St. Nicolas area

ST. Nicolas gorge
This gorge features two contrasting walls facing each other across a narrow canyon. On the left side, you'll find a striking pillar at the far end, followed by a selection of vertical lines—like the one pictured with our friend Alexandros—and a series of routes characterized by distinctive flakes and huecos that are unique to this stretch of rock, extending all the way to Sector Lipasma. The right wall of the canyon offers a mix of Leonidio’s classic limestone styles, creating a diverse and engaging climbing experience on both sides. It's also easy to choose between sun or shade here, depending on the temperature and wind. Often, a welcome breeze flows through the canyon, cooling both your body and fingers. Despite its proximity to the monastery, this place remains incredibly peaceful. Please respect the quiet atmosphere: no shouting, loud calls, and god forbid, no music from your boombox :-) Let's keep the canyon as serene as it deserves to be.

Mikri Sintza
The left side of the wall is particularly technical, with open features where precise footwork is essential. Two short, bouldery lines are awaiting strong contenders as well. The right side of the sector captivates with immaculate tufa and pocket formations. The climbing style there is power-endurance focused, offering plenty of tricky sequences.

Lipasma
This sector stands out as one of the most unique in the Leonidio climbing catalogue.
The short yet steep central section offers climbing on crimps, flakes, and pockets, while the routes to the left and right feature area-specific rock structures, flakes, jugs and crimps rarely found elsewhere in Leonidio, topped off with technical headwalls that demand precision and endurance.
With many routes stretching close to 35 meters, you’re guaranteed a full-value climbing experience.
Honestly, I’d go so far as to say that five of the eight lines here rank among the best in their respective styles and grades in all of Leonidio.
Just a heads-up: the floor often has a fair amount of goat droppings. I do my best to clean it regularly with a leaf blower, and it already looks way better than a few years ago but it's definitely a Sisyphean task. Let’s not forget, this is their natural habitat, and we are only guests here.

St. Nicolas
In true Giannis Torelli fashion, this canyon was first opened in 2013, partly ground-up and semi-trad with drilled anchors, and partly fully bolted from above. A group of unknown German climbers arrived and primarily equipped routes on the opposite side of the gorge. Over the years, a few more lines have been added here and there, but the area still retains much of its original charm and adventurous spirit.

Mikri Sintza
The late Grandmaster Giannis Torelli, taken from us far too soon, laid the foundation for this small gem of a sector back in 2013, equipping the first handful of king lines. In 2017, Sebastian, Mike, and I continued his work, and the sector has remained largely unchanged ever since.

Lipasma
I discovered this sector during one of my early exploration hikes and began equipping it in 2018. It never really gained widespread attention, but those who know about its unique style and setting tend to come back, again and again, to project another one of its stunning lines.
The sector basically still looks almost the same as it did after the initial equipping days, with one exception, in 2023, I modified the start of the route Ying to improve the opening moves and provide better clipping positions.