A big climb (1927 metres total ascent) to above the tree line in the Voras mountains after a leisurely start.
After coffee and a spinach, pastry spiral at a nearby bakery I headed off to visit the main attraction in Loutraki, the spa. Where a small river flowed down a steep sided valley there were a number of waterfalls, below which little bathing pools have been constructed. There was also a swimming pool sized bathing area. They seemed popular with older people, grey haired men arguing with each other as the Greeks seem to, despite it all being friendly, and full bodied ladies in their bursting swimming costumes. The water did not seem that hot but at least it did not smell unpleasant like in some of these places. So after a cappuccino watching the bathers I headed into the mountains.
Based on the various maps and GPS tracks I consulted there appeared to be the choice of three E4 / E6 routes. I choose the one that gained height early on so as to enjoy a longer walk at 1900 metres where it would be cooler. After leaving the road the first section was on a dirt track, a few pick ups passed me. I needed to turn off onto a smaller footpath by some engineering works which were channeling water somewhere. Although fairly modern the apparatus included a waterwheel, no doubt to power something. I found the path I needed with some difficulty as a new cutting seems to have destroyed the start of it. In my attempt to find the path I climbed too high and had to slide down a steep bank on my bottom to reach it, who said "arse friction is no fiction"? Once on the path red and yellow splodges of paint plus a few arrows helped to guide me. Apart from some traversing of steep slopes most of the time it was a steep climb as the path switched back and forth up the slope. I was reminded of my recent walk through Bulgaria as I passed through the various tree zones: plane trees, oak, tall beech trees and then pines in that sequence followed by no trees at all, just creeping juniper, blueberries, grass and a few small pines.
The waymarked footpath ended at a small pass where a dirt track crossed the ridge. After that, struggling to find the route indicated by my GPS, I followed a vehicle track which generally went the right direction albeit with bigger loops to reduce the gradient as it climbed upwards. The rocks on the track, silvery mica schists, glittered in the sun, with green chlorite starting to appear in some pieces. In places protruding, reddish crystals that suggested a garnet schist.
The vehicle track stopped at some shacks and an animal pen around which a herd of cows was spread out. A dog started barking and did not stop until I was around a kilometre away. While he barked at me I filled my water bottle at a nearby spring. After this first settlement the path anastomised into numerous animal tracks, it never being quite clear which I should be following. However the general idea was to contour along the open mountain side at around the 1900 metre level keeping broadly to the route on my GPS.
Naively perhaps, I had expected the landscape above the tree line would be empty but the next valley had more shacks. I said hello to the lady in one and carried on. The sound of a chainsaw rose from the trees way down the mountain side.
I have found a location to camp out of sight of nearby habitations and their dogs. The ground is sloping but it is the best I can find away from cowpats or juniper, but any deficiencies are more than made up by the panoramic view. I can see towns and villages on the plain below me at least as far as Aridaia, where I stayed two nights ago. As darkness falls they turn into strings of diamond and orange jewels.
After coffee and a spinach, pastry spiral at a nearby bakery I headed off to visit the main attraction in Loutraki, the spa. Where a small river flowed down a steep sided valley there were a number of waterfalls, below which little bathing pools have been constructed. There was also a swimming pool sized bathing area. They seemed popular with older people, grey haired men arguing with each other as the Greeks seem to, despite it all being friendly, and full bodied ladies in their bursting swimming costumes. The water did not seem that hot but at least it did not smell unpleasant like in some of these places. So after a cappuccino watching the bathers I headed into the mountains.
Based on the various maps and GPS tracks I consulted there appeared to be the choice of three E4 / E6 routes. I choose the one that gained height early on so as to enjoy a longer walk at 1900 metres where it would be cooler. After leaving the road the first section was on a dirt track, a few pick ups passed me. I needed to turn off onto a smaller footpath by some engineering works which were channeling water somewhere. Although fairly modern the apparatus included a waterwheel, no doubt to power something. I found the path I needed with some difficulty as a new cutting seems to have destroyed the start of it. In my attempt to find the path I climbed too high and had to slide down a steep bank on my bottom to reach it, who said "arse friction is no fiction"? Once on the path red and yellow splodges of paint plus a few arrows helped to guide me. Apart from some traversing of steep slopes most of the time it was a steep climb as the path switched back and forth up the slope. I was reminded of my recent walk through Bulgaria as I passed through the various tree zones: plane trees, oak, tall beech trees and then pines in that sequence followed by no trees at all, just creeping juniper, blueberries, grass and a few small pines.
The waymarked footpath ended at a small pass where a dirt track crossed the ridge. After that, struggling to find the route indicated by my GPS, I followed a vehicle track which generally went the right direction albeit with bigger loops to reduce the gradient as it climbed upwards. The rocks on the track, silvery mica schists, glittered in the sun, with green chlorite starting to appear in some pieces. In places protruding, reddish crystals that suggested a garnet schist.
The vehicle track stopped at some shacks and an animal pen around which a herd of cows was spread out. A dog started barking and did not stop until I was around a kilometre away. While he barked at me I filled my water bottle at a nearby spring. After this first settlement the path anastomised into numerous animal tracks, it never being quite clear which I should be following. However the general idea was to contour along the open mountain side at around the 1900 metre level keeping broadly to the route on my GPS.
Naively perhaps, I had expected the landscape above the tree line would be empty but the next valley had more shacks. I said hello to the lady in one and carried on. The sound of a chainsaw rose from the trees way down the mountain side.
I have found a location to camp out of sight of nearby habitations and their dogs. The ground is sloping but it is the best I can find away from cowpats or juniper, but any deficiencies are more than made up by the panoramic view. I can see towns and villages on the plain below me at least as far as Aridaia, where I stayed two nights ago. As darkness falls they turn into strings of diamond and orange jewels.
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| Bathing pool at Loutraki spa |
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| Voras mountains |
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| Voras mountains |
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