Length: 137,5 km.
Duration: 7 days.
Ascent: 7.318 m. Descent: 6.055 m.
Route Rating: Passage-Trail for experienced mountaineers.
Recommended to: All experienced mountaineering club members of the country.
Season: All year around (but winter).
* The information above is given to reach your destination.
From the 22nd to 28th July 2017, occurred the first alpine passage of the District of Xanthi a moment which can be described as historical since it was the first time a passage like this had ever occurred. Many years passed since conceiving the idea until the beginning of its implementation or its final fulfilment which needed 7 months of constant work and planning, that gave us the best results and a sweet memory etched in our minds we would like to repeat. But let’s take things from the start:
The translation in English was made by "Athina Sidiropoulou" and we thank her, for her help.
It was right before Christmas of 2016 when my wife, Porfyllidou Ioanna, and I decided that it was time to make happen a dream we kept in our minds for years. Our first concern was promoting our District as well as making public the event and the Nature of our area, so we decided to invite mountaineering club members from other towns, who would be willing to participate in this passage. Being situated at a remote part of Greece and lacking high summits (such as Olympus and other summits in our country)that could attract many visitors every year, urged us to conceive other ways to draw attention in our area. The only way to make this venture public was through Social Media. Promoting the passage through Social Media delivered immediate results, so we proceeded with personal invitations. The quick and positive replies came as a surprise. In only a few months we were counting 16 participants.
See the video (part 1) of the 1st Mountain Passage Of The District Of Xanthi.
With all our visitors consent, we began to work on planning and checking the route. My wife, as a Forester and Mountain Escort, took care of the administrative support for the desirable passage, while I was charged with designing it and making the final check. It was our intention promote beautiful places like Nestos, Leivaditis, Gyftokastro, the Pomak villages, Iasmos, where I come from and the Thracian Meteora, a place with explicit beauty that hasn’t yet gained the acknowledgement it deserves because of the difficulty to reach it. Planning was completed; we had realised (mostly after completing the passage) the total length of the route would be 162 km with about 8.500 altitudinal. The daily division would be:
Day 1:
Starting from Galani (river Nestos), passing from the summits of Melti and Mavro Esoma to end up at the settlement of Chrysa for our overnight stay.
Day 2:
Ascending to the summits of Tryfena, St. Tsakiris (known as Avgo) and Fineas, passing through the settlement of Makario, ascending to the summits of Agios Georgios (known as Tsal) and Galini and ending up to the settlement of Lykodromio, where we spent our second night.
Day 3:
Passing through the settlement of Kallithea, Margariti, ascending to the summits of Karakasalidis Charalampos and Vrachia of Abar Kayia (known also as Ermario) and ending up at the settlement of Leivaditis to get some rest.
Day 4:
Resting day at the settlement of Leivaditis.
Day 5:
Crossing the waterfall of Leivaditis, the summits if Antalofos, Mavri Petra, Mallia and the border pyramid 66; spent the night 1 km beneath the Hellenic-Bulgarian borders.
Day 6:
Ascending to the summits of Gystokastro, Thermo, Koula, Gerania and arriving at the settlement of Pahni, where a bus was waiting to transfer us to the settlement of Satres for our last overnight stay.
Day 7:
Crossing the settlement of Poliarnos and an unknown summit, passing through the Thracian Meteora to end up at the bridge leading to the settlement of Taggeo next to river Kompsatos, where was the finish line.
All the above can be seen on the map below:
As the time was getting closer, things became more and more difficult and it was inevitably necessary to find sponsors and clubs that would enjoy helping and making possible a task like this. We feel obliged to mention how willing were all the business owners when asked to give a helping hand for this venture to succeed. We had to make a more thorough planning about the passage. We didn’t just have to think of the general arrangements needed like how long we would walk in a day or which route to follow, but we had to organise a daily schedule that we should stick to in detail. So, we had to come up with what we should eat for breakfast, brunch and lunch, what fruits would offer us more energy, how would be moved our second rucksacks to the next location where we would spend the night or how we would be supplied with water, since during summer most springs are dry due to the lack of rain and high temperatures.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude for helping us solve these matters to the following:
- The Commander of the IV Army Corps, Kampas Georgios, and Colonel Arampatzis Nikolaos for believing and helping us in our venture.
- All the drivers and co-drivers (military officers) who were devoted in transferring our rucksacks to each next resting point.
- The Cultural Club of Livaditis who gave us their shelter for two night.
- The Mayor of Municipality of Topiros, Michoglou Thomas, and Makridis Kostas for contribution in sleep and food before and after the passage.
- Babis Leptokarydis and the guesthouse “Nefeles of Nestos” for the hospitality he offered us.
- The Hellenic Rescue Team of Xanhti for being alert to interfere in case of an emergency throughout the whole task.
- “TuVunu AE” company for providing us with mountain tea and sodas.
- “UTOS TOURS” for moving us by bus to the settlement of Satres.
- The 4x4 Club of our area (Nikos Vogiatzis, Giorgos Karelis, Vasilis Lianidis, Panagiotis Salvanas) for carrying our rucksacks to the Hellenic-Bulgarian borders on Wednesday afternoon 26thJuly 2017.
- The traditional grocery store KRETYA for providing us with meat products and cheese for our breakfasts.
- The traditional bakery of Kostas Tsatsoulis for his contribution in bread.
- The apiarist Kapsimalis Dimitrios for providing us 4 kilos of honey.
- A sesame seed paste (tahini) producer (who would like to remain anonymous) for providing 5 kilos of sesame paste.
- The greengrocer Argyris Tzebrailidis and my classmate Marios Stefanidis for providing us with fruit (bananas and peaches).
- Sali and Ikmet Chint from Satres for their hospitality.
- The owner of “Bicycle Shop Xanthis” Kostas Tzounakos for his contribution in energy jellies.
- Long-distance coach Kasimis Dimitris for his advice, especially the last 3 months.
- The reastaurant “Arnemousi” in Iasmos for our meal after completing the passage.
- The Super Market “Ftini Agora” for offering all the essential daily products.
- The Super Market “Sklavenitis” on Mesologgiou Str. for offering all the essential daily products.
- The Forest Department of Xanthi for our excellent cooperation.
Finally, our meals were prepared by the following:
- PA.KE.THRA Cultural Center of Xanthi (day 1)
- The Cultural Club of Lykodromio (day 2)
- The Cultural Club “Kataskinotes” (day 3)
- The restaurant “Kappadokas” (2 meals) (day 4 and 5)
- The restaurant “Vareli” (day 6)
Let’s get into action. As time was getting closer we received a few phone calls from participants who changed their minds and decided not to take part in this task. But none of these were enough to postpone this venture. We were so excited for this passage that we would make it even f we were left just the two of us. Our motto to make our area known was “from us two, to all of you”. At the end, the team was downscaled (which ended up being good) in 6 participants, as following:
1. Karavasilis Vasilis from Patra, member of the Mountaineering Club of Patra “Olenos”
2. Vlachos Evripidis from Agria, Volos, member of the Naturalists Club of Volos “Pan”
3. Patsialidis Dimos from Volos, member of the Naturalists Club of Volos “Pan”
4. Paraschos Aggelos from Komotini
5. Elafros Michalis from Xanthi
6. Georgiadis Vasilis (me) from Xanthi, member of the Mountaineering Club of Xanthi
We were also contacted by the Olympus Mountain Activities team about 3 more people from Katerini joining us on Tuesday 25th July 2017, at Leivaditis, to follow our schedule for next day (26th July 2017) to the Hellenic_Bulgarian borders. They were the following:
1. Tekiridis Theodoros
2. Tzagkas Nikos
3. Skoularikis Dimitris
So, the time has come,and everything was ready, the necessary predictions and planning were made as well as the essential supplies and the participants. This dream, which was firstly just an idea told on Profitis Elias at Olympus 7 years ago (the summer of 2010) was now only moments away of becoming true. Everything is possible if you really believe in it!!
THRUSDAY 20TH JULY 2017 (Two days before the beginning, the countdown has become):
From early in the morning, my wife and I were in a hurry to make the final arrangements with the sponsors and clubs. The pressure was overwhelming. In the afternoon, around 7.00 pm, arrived Vasilis from Patra, whom I met at KTEL (bus network). Together, we went straight to the cantina at Nestos river to grab a coffee. There, we met Makridis Kostas, who helped with the passage. E few moments later, coffee becomes tsipouro and at last we felt relaxed and realised that everything was in order…”so let the walk begins”.
FRIDAY 21st JULY 2017(Last day before the beginning)
Since early in the morning, we had been hanging around with Vasilis from Xanthi; around 3 in the afternoon Evripidis showed up with Dimos from Volos. We went for a quick drink and then I let them go to Toxotes to settle in at the guethouse “Nefeles of Nestos”, owned by Leprokarydis Babis. After sending an informative letter with the help of Kostat Makridis to the mayor of Topiros, Michoglou Thomas he ensured our stay at Toxotes in this guesthouse as a reward for the attempt we were about to make that would attract attention in the region. In the evening around 8.00 pm, Aggelos from Komotini and Michalis from Xanthi arrived, and the team was finally all gathered up. We got to known each other, while talking and making jokes showed that we would get along; but no one knows what future would hold for us. We left for the village of Galani and arrived at the tavern “Tempe of Nestos”, where the mayor was holding a dinner in our honour. Later that night, when we were resting at the guesthouse, I was overwhelmed with confusing emotions and thoughts. This venture was the biggest one we had ever organised with Gianna since we were a couple, so I felt confused and I was overcome with questions: should I feel calm or nervous? Is the route very long? Are the days enough? At last, I fell asleep living everything in the hands of God. Goodnight!!
DAY 1 OF THE PASSAGE-SATURDAY 22nd JULY 2017 (A tingle of excitement)
The alarm went off at 5.00 am. It signalled the beginning of our adventure. We got ready feeling amazing about what we were going to do. Dimos gave us a ride (twice) to the parking lot in Galani, where the Vale of Nestos begins. At 6.40 am we began to count miles. 6 days and 161 km, 6 days and 160 km…
The Nestos Straits.
After 3 hours of walking, we reached the settlement of Kromnikos. Coming across a small doe and a team of wild horses was a good omen. Our first stop was at the settlement of Kromnikos to regroup, gain back our strength and discuss our impressions. Later, after 3 hours and 30 minutes walking on the path, we were ascending until we reached a water spring below the summit of Mavro Esoma, where we made our second stop; after 2 hours and 30 minutes more, we reached the summit of Mavro Esoma at an altitude of 1.093m. The first summit of the first day.
The summit of Mavro Isoma.
The heat was rather intense making difficult any extra moves. But we didn’t quit and an hour later we reached the second summit of Melti at an altitude of 973 meters.
The summit of Melti.
From above, we could see Xanthi lying beneath and the rest of the trail we had had to follow for 2 hours, until we reached the settlement of Chrysa. We felt exhausted, but we didn’t lack determination. After all we would get some rest when we would arrive at Chrysa. It was planned to get our second backpacks from the church at the settlement and to put our tents up at a small forest far away, so we wouldn’t bother anyone; thought after father Thomas, who oversaw the church, had given us his permission we slept in our sleeping bags right outside, at the churchyard. During the first day, we had walked 28 km in total with 1.625 altitudinal in 12 hours. Meanwhile, my wife had arrived, who brought us that day’s lunch, sponsored by PA.KE.THRA, and next day’s breakfast and fruits we would need throughout the passage.
Good night.
The day was completed with father Thomas wanting us to take part in next day’s Sunday service before leaving, thankfully he didn’t insist. LOL!!!
DAY 2 OF THE PASSAGE-SUNDAY 23rd JULY 2017 (A day of sweat and great honour).
Waking up next day, on the same time as the day before, was cruel but it was the trail that concerned us from early that morning. It wasn’t about the distance but the fact that the path was only, but a few spots wooded. Thinking the temperature would reach 35 oC that day and that we would be ascending Tsal, only one thing came to our minds: EXHAUSTION!!!
Our first goal was the summit of Tryfaina at 648 m of altitude. We began walking at 6.40 but we had already felt what we were afraid of: the sun had already been hot. After 1 hour and 15 minutes we arrived at the summit, where we made our first stop.
The Summit of Trifena.
We headed right away for the summit of St. Tsakiris at 665 m of altitude (also known as Avgo), where we arrived 1 hour and 15 minutes later. Once more, heat didn’t leave us much choice while walking the path. After we had reached the summit and passed by a part of the walls of the ByzantineXanthia, we got some rest observing that day’s path.
The Summit of St. Tsakiris.
After resting, we continued for the Fineas summit at 701 m of altitude, where we arrived after 50 minutes of walking.
The Summit of Fineas.
15 minutes later we passed through the abandoned settlement of Makario and followed the path which lead to the water fountain, where starts the final ascent to the summit of Agios Georgios (known as Tsal) at 1.402 m of altitude. We refilled our water supplies at the water fountain since we wouldn’t come across another one throughout the path. At 11.30 that morning we started walking the hardest path of our district. There were only a few bushes during ascending where we stopped to get some rest and find shelter from the sun. A cool breeze made things easier for us. Finally, at 14.00 we made it to the summit after having walked 12,7 km in 7 hours and 20 minutes. From that moment on, things became easier. The hardest part was over. We only had to descend to the settlement of Lykodromio.
The Summit of Agios Georgios (Tsal).
On the other side (which we followed to arrive at Lykodromio) the path was more wooded, so we had the chance to make a stop and rest under a shady place. Around 16.00 we arrived at the last summit for that day, Galani at 1.145 m of altitude.
I feel obligated to thank Dimos Athanasiadis, who marked the path of the first 2 days with multicolored strips and accompanied me to the trail crossing I did back in early June to inspect the situation of the path.
The Summit of Galini.
Finally, around 18.30 we arrived at our destination, the settlement of Lykodromio. We were filled with satisfaction for completing such a difficult task. We had walked 21 km with 1.738 altitudinal in 12 hours. We felt overwhelmed and surprised when the whole village welcomed us with applaud as we arrived at the churchyard. The president of the Cultural Club, Anthimos Kyrlidis came to greet us while editor Spanidis Michalis and retired father Thodoros (91 years old) introduced us to the history of the area. Anthimos offered us as a present a book about the history of the village and a scarf from a wedding from Bafra. In the evening, the Cultural Club of Lykodromio offered us dinner, while my wife had arrived with breakfasts and water and fruit supplies for the next day. Words aren’t enough to thank the people who were present that afternoon. We are grateful, and we hope that the village had been a pleasant occurrence for all the members of our passage group.
The settlement of Likodromio.
It was past 23.00 when we managed to sleep. The next day we had had to cover the largest distance, so we needed to rest. We had planned to an early wake-up to start hiking around 6.00 in the morning. Or at least that was what we thought.
DAY 3 OF THE PASSAGE-MONDAY 24th JULY 2017 (Settlements and high altitude).
The exhaustion of the first 2 days took a toll on us, so instead of starting at 6 o’clock we began walking at 7.15. The first goal of the day was the mountain settlement of Kallithea. A known feature of this trail is the little churchHoly Mary, where we made our first stop.
The little church of Panagia.
Around 12.00, after 13 km, we reached Kallithea and then continued to the next settlement of Margariti, after 6 km by 15.00, where we rested.
Rest in the settlement of Margariti.
At this village until January 2017, there was one permanent resident, the last one, named Charalampos Karakasalidis, known as Champos, who unfortunately passed away. This man helped us, a year ago, in finding an important old trail, that we crossed during this venture, which connects the settlement of Margariti with Leivaditis. We will never forget his contribution. Therefore, we have decided to name a nameless summit at 845m of altitude, just a kilometer away from the village, by him. We have already placed a plead to the Army Geographic Office to give the name Charalampos Karakasalidis to the summit.
The Summit of Charalampos Karasakalidis.
Last stop, before today’s end, was the summit Vrachia of Ambar Kayia or else Ermarion at 1.441 m of altitude, where we arrived by 20.00 after 8 km.
The Summit of Ermario.
At 21.30, we arrived at Leivaditis following the trail of Minas, after a 14-hour tiring walking for 32 km at 1.560 altitudinal. We also had some perks; swimming in a lake, meeting a couple of roes and having a lot of laugh. We knew that Leivaditis would in the middle of our route and we had already walked 81 km with 5.100 altitudinal. Moreover, the next day we would be taking the day off to restore our energy and have a proper bath, after 3 days of hiking covered in sweat and dust. That day’s meal, which was offered by the Cultural Club “Kataskinotes” was delicious. The cool breeze along with the relaxed mood, the shower and most importantly the enjoyable company contributed to a pleasant meal.
DAY 4 OF THE PASSAGE-TUESDAY 25th JULY 2017 (Resting day).
In that day, we took some time to look back on the events and jokes of the previous days. We had a luscious breakfast at the yard of the tavern “Kappadokas” and exchanged a lot of ideas about our remaining trail.
Taking breakfast at the backyard of Kappadokas tavern.
I seize the moment to introduce the last 5 members of our group and share my feelings for them. Since January, when the official announcement of the passage had been made, I believed that these days on the mountain would connect us and that we would make friendships which would stand the test of time. I wasn’t mistaken. We were lucky to fit together which was important while hiking. So, let’s begin:
- Karavasilis Vasilis is an emotional person and completely in love with his daughter. He is a person to count on while on the mountain; a constant “worker” always pleased to help. I am glad to know him. Hope to meet again Billy.
Karavasilis Vasilis.
- Vlachos Evripidis (known as Eric) is firm, strong, a true leader who knows his way around the mountain and always seeks success for him and the team. He never gives up and tries every viable alternative. Besides his family, he loves Pilio and Nikos Maggitsis. I hope I meet Eric again on a summit in Greece or abroad.
Vlachos Evripidis.
- Patsialidis Dimos. Words aren’t enough to describe him. Apart from being charismatic, he was also the soul of the team. Funny and witty all the time. We all enjoyed his company. I would really like to walk on the mountain alongside Dimos, now he earned the title of the Mountaineer.
Patsialidis Dimos.
- Paraschou Aggelos was a personal challenge. How could you change a triathlon athlete, who could complete the passage in just 2 days, into a mountaineer? With the challenging passage and the pleasant company, it became possible. Aggelos and I started expeditions abroad and crossing mountains after finishing the training in the winter of 2000-2001. He will always have a place in my heart. Keep going, Aggelos!
Paraschou Aggelos.
- Elafros Michalis was the silent force of the team, always eager to take in everything Nature had to offer. He isn’t a regular mountaineer, but he is always the first to discuss with the latest ideas that come up. His opinion is very important to me. I am glad he came along and managed to complete the passage. I hope eventually he will become a proper mountaineer and a regular member of our team.
Elafros Michalis.
- Porfyllidou Ioanna. Last but not least, our carer and my wife Gianna. She was the very soul of this event, charged with replenishing, packing and distributing our food and water supplies. Breakfast, snacks, fruits and each day’s meal, water, tea and beverages were prepared and distributed to our next location by her. She was PERFECT, even though she had to take care of our kids.
Porfillidou Ioanna.
I also need to thank those who came later the same day (Tuesday 25th July 2017) Thodoros from Katerini, Nikos and Dimitris, whom I had met before at a passage at Palios Agios Panteleimon in Pieria; the trail wasn’t as challenging, but I hope they won’t mind this brief introduction. They are fully conversant with the paths of Olympus where they mostly operate. After arriving at Leivaditis and met with the rest of the group, we all visited the farm of Democritus and Eva for a cup of tea.
The Farm of Eva and Dimocritus.
The day was completed at the tavern of “Kappadokas” in Leivaditis, where we ate and drank while making plans for the next day. That meal was fateful, since we were the last company to eat at the tavern. Soon after, the owners decided to close it because of the small number of visitors and the constantly increasing taxes. Otherwise, it would still be open even without many visitors.
DAY 5 OF THE PASSAGE-WEDNESDAY 26th JULY 2017 (Day of high altitude and admiration).
The 5th day had arrived signalling the final count down. We began at 6.30. After 1 hour and 40 minutes we reached our first stop, the waterfall of Livaditis. We were all excited.
The Waterfall of Livaditis.
We continued for today’s first summit, Mavri Petra. It was planned to go to Antalofos, but we changed our minds and decided to skip it, because it would only delay us, and go straight for Mavri Petra. After 6 hours and 30 minutes we approached the destroyed landmark of the summit 1.588m of altitude.
The Summit of Mavri Petra.
The cool breeze at this high altitude was very relieving and made hiking easier. Later, we started for the summit of “Mallia” at an altitude of 1.699m. Looking back as we approached, we could make out the “Karpouzi” summit just above Toxotes, where we spent the night before the passage. We were filled with owe as we realised how far we had walked. If you are committed, you can achieve anything. After 1 hour and 45 minutes we arrived at Mavri Petra.
The Summit of Mallia.
It was already 17.00 and we continued our route to the Hellenic-Bulgarian borders. We needed about 1 hour more to reach pyramid 66 at an altitude of 1.680m.
The pyramid 66 at the border with Bulgaria.
After 1 hour and 30 minutes we arrived at our campsite. We had walked 32 km at 1.619 altitudinal in 12 hours and 25 minutes; totally, on that day we had walked 113 km at 6.542 altitudinal. We camped near Chousein and Chasan’s shacks, loggers who came from the settlement of “Oraio”. They were charged by the Forest Department with cutting trees. We spent some time together talking about life on the mountains.
Our camp.
While discussing, 2 SUVs approached. Gianna arrived with our meal (offered by “Kappadokas”), our breakfast and snacks and our backpacks. The 4x4 Club of Xanthi brought staffs. Nikos, Giorgos, Vasilis and Panagiotis arrived. They stayed until later that evening. Up to that point everything was going well. We would like to thank Andreas Daniel for bringing us together with these interesting people.
The Club 4X4 of Xanthi.
DAY 6 OF THE PASSAGE-THURSADY 27th JULY 2017 (Just our luck!)
We woke up very early on Thursday. It would be a difficult day, not because of the distance but because there was 90% of chance to come across a bear as we were crossing the Bear’s lair. At 6 o’clock in the morning everything seemed that it was going to be a wonderful day. By the time we packed and left, the sky had already been cloudy and around 7.15 it has started to rain. Despite the bad weather conditions, we began walking for about 20 minutes, when thunderbolts lit up the place and we were forced to return to the campsite.
The Time of the Return to the Camp.
So, we returned to the shacks trying to figure out the best decision for the situation. We were in dilemma: to postpone our schedule or transfer it for the next day, although in that case we were confused about our backpack being transferred by the Army as well as our meals. So even if the second decision seemed logic, we just postponed our schedule for a few hours.
The decision has taken.
After a while, the military vehicles arrived to pick us up and drive us to Xanthi at Utos Tours travel agency. We had made the necessary agreements with the owner to transfer us the same afternoon by bus from the settlement of Pahni (where we would make a stop according to our plans) to Satres to spend the night. He was quite surprised to see us. After explaining the change of plans, we agreed to drive us to Satres at 17.00. As for us, we made a little expedition in the town of Xanthi. Firstly, we ate cheese mpougatsa at “Anoiksi”.
Cheese Bougatsa at "Anoiksi".
Next stop was at Foret, the most beautiful coffeehouse in Xanthi, by my friend Giorgos Makridis.
Cafe Brunch Foret.
Later, we went to the House of Shadow of Vaitsis Triantafillos.
The House of Shadow.
Finally, we ended up at “Vareli” for tsipouro; today’s meal would be also offered by the same tavern.
Taverna "Vareli".
It was time for Roulis, our bus driver to take us to Satres. There we had coffee at Sali’s coffeehouse, the former head of the village.
Coffee at the settlement of Satres.
As time was passing by talking with the villagers, we felt more and more welcomed. The highlight of the day was when Sali and Ikmet, his son, offered us the second floor of their house to spend the night instead of using our tents. They also offered us our dinner the same night.
Satres by Night.
The day ended with mixed emotions. We were disappointed at first, but we took the right decision which was confirmed by the welcoming treatment and hospitality of the people in Satres. It was the final night, the final hours with that amazing group, the final thoughts… the last day was only a few hours away and there were more surprises awaiting us…
DAY 7 OF THE PASSAGE-FRIDAY 28th JULY 2017 (A day of admiration and thrill).
It was 5.20 in the morning, when the Imam called the Muslim villagers for the morning prayer and signalled the beginning of the last day of the passage. We felt exhausted and we were overwhelmed with mixed feelings. I was only sure that we needed all the energy we had. At 7.20 the military vehicles arrived, and we loaded our stuff for one final time. Everything felt important. That week (personally one of the best in my life) united us as a team. We knew each other’s character and we were eager for one of Dimos’ jokes. Words aren’t enough to describe the emotions we had for each other.
The Last Morning of our Adventure.
We were cheerful during the passage. We were singing and marching throughout the trail.
Parade.
Without even knowing it, we arrived at the same summit just before Polyarnos. We walked 10,5 km in 3 hours to reach this summit, which has no name according to the Army Geographic Office.
The Summit of Poliarno.
In the next hour, 4 km away, we arrived at the settlement of Polyarnos, where the beautiful refuge of the Cultural Club of Iasmos is located at an altitude if 535m.
The Settlement of Poliarno.
From now on, the passage of the Thracian Meteora started. People are unfamiliar with this beautiful region because it is very difficult to approach especially during the winter. It is difficult to cross these 19 km in the summer, let alone in winter. The rock masses were amazing and the formation sometimes resembled people. Take a careful look at the rock behind us in the following picture.
Thracian Meteora.
About 6 km after the settlement of Polyarnos, which we crossed in 1 hour and 40 minutes, we came across the final summit of the Thracian Meteora at an altitude of 500m. Like the first day of the passage a team of wild horses bided us farewell, indicating that everything went well, and Nature was pleased with us.
The Summit of Thracian Meteora.
There were left just 4 km for the completion of our dream. We needed I hour and 20 minutes. In that day, we had walked in total 24,5 km in 9 hours at 776 altitudinal. By 16.15 we had accomplished this dream. Aggelos, Vasilis, Dimos, Evripidis and Michalis thank you for your contribution. We will always be the “Fellowship of the ring” …be always safe and full of success.
The end of the Mountain Crossing at 16.15.
The finish line was at the bridge for Taggaio village by the river “Kompsatos”. In the moment until the bus arrived to pick us up from Iasmos, we recalled the events of this passage. 137,5 km with 7.318 altitudinal in 7 days, during which we ascended 13 summits and passed by 10 settlements, even though we had a little set back because of the weather.
Going to Civilization.
The stocktaking of this wonderful trip took place at Arnemousi in Iasmos, talking and listening to Dimos’ jokes. I would also like to thank the owners about treating us the dinner.
Arnemousi Restautant.
At some point the rest of the crew arrived (Gianna with our kids) to congratulate us and award us with pinecones tied to a string instead of a medal (my son’s idea, Stergios) because the reason of this venture was to know Nature and enjoy everything it has to offer.
The Prize.
That little adventure took place between 22nd-28th July 2017 through the forest and mountains in the Districts of Xanthi and Rodopi. We would like to thank and congratulate all the businessmen and businesswomen who helped us achieve this venture. It is comforting to know that there are people who appreciate actions like this and we hope they will stand by our side once more next year alongside with the cultural clubs and people who were involved in completing the 1stMountain Passage of the District of Xanthi.
For those of you who read up until the end the narrative of this beautiful experience, you have several months to get fit as to participate in the 3nd Mountain Passage which will occur in 29 of June until 5 of July 2019.
