Hiking my mythical peak – Mount Olympus – home to 12 Olympian Gods
Since I read about Greek mythology in primary school, I was fascinated with the romanticism and folklore it presents. I never thought that I would be standing on top of Mount Olympus ‘the mountain of the gods, the home of the 12 Olympian gods’ that I once read about. On the 1st of September 2021 we reached the summit of Mytikas – the highest peak in Greece, at an altitude of 2918m.
Our hike
There were four of us. We set off in the car from Litochoro, the perfect point of departure for mountaineering trips, yet located only a few kilometres from the sea, for me it makes it a perfect all in one travel destination.
It was still dark when we packed our bags into the car, sleepy but excited about what we were about to experience. We stopped to get a strong Greek coffee and pastries, and soon after we were on our way to Gortsia. We left the car at a parking area and began our ascent to the Plateau of Muses, where refugees Christos Kakkalos (named after the first Greek who climbed Mount Olympus) and Giosos Apostolidis are located.
The route is amazing, at the beginning beautiful forest, breathtaking landscapes, and going higher up the view changes into more of an alpine landscape with low vegetation. The Gortasia trail was quiet and stunning. We stayed overnight in the Giosos Apostolidis refuge built in 1961 by the Mountaineering Club of Thessaloniki at an altitude of 2,697m. The refuge “Giosos Apostolidis’ was named after its founder’s death in a climbing accident in 1964 on Mytikas. It is a simple, yet very comfortable refuge, with a large communal dining area where you can eat, have a drink and chat away with your fellow travellers. We arrived there in the afternoon, and the food that they were serving was just amazing.
The Greek salad, with the best feta cheese that I ever ate, olive oil and yummy crispy bread!!! I also had some meatballs with rice! The kitchen is open from 6.30 am to 10 pm, you can buy food, beverages, snacks and bottled water – which you will need, as the refuge’s water comes from melted snow, which is later stored in tanks, and it is not drinkable. The refuge has in total 66 beds, we were 6 in the room.
We went to bed when it got dark. I was sleeping on the top bunk bed, snuggled in in my warm sleeping bag. It was a long day so my eyes closed almost immediately. I set the alarm beforehand, however I put my phone inside of my sleeping bag, and haven’t heard it ringing 😛 Yes! That is a minus of sleeping in your earplugs!!! I was responsible for waking up others, and woke up in panic an hour later than we planned, it was already getting light outside!
The route Louki to Mytikas
We left the Refuge around 8 am, the morning stress of waking up too late quickly disappeared and was replaced with excitement of what is coming our way. Soon we reached the base of Louki -the couloir that leads to the top-through the Zonaria path at the base of Stefani, the second highest peak of Mt Olympus. In Greek mythology, the peak of Stefani was considered Zeus’s Throne.
The route through Louki to Mytikas is challenging, so please do not underestimate it. Categorised as a Class III rock scramble, over loose rocks with increased exposure, where falls could easily be fatal, and unfortunately on many occasions were. I have to admit that the climb wasn’t easy for me .. facing and conquering my fears wouldn’t be possible without the incredible support of my patient companions, who definitely helped me on a few occasions where I was struggling to find my way up. On this route a helmet is a must, which you can rent out in the refuge, and I strongly recommend that you do, as there are many loose rocks on the way up.
The views on the way are unimaginably breathtaking, and unfortunately no photos or videos will justify them. And that is often the case, that it is very difficult to transfer what our eyes see. Beautiful experience, you can also consider The Prionia Trail which is part of the E4 international hiking path (*total length of about 10,000 km. E4 is a long-distance path starting in Tarifa, Spain and ending in Larnaca, Cyprus. It crosses Spain, France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece and Cyprus – maybe one day!). You could hike from Litochoro to the Prionia Trailhead, and later to Spilios Agapitos Refuge hike. This hike will go through the beautiful Enipeas Canyon, maybe you will even have enough time to stop at the historic Agios Dionysios Monastery.
According to Top Guide Mount Olympus is the best secured mountain in Greece in terms of mountain refuges. More information can be viewed at Visit Olympus website, which provides detailed description and locations of eight mains refuges on Mount Olympus, as well as list of 6 emergency shelters that are built along the hiking routes of Mount Olympus. There are many different routes and mountain trails, so you can adjust it to your needs, experience, and abilities. On the website of the Οlympus National Park Management Agency, you can read about different mountain routes. Very useful site which also provides you with trail maps.
Whatever trail you choose, I’m sure you will be enjoying your hike and experience.
Have fun in the land of Gods!
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