Theós

__Theós__, which means “god” in Greek, is on the other side of the pillar to the right of Yellow Wall. It includes five sub-sectors, all excellent, with very diverse styles of climbing: Pillar, Cave, Micro, Right, and Love Ledge. The views, predictably, are magical and uninterrupted. The agricultural plain below is where most of the delicious local vegetables are grown. __Climbing__ On sharp but compact rock and well-protected routes. The sector is quite popular, since it is one of the best mid-grade crags in Leonidio. Nearly all routes were equipped by Claude and Yves Remy, Christophe Botfield, Marcel Noverraz, and Boris Grobéty from 2016 to 2018, with the help of father-and-son duo Yiannis and Iakovos Metaxotos. __Gear__ A single 80m rope + 20 QDs. __Conditions__ Hot. Best for cold winter days or cloudy and cool days in spring and fall (though Theós Pillar gets afternoon shade). Generally speaking, Theós is a good choice in case of bad weather (rainy, cold, unpredictable). There are spots that are protected from the north wind, stay dry, and may even trap a ray or two of sunshine. This is especially true when compared to the crags near Élona, where the mountain conditions are usually considerably more severe. __Shade (Exposure: E, S)__ Almost never, except on the right side of Theós Cave (morning) and at Theós Pillar (afternoon). __Kids__ Good, except at Cave and Pillar. The climbing at __Theós Pillar__ is technical and fingery, on a wall with vertical cracks and the occasional tufa blob. At the time of this writing, there are 11 routes graded 6a–7a. The base of the cliff on the right side is not flat, therefore not very comfortable, but the view over the valley and the sea is beautiful. This is a good sub-sector for warming up before moving up to the overhanging routes of Theos Cave. __Theós Cave__ is an impressive shallow cave rising above a large ledge that is so completely flat it looks like sliced marble. It is one of the best crags in Leonidio for steep, long, heavily featured routes on tufas and other insane rock formations. On the left, some routes are more vertical than steep. On the right the cave steepens, and this is the only part that stays in the shade until 11:30–12:00. The middle and right sections feature some striking, long tufa routes (up to 40m long) from 7a–7c. In total, at the time of this writing, Theos Cave features 25 routes graded mainly 6b–7c+. Still, for this type of climb, the cave offers some “normal” grades, too. (Of course, most climbers already know this, which means it can get really crowded here during peak season.) __Theós Micro__ is indeed, well, micro. A small cliff almost adjacent to Theós Cave, the terrain at its base is pretty and level, and there are ruins of an ancient stone wall and small trees in the background. Most of the routes here are graded 6b–7a+, with a couple of harder ones (7b, 7c). On a small, steep technical wall with sharp rock, the climbing is varied: fingery slabs, juggy bulges, a few tufas, neat features, and engaging face climbing. Expect some sharp rock or abrasive broccoli rock on some of the routes. __Theós Right__ is a few meters to the right of sub-sector Micro. It is another vertical wall rising up from flat terrain: small, steep, vertical-to-slightly-overhanging, and up to 33m high. Routes offer a good variety of climbing on sharp pockets and jugs, edges, small roofs, the odd tufa here and there, some broccoli rock, and old school technical climbing. The 18 routes here are graded mainly between 6a–6b+, i.e. easier compared to Micro. However, there are some 6c+ to 7b extensions, too. __Love Ledge__, a band of grey/red rock with nearly 30 mid-grade routes about 200m to the right and a bit lower than the other sub-sectors, is the most recent addition to Theós. The rock is fairly vertical and crimpy, with easier routes (5c–6b+) on the outer edges and harder routes (up to 7b) on steeper orange rock at the mid-section. Holds are still sharp and can be prickly and broccoli-like. The base of the cliff is narrow but level, with some big blocks laying on their side which are convenient for belaying. Love Ledge is usually quieter, and the dense vegetation near the ledge offers some welcome shady spots on the ground. Shade until 11.30.