Page Type:
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Route |
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Route Type:
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Sport Climbing |
Season:
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Spring, Summer, Fall |
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Time Required:
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Less than two hours |
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Difficulty:
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VI |
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Number of Pitches:
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6 |
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Grade:
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II |
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Overview
Sourloti
This is a great 6-pitch line that traverses the stunning south face of the Sourloti formation – cube-shaped tower (mountain?) visible from Kastraki just left of the phallic-looking Spindel. Guidebook (Vol. 1) gives beta for a direct start that would add 2 pitches to this line (starts near foot of formation). However, after looking at it from base, the direct start did not seem to add very much quality climbing to the line (mossy). Not to mention that the approach trail puts you almost at the base of the standard start whereas the direct requires some down-scrambling and/or bushwhacking.
Getting There
Summit
As you drive north from Kalambaka towards Kastraki, you will pass an indistinct rightward fork (pointers to some hotels visible) shortly before entering Kastraki proper. Take this narrow road which will put you above the village. The road makes a run-around a low and slabby formation. Stay on it as it enters Kastraki and switchbacks its way uphill toward the mouth of the valley formed by Pixari (on right) and Sourloti. Park at the end near a church (?). Hike up the wide stair-stepped trail through dense vegetation past another church (?) where the trail changes to a single track. Few minutes later, look for a left turn off from this main trail. Take that and after about 5 minutes cut left (faint tracks) through bushes and walk up a low angle buttress sitting at the right base of Sourloti’s south face. Scramble horizontally left (bit exposed but easy) till you reach a double bolt belay station. This is the start of the route. Approach time is 10 minutes.
Route Description
P1
P3
P3
Pitch 1: II, 110 feet. Hike the easy ground (big blocks) left and up. No pro but easy. Belay at a bolted anchor just below a slight bulge.
Pitch 2: VI-, 130 feet. Move up past the slight bulge and continue following bolts up and right to another bolted belay stance.
Pitch 3: VI, 130 feet. Up and right over easier (IV) ground then straight up past about 3 bolts to another bolted belay stance (one ring bolt and one bolt with a large steel plate hanger). This belay is shared with another classic on the wall, Linie Des Fallenden Tropfens (VI, 6P).
Pitch 4: VI, 100 feet. Move right following new bolts. The traversing line of bolts is clearly visible from belay (going up puts you on LDFT). Belay at bolted stance.
Pitch 5: VI-, 110 feet. Move right and enter a black water groove. Fun climbing past a few bolts. Then exit right (bolt under a slight bulge) and traverse to a bolted belay stance.
Pitch 6: III, 180 feet. Move right and up clipping two bolts. Run the rope to where the terrain becomes low angle and either butt belay or use some bushes.
Descent:
As you’re looking up from this flat slab belay, summit register is a short hike up and left. Descent raps begin from the right edge of the formation directly ahead and will take you down to Sourloti-Modi gully.
Make your way down and right to a lower terrace (easiest line is best seen when hiking back from the summit register). Locate two bolts on a slab roughly where the head of the Sourloti-Modi gully is below. You are rapping the Aus der Modischarte route so how you break things up can vary. We did a single rope rap (~60 feet) to a ring bolt on a ledge on the climber’s left. From there we did a double 60 meter rap (with about 5 feet of rope to spare) straight down to the gully. Hike back to base.
Essential Gear
Summit
Quickdraws and two ropes (for descent).
External Links
none
Nikolas_A - Sep 24, 2013 5:50 pm - Hasn't voted
Direct startIn dry conditions the two pitches of the direct start are fine (not as good as the rest though). For me they complete the diagonal nature of the route. A #1 Camalot could come handy at P1 of the direct start and the last pitch of the route.