings and afternoons.
Access
Access to the Gorge of Krasta is possible via Naousa, following the road until the village of Giannakochori, from which the crag is approached. Passing through the village, we make a right at its end and follow a descending dirt road. Reaching the parking area, we hike for 5min until the clearing, suitable for camping, and then continue for another 15min on a steep path marked with red signs to reach the base of the routes.
Climbing history
The Gorge of Krasta had to wait to see its first complete route. This happened in March 1985 with the completion of “Bountola - Giannakouli” (V, 160m) which unravels on one of the most impressive arêtes of the gorge. Just seven months later D. Bountolas loses his life from an avalanche during the first Greek expedition to the Himalaya, and the Gorge of Krasta falls to the wayside.
Whispers of a historical route at the doorstep of Naousa led local climbers, among them Th. Christopoulos, to repeat the classic arête on a rainy Sunday in 2011. Following this initial contact with the crag, Th. Christopoulos returned and established the “Christopoulos variation” (VI-, 160m). The bolting and clearing of the crag by a large group of local climbers soon followed, breathing life into 12 new routes. Sadly, Th. Christopoulos never enjoyed the completed project since he too found a tragic end in the Alps, in October 2011, nearly exactly 26 years after Bountolas death.
Later, two routes, among them the longest one, “Krasta ridge” (310m, VI), have been established within the gorge with the participation of Th. Fasoulas.
