In some ways, Cyprus is a perfect vacation spot for bouldering. With its location far east within the Mediterranean—nearer to Africa and the Middle East than to mainland Europe—it stays heat year-round. “When northern Europe is rainy and cold, Cyprus is in its prime season,” Papakyriacou says. Unlike different European international locations, the place bouldering has been fashionable for many years, the island additionally offers locals and guests alike with a sense of discovery—and even a likelihood for essentially the most intrepid to resolve and identify new “boulder problems,” because the routes up a rock are known as, of their very own.
“When climbers come here from abroad, they get to be a part of the beginning of something,” says Silvio Rusmigo, a skilled photographer in Cyprus who has been documenting the scene for a number of years, and whose pictures are revealed within the new guidebook. “There are not many places in the world where you get to do that.”
Bouldering’s magnificence lies in its simplicity. The goal is to “top out” a rock, normally within the vary of 10- to 33-feet tall. Unlike in climbing, there are not any ropes, harnesses, or anchor factors. All that’s wanted are acceptable sneakers, a crash pad on the base to interrupt attainable falls, and a razor-sharp deal with the duty at hand. “It’s closer to a primal instinct,” Papakyriacou says. Free from the burden of extra gear, it’s additionally a super sport for vacationers.
Papakyriacou—a software program engineer in Nicosia, the island’s capital—bought into bouldering on a solo journey driving round California and Arizona in a camper van. “Bouldering was easy to do by myself and a way to meet people on the go,” he says. When he arrived again house, he wished to maintain up the passion. He was shocked to find, nevertheless, that whereas Cyprus had an energetic rope climbing scene, bouldering didn’t exist. This was not for lack of rocks—the Akamas Peninsula options tons of if not hundreds of sandstone boulders—however just because nobody had gotten round to creating it. “Even though the boulders are in your face, people were just focusing on the cliffs,” Papakyriacou says.