Manikia — One Year After the Petzl RocTrip

After a few long years, the Petzl RocTrip made a comeback in May 2022. The event returned in an all-new format and the small Greek village of Manikia opened its doors to host the event. Now we’re back to visit the locals and find out how the Petzl RocTrip has impacted the region.

The Petzl RocTrip is one of the biggest outdoor events in the global climbing community. Over the last 20 years, each one has left a mark on generations of climbers and developed incredible cliffs for the community. The new approach in 2022 aimed to make an even greater impact, contributing to sustainable development in the region where it took place: Manikia, Greece. One year after the event, it was important for us to check in with the locals to see how things are going. We sat down with Manikia Project members, Lia Panoussi and Kostas Argiris, to get their impression of the impact that the Petzl RocTrip has made and the future of climbing in the region.

The May 2022 Petzl RocTrip was a unique experience for the entire area surrounding Manikia. People came from all over the world to attend the event and visit the region; and after the event, many others began to hear about it. It was a big boost for the local community on multiple levels. Before the Petzl RocTrip, very few people knew of or visited the region for rock climbing. The Petzl RocTrip really put Manikia on the map and made it a renowned rock climbing destination.

In the year following the event, the region saw a growing number of visitors. From an economic standpoint, the results are visible: houses are rented out, restaurants are busy, and there is increased demand for local businesses like supermarkets, butchers, bakeries, and local shops. One important thing to note is that tourists are dispersed among different villages throughout the larger area, in the mountains or along the coast. This is the case because the places of interest, hospitality, entertainment, and lodging aren’t all in the same spot.
The advantages to that are two-fold: there is visible economic improvement in the local communities throughout the area, and at the same time, locals are able to maintain a peaceful way of life without the risk of overpopulation in any one particular spot, which could in turn affect the local character. The region has maintained its identity and its beauty — that’s exactly what our objective has been from the beginning: slow and sustainable development!

The village of Manikia is, of course, at the center of attention because every tourist wants to visit the small village. The few inhabitants living there are happy because, not only has their day-to-day life not been disturbed, but they feel a new vitality seeing people visit during periods of the year when activity is generally very low. Different avenues of growth won't all develop at the same time or at the same speed. It’ll take some time for the local population to become more involved in the commercial activities that stem from the new and evolving potential for growth. Yes, the Petzl RocTrip gave the local community a boost, but we recognize that this isn’t enough. Now it’s up to us — the residents, local authorities, the Manikia Project, and all the other local organizations — to maintain, develop, promote, and protect this beautiful region we call home. We talk about protection because the risk of unwanted change or destruction of the area is still looming because of the construction of wind turbines around the villages and on the mountains. Locals are fighting to put a stop to these destructive plans. The success of the Petzl RocTrip has given us a powerful bargaining chip against this destruction by demonstrating that the region has potential for growth through ecological and alternative tourism. But the future remains uncertain.

Over the last year, Manikia Project has focused on organizational matters that will contribute to maintaining and improving climbing areas. They’ve also focused on collaborating with the municipality in order to finance and continually invest in climbing. Measures were also taken to ensure that the locals' daily life and work would not be disturbed by visitors and their activities. We’re currently reorganizing and improving our website with the maximum amount of content possible to inform, guide, and provide detailed information to visitors. One of the organization’s main goals is to introduce young kids to climbing and this year, we made plans to build a climbing wall. We’re still looking for the right place and the necessary funds to make this important objective a reality.

Are we optimistic? When it comes to the continued development of climbing in Manikia — yes! The future of climbing in Manikia is strengthened by the fact that there are many other activities accessible in the area that go well with climbing, like hiking, biking, and swimming in the sea. There are also many hiking trails in the forest and beautiful sites to see, like the Manikia Waterfall, the Koupa Chateau, Vromonera, and Milos Santa. There are incredible biking itineraries around the villages, along the coast, or on mountain roads. There are also beaches with crystal-clear waters and breathtaking views of the Aegean Sea. So yes, we’re feeling confident about the future!