An early Sunday morning of mid May was the perfect call for climbing once again the Ortholithi mountain. Previously we had ascent this same mountain on early spring and we had done it from a different route.
Our last visit to the most visited mountain of Greece (next to Olympus) was during winter time. It was a beautiful but relatively easy ascent. This time, we have decided to visit the famous climbing rout of Parnitha, the Flabouri Ridge.
It was end of November when we last visited the peak of Mount Kyllini (Ziria). That was our first winter mountaineering ascent for the 2016-1027 season. Now, end of April, and following up our ascent to Doussias peak of the so called “small” Mount Ziria, we decided to reach the second higher peak of Peloponnese.
End of April in Greece, usually is not just spring weather, but we are entering the “summer” temperatures. Though, this year, on the 22nd of April we had one more and perhaps the last snowfall for this season. Due to the weather conditions, we took the chance to hit the road and travel towards Mount Kyllini.
Continue reading “Spring Ascent on small Mount Kyllini (Ziria)”
Mount Geraneia is a mountain range in Corinthia and West Attica, Greece. Its highest point is the peak Makryplagi, elevation 1,351 m. It covers the northern part of the isthmus between the Gulf of Corinth and the Saronic Gulf. It spans 5–10 km from north to south and 30 km from east to west.
The geography of Geraneia includes forests in the south, the west and the northern part at an elevation of under 900 to 1,000 m. Barren land is in the central part. The grasslands and some bushes lies to the northwest. Farmlands and some barren land lies to the south.
One more winter season full of winter mountaineering climbs is about to end in Greece and one of my favourite pieces of equipment will be cleaned up and stored for the upcoming months. This piece of equipment is the High Altitude Mountaineering boot Spantik by La Sportiva.
Taygetus, is a mountain range in the Peloponnese peninsula in Southern Greece. The highest mountain of the range is Mount Taygetus, also known as the “Profitis Ilias”, or “Prophet Elias”. The name is one of the oldest recorded in Europe, appearing in the Odyssey. In classical mythology, it was associated with the nymph Taygete. During Byzantine times and up until the 19th century, the mountain was also known as Pentadaktylos.
The Taygetus Massif is about 100 km (62 mi) long, extending from the center of the Peloponnese to Cape Matapan, its southernmost extremity. It contains the tallest mountain in the Peloponnese, the Profitis Ilias summit, reaching 2,407 m (7,887 ft); this is probably the classical Mount Taléton mentioned by Pausanias.The summit is an ultra prominent peak.
Oligyrtos is a mountain located at the junction of Arcadia, Corinthia and Argolis in the northeastern Peloponnese in Greece. The mountain diagonally stretches from southwest to northeast, with about 35 km length and 15 to 20 km breadth. Its highest point is the peak Skipiza, at 1,935 m elevation. Other peaks are Gkrimini (1,831 m), Parnias (1,800 m), Skiathis (1,777 m) and Mavrovouni (1,695 m).
Artemisio mountain is on the border between Arcadia and Argolis, in the Municipalities of Argos-Mycenae and Tripolis respectively. It forms part of the mountain range that connects the Argolic Gulf with the Corinthian, and as such, it borders with Lyrkeio mountain on the north and with Ktenia mountain on the south. On its west is the plateau of Mantineia. Its tallest peak is 1,771 metres in height.
According to Pausanias, a sanctuary dedicated to goddess Artemis, patron of hunters and wild nature, used to sit on its peak. The Roman traveller mentions the sacred grove of Itamoi, a European Yew that is very toxic, and according to mythology, the goddess used it to poison her arrows; unfortunately, the grove has not survived. Today, very few fir trees survive. The river Inachos has its spring on the mountain, its mouth in the Argolic gulf, and is one of the few springs that can be used for those who decide to climb the mountain.
The Mainalo, named after the mythical Maenalus, son of Lycaon, is a mountain range that spans about 15 to 20 km from north to south (southwest of Tripoli to northeast of Vytina) and from east to west from 5 to 10 km (from Zygovisti to Kapsas).
The mountaintop which is also known as Ostrakia elevates at 1,860 m is in the northwest central part. Mainalo is also the tallest mountain in Arcadia. The highest mountaintop is named Profiti Ilia and the height is 1.981 meters above sea level. The entire area is also a parkland.
Olympus Mountaineering 