The morning was spent on a barely discernable path clinging to steep slopes through pine woods and across scree, the afternoon was an easier walk mainly on dirt tracks to Athanosios Diakos.
I was somewhat apprehensive about the next section as a previous blogger (greekhiking.com) had slipped on a section of scree and injured himself. The path was faint and not easy to follow so I was very glad of occasional waymarks to reassure me that I was on the right bit of some slippery slope. In one place a waymark helpfully alerts you to an unexpected turn. I could have done with more as there was a bit of searching up and down the mountainside to find the path at times, but I was very grateful for those that did exist. The first section up through trees was not too bad, but then the path went around a mountain on a steep slope through trees, many of which had fallen and blocked the path, or else the path was blocked by saplings replacing the older fallen trees. In at least one section it looked like an avalanche had uprooted at whole area of trees. In places the "path" crossed loose rock and gravel and careful footwork was essential. There was also the odd section of snow to cross.
The path required a great deal of concentration so I was relieved to join the dirt track for the second part of the walk. (The track actually starts in Artotina so if you do not fancy the path I took, you can follow this dirt track instead). Climbing to a high pass above the tree line, with snow covering the track in places, I gained a dramatic view of the mountains around me, streaked black and white with the snow.
After the pass it was downhill along the track, with sections of path in places cutting out some of the loops. A bit depressing losing all the hard won height I had gained, but I finally reached the village of Athanasios Diakos.
In the central square with the church, plane trees and tavernas, so typical of Greek villages, I enquired about accommodation and was soon having a shower in one of the "rooms" nearby, arranged at the Ravanis taverna. Dinner (meat and rice wrapped in cabbage) followed. After dinner I wandered around the village, decorative lights were hung up from some lamposts, and there was a path from the square took you to a pretty valley. No sign of a shop though which would have been useful as my supplies were low.
There is a sign in the square with a map of the E4. It states that tomorrow's walk has an ascent of 85000 metres, so I better get a good night's sleep!
17.8 difficult kilometres walked today over 8 hours, with a 700 metre ascent.
A GPX file of my route can be downloaded from wikiloc.com, or from myViewRanger short code johnpon0042.
I was somewhat apprehensive about the next section as a previous blogger (greekhiking.com) had slipped on a section of scree and injured himself. The path was faint and not easy to follow so I was very glad of occasional waymarks to reassure me that I was on the right bit of some slippery slope. In one place a waymark helpfully alerts you to an unexpected turn. I could have done with more as there was a bit of searching up and down the mountainside to find the path at times, but I was very grateful for those that did exist. The first section up through trees was not too bad, but then the path went around a mountain on a steep slope through trees, many of which had fallen and blocked the path, or else the path was blocked by saplings replacing the older fallen trees. In at least one section it looked like an avalanche had uprooted at whole area of trees. In places the "path" crossed loose rock and gravel and careful footwork was essential. There was also the odd section of snow to cross.
The path required a great deal of concentration so I was relieved to join the dirt track for the second part of the walk. (The track actually starts in Artotina so if you do not fancy the path I took, you can follow this dirt track instead). Climbing to a high pass above the tree line, with snow covering the track in places, I gained a dramatic view of the mountains around me, streaked black and white with the snow.
After the pass it was downhill along the track, with sections of path in places cutting out some of the loops. A bit depressing losing all the hard won height I had gained, but I finally reached the village of Athanasios Diakos.
In the central square with the church, plane trees and tavernas, so typical of Greek villages, I enquired about accommodation and was soon having a shower in one of the "rooms" nearby, arranged at the Ravanis taverna. Dinner (meat and rice wrapped in cabbage) followed. After dinner I wandered around the village, decorative lights were hung up from some lamposts, and there was a path from the square took you to a pretty valley. No sign of a shop though which would have been useful as my supplies were low.
There is a sign in the square with a map of the E4. It states that tomorrow's walk has an ascent of 85000 metres, so I better get a good night's sleep!
17.8 difficult kilometres walked today over 8 hours, with a 700 metre ascent.
A GPX file of my route can be downloaded from wikiloc.com, or from myViewRanger short code johnpon0042.
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| Spot the path! |
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| Heading towards Athanasios Diakos |
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| Approaching the pass |
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