Interview 013 – Christian Papachryssanthou

Christian Papachryssanthou - MONO Climbing, Greece

Please could you introduce yourself; who are you, where are you based, what do you do in your role?

My name is Christian Papachryssanthou and I am owner and co-founder of MONO by Athens Climbing Project. We are a climbing gym based in Athens and currently the only one with an outdoor tower for rope climbing as well as an indoor bouldering gym. On a day-to-day basis I am head of the team responsible for the training programs, customer processing, corporate events and school programs.

How would you describe the state of the climbing gym industry in your country, and how do you see it evolving in the next few years?

The climbing gym industry is very under-developed in Greece due to the magnitude of the investment required to build one, as opposed to the extremely slow rate of amortization. In other words, anyone with sufficient funds to launch a climbing gym must know in advance that it will take years to break even. And, seeing as the country’s economy is progressing at a very slow rate, the situation is not expected to see a reversal in the next several years.

What support at the national level (climbing federation, or government) do Greek climbing gym owners have if they want to open/expand a gym, or develop a performance team?

Climbing is not one of the more popular sports in Greece, which means that there is no structure in place to support the creation or expansion of a business, even less so the development of a performance team. For the time being, the expansion of the climbing industry in Greece has to rely on the personal efforts of business people and athletes, which makes it a slowly evolving process.

Does Mono change anything (offering, open hours, etc) during the hot summer months to ensure the comfort and safety of customers?

Given that summers in Greece are hot and high temperatures can persist for several months, we positioned our outdoor climbing tower in such a way that its back side has always shade and a light breeze. The bouldering area is always open on one side and is equipped with fans that simulate outdoor climbing on a hot but breezy day.

What does the Greek climbing gym market need to encourage the growth and modernisation seen in other countries?

Climbing is our passion and we seek to encourage more people to give it a try, especially kids which we believe can build a future for this sport. We also believe in the therapeutic aspects of climbing in physical and mental health and we promote this concept both through our trainers and on our social media.

If people want to learn more about Mono Climbing, where can they find you?

It is always a pleasure to welcome people travelling from abroad. In the meantime, you can always find us at www.monoclimb.gr or follow us at on Instagram. Good times!