Slot Canyon Atlas

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verified ACA 3B III High flood risk Chondros, Viannos, Heraklion

A long Omalos plateau descent whose upper crux is a 15 meter drop into a pool half drained by two siphons, now so full of rubbish the local source suggests skipping that section entirely.

Upper parking: from Heraklion take the new road toward Ano Viannos, pass about 5 km beyond Martha without entering it, turn right for Kastri, then 900 m past Chondros to a handsome chapel on the left. Lower parking: drop to Kastri, turn left for Keratokampos, and from the seafront where the road turns 90 degrees and climbs, go 400 m to the second piste on the left. Descente-canyon reports heavy litter through much of the route. Limestone.

Logistics

PermitNo permit required. Ropewiki records Requires permits: No. Descente-canyon flags a dam, water intake or hydroelectric structure upstream or on the descent.
Distance1.49
Elevation984
TimeAbout 5 hr descent with a 5 to 10 min approach and a 10 to 15 min exit. Ropewiki spans 5 to 10 hr.
TechnicalACA 3B III (v3a2 III). Minimum 40 m rope in single; biggest waterfall 35 m. The upper section holds some striking geology although it is less continuous than the middle. Its crux is a 15 m dropping into a huge pool half emptied by two siphons; in high flow do not let yourself be drawn into the deep siphons, climb the edge of the ledge instead to reach the next rappel. A rope is permanently in place there as a bail. That section also holds a 13 m, a 7 m upclimb and two 7 m slides across its 150 m. The remaining 2250 m is prettier and less technical.
SeasonWinter to spring.
Flood riskReal, and complicated by a dam or water intake upstream, so flow is not purely natural. The two deep siphons in the first blind pool are a drowning hazard in high flow. Cancel on rain over the Omalos plateau.
Vehicle access6.7 km shuttle. An intermediate parking on a faint signposted piste overlooks the canyon, 700 m in. Do not drive to the end of the lower piste: it runs into private property you have to cross courteously on the way back, so park 150 to 200 m in without blocking it.
Crowd4.0 of 5 across 16 ropewiki votes and 3.0 of 4 across 18 on descente-canyon, making it one of the more travelled Heraklion lines.
Coordinates35.0246, 25.3822

Sources