Our previous post was dedicated to the first outdoor activity post covid-19 lockdown and this post is dedicated to the second excursion in one of the most visited mountains of Greece, mount Parnitha.

For training purposes, the route we have selected was of mixed difficulty which offered hiking, scrambling and even IV UIAA climbing, the Flabouri Ridge route.

Hiking is a very popular activity in Parnitha. Two climbing associations, along with the Forest Service of Parnitha have created a dense network of trails, that covers the whole mountain range. Numerous paths pass along springs, thick forests and pastures. There are many options, according to the altitude difference that someone intends to cover (0 -800m.), the distance (500-5,000m.) and the time needed (30΄- 6 hours). Several routes give the opportunity to observe different vegetation types: firs, pines, oaks, junipers, plane-trees, phrygana.

The most important trails are indicated either by simple red signs on rocks and trees or by red tapes or finally, by special signs for each path, such as red triangles, red squares, yellow rhombs etc. In this way, following the same shape and colour of the signs, one can find the path and follow it to its end.

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See other outdoor activities in Parnitha:

• Training on Mount Parnitha
• Winter Hike on Mount Parnitha
• Climbing in Korakofolia – Parnitha
• Climbing in Epos Fylis – Parnitha
• Dry Tooling in Rizos’ Cave – Parnitha
• Via Ferrata Arma – Parnitha

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Flabouri Ridge IV UIAA

Our ascent started from the edge of the Thrakomakedones suburb. We have to follow the blue signs and soon the ascent is very steep. About 750 meters further on we have the first rocky passages where we need to either climb or scramble. The climbing part is up to IV UIAA degree, so not extremely difficult, but nevertheless is an exposed climb.

The Flabouri ridge besides being a beautiful route, provides amazing view towards the mountain, but also towards the city of Athens. Actually, on a clear day, it is easy to see the sea side and the port of Pireas.

The climb to the peak of Flabouri is not difficult for experience rock climbers but it can be very tough for beginners. Therefore, it is highly recommended that a less experienced climber should carry all necessary gear, such as:

• Helmet
• Harness
• Protection gear (nuts and/or friends)
• Rope

In our case, we did it as free solo because we had already done that ridge in the past and we were aware of the difficulty of the route.

In order to reach the top we needed a bit less than one hour. The entire Flabouri ridge can be done in about 45 minutes by experiences climbers and in about 1 hour and 15 minutes from less experienced climbers.

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Flabouri – Thrakodamkedones

We did not stay for long at the top because our goal was to keep on the route in a training mood. Therefore, after few photos, we carried on and we took the trail that leads to Thrakomakedones.

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Details of the Hike:

• Location: Parnitha Mountain
• Starting Point: Thrakomakedones
• Ending Point: Flabouri Peak
• Trail Signs: Well signed path
• Minimum Elevation: 579 m
• Maximum Elevation: 1.114 m.
• Total Distance: 5.5 km
• Difficulty: Medium (Scrambling III-IV UIAA)
• When to Hike: Autumn to Spring (Not in summer due to heat)
• Water Features: One

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Bellow you can see the route we have followed here: