Ascents in Europe by Justin Case

Got it pretty easily afterwards, even using the direct beta to the pocket at the top May be the last 5.12 of this excellent trip!!

Such a great bouldery route for the first six bolts, but it doesn't really relent after! Big moves, but more straightforward, afterwards. Will try to come back for it soon!

Easy climbing followed by steep bad pockets and big moves. Hard first half. Second half I thought was heady. Cool nonetheless!

Super dooper line!! Flowy first half followed by pumpy big moves, including a hard cool rose move on the second. I messed up the top by going the wrong way but otherwise had it in the bag!!! Nooooo but will come back eventually for it.

Excellent, flowy, varied and at times thought provoking climbing. Get on it!

Excellent way to start the day! Pumpy climbing on a tufa to a rest, then 3D climbing to clip the anchors!

OMG, what a climb!! I did it as the last climb of the day, and how I wish I would have tried it sooner! I did get on the first two bolts early on in the day, but downclimbed as I thought it was out of reach. After seeing Matt onsight it, and Igor try it, I decided to give it a go. Took it to the last bolt before falling! Pumpy, bouldery first section involving compressing on a slopey tufa, followed by kneebar after kneebar, ending with a very hard sequence with bad holds where bolts are hard to clip. Found a left hand way of topping out. I wish I could go back and send this!

A bouldery, crimpy bottom section followed by kneebar rests, followed by pumpy climbing, followed by kneebar rests, takes it to the top. Didn't get the crimpy start the first try, was unexpectedly hard!

Greece is amazing, and Kyparissi is gorgeous! Probably the nicest crag we've visited in this trip to Leonidio. This physical, stalictite and tufa-riddled climb has a lower pumpy crux followed by easier 3D climbing. Happy to get it first go! 7a+ in the guidebook.

Similar in nature to its next-door neighbor, but with a less sustained nature, and trickier crux. It also has some exposed bits that are somewhat insecure to clip. Satisfying send, but probably not the greatest techy climb in the world

Stoked to get this first try! Very techy and fingery, but engaging and interesting. Beware of loose block, which adds a bit of difficulty by having to avoid it.

Chill stemming up a groovy dihedral. Used it to take some shots of Selene's climb. Great views of the monastery!

Without having the guidebook, we figured this tufa-riddled climb would be a suitable warm-up. After Chrissy almost got the OS, I went up with double kneepads, and barely made it up the final mantle, with a banging headache, too. 7a seems harsh. Had to try more than other 7a+, so I think that should be the correct grade (guidebook says so as well). Stoked to get it first go!

I had OS vibes going... But dropped it making a silly mistake at the crux. I got on immediately and took it to the house. Damn it!!

Excellent pumpy, powerful climbing on interesting pockets. Great stuff!

Winding down the day on this chill climb with a cool roof and very techy balancy and crimpy crux exit!

Flowy, powerful moves on great pockets. Very enjoyable and made me redeem myself after flailing on that middle climb between White Death and this one

Pretty fingery, balancy warm-up! We spent the first half of the day going from climb to climb going up one, then setting draws on adjacent ones hehe. There is a climb to the right of this, but to the left of Born which is pretty hard and we did it thinking it was White Death, but it is considerably harder.

Warm-up on this unusual cool corner- but sharp!

We thought this was a chill 7a only to find a real bouldery, fingery start and sharp continuation. I pumped out at the start by trying to avoid using the left hand mono. Oh well!

Got so high up despite being the last climb of the day! Two clips from onsighting, but when I fell, I had absolutely nothing in the tank to continue and lowered. One day I'll project this

Hard AF from the go. Figured out all the moves in my beta burn, but then was powered out by my second shot and cleaned. Super bouldery in all kinds of ways throughout. A very nice challenge, would be nice to come back for it!

Techy first pitch, but with amazing movement if you know how to find it. A few hard reaches and tensiony moves. The extension was awesome! Long moves to good pockets, and the exposure is fantastic. Great day: 7a+/b flash, and 7b/+ send!!

Longest single pitch I've ever done cashed at 5.12b/c!! Almost did it in my OS attempt, but clipping the crux draw pumped me out at the very top crux on the gray rock. Came back the next day, blew it down low, and Chrissy was kind enough to let me go again immediately after, and without resting, I got it! 4th day on, too

Flowy and chill. Loved it! Started the day pretty late, but I love Jupiter. Thecrag has this as 7a-b, so I'll go for the middle grade of 7a+.

Excellent vertical to mildly overhanging technical climbing on smallish slopey tufas. Only just got it on my second try! My hands were opening on the clipping sloper, which later I found that there was a jug to the left... Loved this area. Very cool cave and views. Didn't mind the walk in either.

The route looked sick after not-quite seeing what Tracey had done on her OS. Got up it, and blew the OS by not getting the first kneebar at the overhang. Got it easily the second go. Highly recommended!!

Easy start to a 3 bolt boulder problem on a 45 degree overhang to medium to small holds. Hard to clip first draw at the overhang. Motivated I managed to pull all the moves! Seems doable, but will likely take several days, which I'm not sure I'll have. Cool to try it anyway!

Pretty cool cross-overy first half. Not sure why they made it so long- second part does not add any quality or grade.

Super hard one move wonder for 7b. Didn't manage and had to bail because of rain.

Sharp, but flowy- not sure what to think of the area. Not a lot of classics, but then I may have been biased by the dreary weather.

Mega bouldery after the pumpy first pitch. You get a good rest right after, but what follows is continuous, fingery, powerful, delicate, and insecure. Worked out the moves on my first go, and thought I had a chance to send on my second try, but ended up slipping after pulling the most difficult set of moves and whipped hard into the rock. Felt it a bit in my ankle and actually hit my elbow really hard and it still hurts! No send today

As part of my excursion to the extension. Weird pumpy moves on sharp limestone.

Warming up! The one and only non-super-sharp climb of the day. Cruisy on good holds.

Yay!! After flailing on this one because I was tired still from the savage 7a, I felt like I needed a win for a wide variety of reasons. Got on it, embraced the searing pain in my skin, and got it. Lightly overhanging on not-as-good-as-they-seem holds and sharp pockets makes for a short but intense climb. I think this may actually be 5.12 number 50 of the year. Came at the right time, and got further rewarded by a dope view of the Aegean.

Yikes. Super sharp, short, and bouldery. My skin hurt and I was still tired from the previous battle. Ended up taking because I made the mistake of going right to rest, but traversing back was a $|-|1+$|-|0\/\/.

Unbelievable!!! Second 12b flash this year! So thankful to be here in good shape. Pumpy first pitch after which there are mega long, strengthy moves to reachy pockets. Felt so cool!!

Great warm-up with long moves to good holds. Thought this was 6b when I went up it, and decided not to stop and rest, and I thought it was a sandbag! It was only later that I learned that it was 6c+/7a. The start of a wonderful, wonderful day.

My third 5.12 flash of the day, making this both the day I've sent the most 5.12s ever, and certainly the most 5.12 flashes ever!!! Having climbed 3 40+ meter pitches already, I was tired from the go. To make matters worse, the start is thin and balancy and cruxy. Very sustained climb with long moves to not-necessarily-great holds. Had to scream my way to the top! Lovely evening climb that also I think marks my 50th 5.12 send in 2023. F*(k1|\|g @|\/|@z1ng!!!!!

An absolute classic. Best climb yet in Leonidio! Second 5.12 flash of the day, too! Felt amazing to go from the double gaston to the last victory hold! Slippery and slopey at the bottom, with pumpy long moves to good pockets afterwards. Mega classic 40+ meter pumpfest!!

A dubious choice for warming up, but one that I don't regret! Offwidthy start next to a bit limestone block, followed by steep thuggy moves to sharp holds. Can place a kneebar/kneescum or two. Stoked for a good start of the day!

Toproped this after seeing Igor struggle at different places. Good, sustained climbing that gets acutely harder the closer you get to the anchors! Figured out the moves, but feels far still.

Got on it a little tired, but also after seeing bits and pieces of Tracey and Selene's attempts. A lot more straightforward than Kneebaropolous, and overall a better climb for me I messed up a sequence on the OS attempt and skipped. Took it to the house almost immediately afterwards. So I caved to peer pressure to try again and it got done!! Psyched for such a good day!!

Hilarious because I messed up all the beginning and was mega pumped since bolt 2. Did not find as many good kneebars as the name of this climb would suggest, but an exquisite journey through folded curtains made of limestone nonetheless. Does not let up! Super dooper happy with the OS!