Climbing Olympus

Today I’ll tell you about mountainous Greece, namely about the Olympus mountain range, famous outside the country. Like any adequate person, I want to be more effective, healthier and more resilient. Summer isn't just about beach volleyball and drinks from the fridge. Summer is a great time to give yourself something new and try something more intense than trips from the minibar to the pool. Putting tea, cookies and chatting aside, I decided to organize an independent two-day ascent to the second highest peak in the Balkans - Mitikas Peak (2917 m).

What to take with you

I don’t follow mountain fashion, the main thing is that it doesn’t fall off or sting anywhere. I recommend, or rather, I strongly advise you to take with you:

• headlamp, trekking poles,
• change of shoes (slippers/flip-flops), underwear/socks/T-shirt,
• toiletries, SPF cream, sunglasses, towel, sheet (can be purchased at the shelter for an additional fee), personal first aid kit,
• warm outerwear (jacket, thin gloves), hat, raincoat,
• snack (nuts, dried fruits, chocolate, sandwiches), water bottle, garbage bags (it must be taken downstairs, there are no garbage cans on the shelter territory),
• portable phone battery, climber’s membership book (upon presentation of a photograph from the summit, the hut staff will put a mark; entitles you to a discount on accommodation), personal documents, pen/pencil,
• It is not necessary to take anti-tick/mosquito medications and sleeping bags.

The Peak, also known as the Throne of Zeus and the Pantheon

Route

The path to Olympus begins from the village of Litochoro (90 km), located at the foot of the mountain range. Then, after driving 18 km along an asphalt serpentine road, you can get to the starting point – Prionia. There is free parking here. The journey from Prionia to the shelter along the well-trodden, well-trodden E4 trail takes 3 hours (1100 m). Almost the entire route passes in the shade of pine trees and other vegetation; in summer you can pick raspberries and strawberries along the road. It should be noted that there are no springs on Olympus, so you need to take care of water in advance.

Hut “SPILIOS AGAPITHOS”

The well-built Spilios Agapitos hut is a stone house with a large solar panel on the roof, located at an altitude of 2100 m. The spacious, well-kept and well-equipped hut is open from mid-May to the end of October and can accommodate 110 tourists at a time. On the territory there are places for setting up tents (camping), a recreation area with benches and tables, a toilet and a shower with cold, melted water. The use of the burner for cooking purposes is prohibited. Electricity is available from 6.00 to 22.00. You won’t be able to hide from the Internet; there is Wi-Fi in the hut.

There is no need to carry provisions with you; the shelter has a cafe with “edible” prices, taking into account the fact that everything you need is lifted on the backs of hard-working mules. The food is delicious, especially if you are not unbridled in terms of food. The hut is nice and cozy, the rooms are clean and dry, it’s warm even at night. You can pre-book an overnight stay on the shelter’s website. Cost of overnight stay in Spilios Agapitos hut: 13 euros / night; 11 euros – for members of the mountaineering club.

Doll (κούκλα) – hut owner’s dog

Cost of meals in the hut Spilios Agapitos

Rising

Our start time from the hut is 5.30 am. The Aegean Sea splashed in the distance and the rising sun, falling into its waters, met its mirror twin. Soon the dawn of a cool morning lit up pink and cream. Behind, like spectators in a movie theater, the owner's two other dogs sat and, together with the tourists who stopped, watched the beginning of a new day. After some time, living vegetation gave way to a featureless, seemingly lifeless, dusty rocky area. The eyes slid over the complex, chaotic terrain, ravines and plateaus, gorges, rocky peaks and hills, and a cloudless sky. The trail is marked yellow and red.

We met wild goats along the route. The climb to the peak itself turned out to be quite steep, with a sharp rise in height, and required attentiveness and concentration. At the mighty peak of Mytikas, a majestic view of Greece and 2 younger brothers awaited us - the peak of Scolio (2912 m) and Stefani (2905 m). A weak wind blew across the elegant Greek flag mounted on the top, leaving no chance for the latter to rise up. In the journal, which is stored in a metal box, we recorded our ascent.

The three-hour hike from the shelter to the top, even in unworn shoes and without special equipment, did not present any difficulties for us, but I do not recommend it to people with a fear of heights. You should familiarize yourself with the detailed weather forecast in advance, since climbing in rainy weather on wet stones is dangerous. I love mountains and walk on them as best I can, usually not with my feet, but with my head. I may not have a well-developed muscular system and excellent equipment, but willpower, like a steel jack, lifts me to new heights. The mountains allow you not only to improve individual parts of the body and burn calories, but also to bring down a heavy suitcase of vivid impressions. Mountains are an amazing sight that not only delights and excites.

Interesting

It is curious that fans of Olympus made attempts to artificially increase the height of Mitikas Peak, wanting to gain the championship among the highest Balkan peaks. But will the harsh mountain elements allow them to interfere with the creation of nature?

Mount Musala (2925 m), located in Bulgaria remains the highest point on the Balkan Peninsula and throughout Eastern Europe, leaving behind the Greek Mytikas.

To see Olympus, you don’t have to go to Greece; Vihren Peak, located near the Bulgarian town of Bansko, in clear weather, offers views of the sacred mountain, on which, according to legend, twelve Greek gods lived.