Kato Vasiliki is a seaside village in Aetolia-Acarnania, set between the limestone massifs of Varasova (917m) to the west and Klokova (1039m) to the east. Nestled against the gentler eastern slopes of Varasova and close to the ruins of ancient Chalkeia, it also holds archaeological interest.
The village acts as the gateway to the eastern headwall of Varasova, where a striking, isolated 200m seaside crag rises sharply with a clear eastern aspect. Here, climbers will find at least 15 demanding routes, both traditional and sport, graded from 5a to 8b+ and reaching up to 150m in height.
Due to the proximity to sea water, extra caution is advised when relying on fixed protection.
Access
Access to Kato Vasiliki is possible via Ionia Odos (A5), taking the exit of Gavrolimni, 14Km from Antirio. The only approach to the eastern headwall is a 1Km seaside dirt road leading southwest from the village towards Limnopoula beach. The headwall is on the western edge of the beach, 250m from the parking area, while a white iconostasis marks the base of the central sector.
Climbing history
Because of its remoteness, the headwall saw its first successful climbs during the 1980s, with the route “Machairovgaltis” (V+, 150m) by A. Theodoropoulos - N. Karavelas being completed in 1988. Later, three more routes were added, among them “TNT” (VIII, 70m) by Tz. Milias - G. Petromianos - K. Tsoutsias, which was the first sport route of the crag.
Between 2009 and 2015, A. Thanopoulos opened 10 new high-difficulty routes on the exceptionally eroded limestone below the ridge, most notably “Crack ‘N’ Cracken” (IX-, 125m). During the same period, he also completed the long-sought sea-level traverse to Kryoneri, a Deep Water Solo (DWS) route reaching up to 7c+ in difficulty. G. Torelli also left his mark with projects of very high difficulty that he did not complete before he passed away.