A day on which I decided against climbing a 1760 metre mountain due to snow and poor weather but still struggled to find the path in the snow and mist 300 metres lower.
Rain was forecast for today and I woke to hear it pattering on the veranda roof outside my bedroom. Clouds obscured the mountain tops. I had originally planned to follow the route on the Anavasi map which climbed up a mountain to 1760 metres but the experience of the last two days suggested there would be a lot of snow and possibly poor paths. Mountains in the area all have very steep sides so the risk of sliding and injuring myself seemed very real. In addition the poor visibility would mean I would not be able to see far enough ahead to ensure I did not enter difficult terrain, and the path, if it existed, could be hard to spot.
Fortunately Nikolas Kroupi of Hotel Kroupi had given me an alternative route peaking at around 1500 metres where it joined Anavasi's mapping of the E4. Based on yesterday's experience snow should only be patchy at that altitude. After assessing the risks I headed off along Nikolas' route. Sadly this involved descending to the bottom of a valley losing some 600 metres in height which I then had to regain climbing up the other side. The valleys in this area are steep sided and very deep, about 1000 metres from the top of the mountains to the bottom of the major valleys, very much Alpine terrain.
The walk to the bottom on a dirt track was pleasant, it had stopped raining for while, and although the mountain tops were hidden in cloud, there was an extensive vista of steep slopes: tree lined lower down, rocky and snowy higher up with screes cutting through the trees in places.
The climb on a dirt track up a side valley followed a stream, swollen to a river by the melting snow, with a boulder strewn bed and initially bordered by plane trees. I had to cross the stream a few times, on the first occasion the water depth made it necessary to remove my socks and roll up my trousers to wade across soaking my boots, higher up it was less deep. The track wound back and forth as it climbed up the steepening valley, and as it was now raining I was getting pretty hot in my anorak. Nearer the top I was crossing scree slopes, and although on a vehicle track I had to pick my way through small rock falls in places. On the valley sides there were ribbon waterfalls cascading down cracks in the rock for tens or hundreds of metres.
I reached the top shortly after eating the remains of the generous breakfast served to me at the Hotel Zampakas Panorama this morning, which I had wrapped up for lunch. I now had to branch off onto a path going to Argithea, this was difficult to find as I was now in the clouds with visibility down to 10 metres and banks of snow hiding landscape features. I began to doubt whether the path, shown on various maps, now had any physical manifestation.
I followed my GPS route through the mist, picking up small animal tracks where the ground was not covered in snow. The slope I was crossing became progressively steeper with ridges of rock alternating with lengths of snow. As I crossed the steep, snow covered sections, the mist prevented me from seeing how far I could slide down if I slipped, the white snow blending in with the white cloud.
After a very slow traverse, and some rusty barbed wire that entangled my boots, the slope became more gentle and the ground grassy. I was able to pick up a goat track heading in the right direction, ready to face the next obstacle. Creeping juniper bushes became extensive, blocking the path, the branches grabbing at my clothing as I pushed through.
Finally, as I dropped below the clouds, I joined a dirt track that wound down to the village of Argithea. Sadly the cafe and taverna were both closed, many of the houses also looked shuttered up for the season. An effort had been made to attract tourists with a wooden railed walkway highlighting the old stone bridge. I peered in the church set on the hillside with a square outside and benches and lamps, that were switched on for some reason.
I left the empty village and climbed up the track dictated by my GPS. After passing the last house of the scattered community I looked for a place to camp. I found a patch of flat pasture, last used by cows the previous autumn judging from the scattered old dung. Given the number of rock falls and fallen trees I had passed, a flat area like this, away from steep slopes seemed a good idea. Having pitched my tent I am now listening to the noise of the rain hitting the flysheet while trying to wring the water out of my socks.
24 kilometres covered today and a total ascent of about 1100 metres.
A GPX file of my track can be downloaded from wikiloc.com or you can download my route onto your smartphone from myviewranger.com code johnpon0041.
Rain was forecast for today and I woke to hear it pattering on the veranda roof outside my bedroom. Clouds obscured the mountain tops. I had originally planned to follow the route on the Anavasi map which climbed up a mountain to 1760 metres but the experience of the last two days suggested there would be a lot of snow and possibly poor paths. Mountains in the area all have very steep sides so the risk of sliding and injuring myself seemed very real. In addition the poor visibility would mean I would not be able to see far enough ahead to ensure I did not enter difficult terrain, and the path, if it existed, could be hard to spot.
Fortunately Nikolas Kroupi of Hotel Kroupi had given me an alternative route peaking at around 1500 metres where it joined Anavasi's mapping of the E4. Based on yesterday's experience snow should only be patchy at that altitude. After assessing the risks I headed off along Nikolas' route. Sadly this involved descending to the bottom of a valley losing some 600 metres in height which I then had to regain climbing up the other side. The valleys in this area are steep sided and very deep, about 1000 metres from the top of the mountains to the bottom of the major valleys, very much Alpine terrain.
The walk to the bottom on a dirt track was pleasant, it had stopped raining for while, and although the mountain tops were hidden in cloud, there was an extensive vista of steep slopes: tree lined lower down, rocky and snowy higher up with screes cutting through the trees in places.
The climb on a dirt track up a side valley followed a stream, swollen to a river by the melting snow, with a boulder strewn bed and initially bordered by plane trees. I had to cross the stream a few times, on the first occasion the water depth made it necessary to remove my socks and roll up my trousers to wade across soaking my boots, higher up it was less deep. The track wound back and forth as it climbed up the steepening valley, and as it was now raining I was getting pretty hot in my anorak. Nearer the top I was crossing scree slopes, and although on a vehicle track I had to pick my way through small rock falls in places. On the valley sides there were ribbon waterfalls cascading down cracks in the rock for tens or hundreds of metres.
I reached the top shortly after eating the remains of the generous breakfast served to me at the Hotel Zampakas Panorama this morning, which I had wrapped up for lunch. I now had to branch off onto a path going to Argithea, this was difficult to find as I was now in the clouds with visibility down to 10 metres and banks of snow hiding landscape features. I began to doubt whether the path, shown on various maps, now had any physical manifestation.
I followed my GPS route through the mist, picking up small animal tracks where the ground was not covered in snow. The slope I was crossing became progressively steeper with ridges of rock alternating with lengths of snow. As I crossed the steep, snow covered sections, the mist prevented me from seeing how far I could slide down if I slipped, the white snow blending in with the white cloud.
After a very slow traverse, and some rusty barbed wire that entangled my boots, the slope became more gentle and the ground grassy. I was able to pick up a goat track heading in the right direction, ready to face the next obstacle. Creeping juniper bushes became extensive, blocking the path, the branches grabbing at my clothing as I pushed through.
Finally, as I dropped below the clouds, I joined a dirt track that wound down to the village of Argithea. Sadly the cafe and taverna were both closed, many of the houses also looked shuttered up for the season. An effort had been made to attract tourists with a wooden railed walkway highlighting the old stone bridge. I peered in the church set on the hillside with a square outside and benches and lamps, that were switched on for some reason.
I left the empty village and climbed up the track dictated by my GPS. After passing the last house of the scattered community I looked for a place to camp. I found a patch of flat pasture, last used by cows the previous autumn judging from the scattered old dung. Given the number of rock falls and fallen trees I had passed, a flat area like this, away from steep slopes seemed a good idea. Having pitched my tent I am now listening to the noise of the rain hitting the flysheet while trying to wring the water out of my socks.
24 kilometres covered today and a total ascent of about 1100 metres.
A GPX file of my track can be downloaded from wikiloc.com or you can download my route onto your smartphone from myviewranger.com code johnpon0041.
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| Crossing snow covered areas in the clouds |
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