A 60-year-old climber died on Kalymnos after three bolts failed in succession. A local initiative is now taking action and plans to make old routes safe again – or close them. Meanwhile, the rescue operation itself is also facing criticism.
On March 27, 2026, a serious accident occurred on the Greek island of Kalymnos, resulting in the death of a 60-year-old climber from the Czech Republic. The accident happened on the route "St. Savvas" (7b+) in the "Jurassic Park" sector. A report on the accident has since been published by the organization. Rebolt Kalymnos .
60-year-old dies because three bolts fail
According to reports, the man had clipped the anchor of the route while lead climbing and then rappelled down to clean and dismantle the route. After removing the two quickdraws in front of the anchor, both bolts of the belay station reportedly broke. The impact of the fall then shifted to the third bolt below the anchor, which also failed. The 60-year-old subsequently fell approximately 15 meters onto a ledge.
Nevertheless, the critically injured man was initially still conscious and was lowered to the ground. In the following hours, the Kalymnos Rescue Team and the fire department tried for several hours to reach and treat him. The terrain and the difficult weather conditions hampered the rescue; even a helicopter was unable to land. The man was therefore only taken to the hospital hours later, where he was pronounced dead.
The route has not been renovated since 2002.
The "St. Savvas" route, where the accident occurred, was bolted in 2002 and has not been re-equipped since – like many popular routes on Kalymnos. A forensic materials analysis will now determine why the 10 mm expansion bolts failed. However, based on current findings, the approximately 24-year-old hardware is likely the primary cause. The climber was in no way at fault for the accident, it was emphasized. Rebolt Kalymnos.
The climber did nothing wrong.
Initiative Rebolt Kalymnos
Renovations announced – but caution is still advised
Following the accident, the Rebolt Kalymnos initiative announced several measures to make climbing on the island safe again.
Specifically, they intend to inspect all unrepaired climbing routes that were drilled before 2005. All questionable routes will also be closed until they can be re-drilled. The initiative also published a [document/report/etc.] a few days ago. digital list where all renovated routes can be viewed.
Climbers should avoid unrenovated routes that were bolted before 2005 until further notice.
Initiative Rebolt Kalymnos
Until then, extreme caution is advised when climbing on Kalymnos – especially on unrenovated routes from before 2005. "Renewed routes can be identified by adhesive hooks from RAUMER and expansion anchors from LAPPAS""That's according to Rebolt Kalymnos. The initiative asks climbers to report any safety-related issues they notice on a route."
Insufficient funding for the ambulance service?
Besides shock and dismay over the accident, criticism was also voiced regarding the rescue operation. The main complaints were that the rescue helicopter was not suitable for landing in the terrain and that the rescue operation took too long overall.
The rescue was carried out by the local fire department and the Kalymnos Rescue Team, which consists of volunteers. In their statement, the organization expressed its condolences for the accident but also pointed out that it operates without any government support: "We do our best to help people on the ground as quickly and professionally as possible." They added that they have carried out more than 150 successful rescues since 2013.
We understand the frustration regarding the state of air rescue in our country. We have been fighting for funding for years.
Kalymnos Rescue Team
Until further notice, climbers on Kalymnos are urged to exercise extreme caution. Up-to-date information can be found on the Rebolt Kalymnos website.
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Credits cover photo: Rebolt Kalymnos