SHORT DESCRIPTION
Mount Olympus, the mountain of the gods. It is the highest mountain in Greece and a paradise for Greek an international climbers and nature lovers. Known worldwide for its Greek mythology, it is a pole of attraction for visitors from all over the world. It occupies an area of 600 square kilometers, where there are forests, gorges, peaks, plateaus, ridges, vertical faces and peaks, which give the visitor countless options for exploration and recreation. For the protection of the area, it was declared in 1938 as the first National Park of Greece.
USEFUL INFORMATION
Distance from Thessaloniki: 107 km
European Emergency Number: 112
Fire Brigade Dept: 199
Medical Emergency: 166
Litochoro mountaineering club tel. 23520 82444
http://eoslitohorou.blogspot.com/
Refuge Spilios Agapitos
http://www.mountolympus.gr/gr/trail_one.php#.X3iFOMIzaM8
Prionia (Alt.1100m) – Refuge Spilios Agapitos (Alt. 2100m)
Route Information
Route Description: Trekking
Route Length: 4,5 km
Water in route: No, only at “Prionia” and at the refuge
Duration: 3h (ascent)
3h (descent)
The route took place at SEP 2020
Team members 2 adults
The route from “Prionia” to the refuge “Spilios Agapitos” is the busiest mountaineering path of Olympus. It is part of the European path E4 and is the continuation of the path “Litochoro – Prionia”. We arrive at the small cafe-restaurant in Prionia, following for 18 km the asphalt road from Litochoro and we park our car. From there, the path to the refuge and the peaks begins.
We are passing the springs of Enipeas river and we start our ascent. The path, clean and well-curved, leads us through a beautiful forest with beeches, the “forest of silence”, where most of the route takes place. In about 1 hour we reach the place “Pigadouli” where there is a wooden kiosk and a small spring, which is not always flowing. Going up, a little above the kiosk, we meet the path “Mavrologo-Livadaki” where there is a sign. We follow the route to the refuge.
The dense pine trees, beeches and fir trees, give us their freshness and their shade. In about another hour we reach the place “Magalia” where the cross-path for “Gomarostalo-Petrostrouga” is located. We have hike about 2⁄3 of the route and we are coming out of the forest. The path now is quite uphill, with many turns as it moves in the alpine zone for about another hour. This is probably the most difficult part of the route, because it is out of the forest and exposed to the weather conditions (sun and heat in summer, frost in winter). We are ascending steadily with a good tempo and in a little while we are on the balcony of the refuge “Spilios Agapitos” surrounded by perennial Bosnian pine trees.
Time for relaxation, gazing at the wonderful view and returning from the same path to our starting point, “Prionia”