Route length: 6 km
Duration: 3 hours
Ascent: 944 meters - Descent: 31 meters
Route description: Ascent- Medium difficulty
Recommended to: all mountaineering clubs and if being careful to children above the age of 8 years old
Season: May to October
* The information above is given to reach your destination.
Olympus, a name, a thousand pictures, a thousand emotions, the history of a whole nation, of an ancient civilization which inspires the Lovers of Art worldwide even in our era. Until 1913, it was a legendary mountain that no one ever thought of conquering it, except a few brave ones and those who lived there and by it and gave their lives for it. Since 1913, after the first conquest, the road was clear for it to become a beautiful destination inside the borders of our country, but still inspiring awe. Those of us who were lucky to visit it even once, it won our hearts. Every time a visit to its paths and summits comes to an end, we always have the next trip at the back of our minds. Even if the mountain had been demystified after its first conquest, it still has the power and mystery and attracts everyone to visit it again. It arouses emotions which can’t be described. To feel them you must visit it yourselves. As Greeks, we all think that at least once we must visit this godly mountain, wander through its paths, smell the scent of the forests, become one with Nature, as the Gods of Olympus in ancient times. It’s our duty to visit the mountain of Gods, the only place which combines History, Geography and Mountaineering so vividly. For all of you that haven’t yet tried it don’t postpone it. Plan a trip and most importantly don’t make any early arrangements that will stress you. The moment you reach the "Spilios Agapitos" refuge inform the administrators (Maria and Dionysis) for your intentions and they will guide you.
DON’T THINK ABOUT IT… DARE TO DO IT!!!
The translation in English was made by " Sidiropoulou Athina " and we thank her, for her help.
General Informations:
It is a route of 6 km total length, all on path, with altitudinal slope of 994 meters. The duration of the trail is 3 hours. There are no flags through the trail, but the path is very distinct while at crossroads there are signs which inform you where each path leads and which you should follow to reach your destination. Throughout the path there is no mobile service. In general, it is described as a route of medium difficulty and with a little attention it can be crossed by young children.
USEFUL PHONE NUMBERS:
European Emergency Number: 112
Fire Brigade: 199
E.K.A.V. (Ambulance Help): 166
Refuge "A" or "Spilios Agapitos": +30 23520 81800
All the above are summarized in the following chart:
Click on the word “wikiloc” so you can store the route on a Garmin gps device or Androit or Smartphone device. You can also print the information without the illustrations shown below. The tracking of the trail was done using a 650t Montana gps device by Garmin.
The route is also recommended by:
- The Restaurant at Prionia , Olympus (mob. Tel +30 6932 48 48 68, tel +30 23520 83093) Kyritsis Dimitris
- Taxi driver (mob. Tel + 30 693 717 6867): Sakis Prokovas
In particular:
Starting from Litochoro in Pieria, follow the road signs and after 17 km you will arrive at “Prionia” at an altitude of 1.075 meters, where you can park your car and slowly get ready for hiking. There, you will notice a wooden house which is the restaurant of Kyritsis Dimitris with excellent cuisine and its famous bean soup (Image 1)…
Image 1.
Advice: before you begin you’d better check your equipment:
- Water, food and an anorak in case you need them while hiking; keep them on the top of your backpack.
- Wear hiking boots to avoid unwanted injuries.
- Flashlight, a face towel, a pair of trainers and products of personal hygiene, which will be needed during your stay at the refuge.
In case you have forgotten some of the basics, you must return to Litochoro again to replace them, something that is quite inconvenient. So, you should better do a last check while you are at Litochoro, where you can find “55 Peaks”, a hiking store. It’s time to start hiking. A banner helps you remember to protect Olympus the oldest National Park (since 1913) (Image 2)…
Image 2.
For the first 2km you will have to walk for about 1 hour and reach 300 meters of altitude. There you will find a bench to rest and a water fountain (Image 3)…
Image 3.
As mentioned earlier, even if the trail is ascending it can be also crossed by young children who, with a little help from the parents, could easily reach the refuge without getting tired. Children are more tolerant than adults who tend to exaggerate with difficulties (Image 4)…
Image 4.
After 200 meters from the bench at an altitude of 1.380 meters you will come across a crossroad on your left which leads to the Kalogeros and Livadaki summits. Ignore it. Continue straight ahead (right) on the path (Image 5)…
Image 5.
…which, after a while, will lead you to a place with many fallen tree logs (oaks). Just for your information, the logs are fallen because of avalanches during winter that causes many problems on the path (Image 6)…
Image 6.
While at the same time you can also understand Nature’s power and the strange patterns imprinted on tress or the area in general (Image 7)…
Image 7.
About 1.800 meters after the crossroad in 55 minutes at an altitude of 1.700 meters there is a crossroad with a path that leads to the refuge of Petrostrouga and one that ascends to the plateau through the “Gomarostali” trail… Once again ignore them and continue (left) on the path (Image 8)…
Image 8.
From this point there are 2 km remaining, the most difficult, to reach the refuge. In about 10 minutes after the crossroad, ends the forest part of the path and starts a 335 meters ascent for which you will need about 50 minutes to arrive at the refuge. At this point the refuge is clearly visible. The part of this path is bare and you will be exposed to sun; this is the reason this part is considered difficult (Image 9)…
Image 9.
As long as you manage to cross this part of the trail, you will arrive at your destination the refuge of “ Spilios Agapitos ” at an altitude of 2.060 meters. It took you about 3 hours to cross 6 km at almost 1.000 meters of altitude to complete your goal. Entering the refuge yard feels like being in Heaven (Image 10)…
Image 10.
We feel obliged to make an important reference about the carriers of Olympus, who with their animals are considered the soul of the mountain as they take care of the supplementation of the refuges. They are an important link to the attempt to make the mountain more accessible to people. So, we insist to encourage you to visit the most beautiful mountain in our country. This trail is probably more easily accessible for those who decide to visit the mountain for the first time. At least reach the refuge, have a cup of coffee or try the local cuisine at the fully-organized restaurant with freshly cooked daily meals and enjoy the beauty offered by the mountain. One thing is certain: while returning you will already be thinking your next visit to reach even higher (Image 11)…
Image 11.
The passage of the trail occurred on Monday25 th July 2016 the same day we gathered all the information that was mentioned, as well as the photographs included in the narrative of the path. We consider ourselves responsible, so we would like to treat those who love Nature and hiking and enjoy learning about new places with the same responsibility. We would also like, if you cross the trail above or any other on our website, to contact us (e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) whether we were accurate on our description or there was a flaw that should be corrected.
Thank you for your trust and for visiting our website.
