FREE THE OF : TREKKING IN THE PINDHOS MOUNTAINS PDF

Tim Salmon | 368 pages | 01 Jan 2010 | Cicerone Press | 9781852844400 | English | Cumbria, United Kingdom Mountains | mountains, Europe | Britannica

Trekking the Pindus Mountains Horseshoe trek in Northern Greece will challenge your expectations for this beautiful country. Yes,it has incredible history, great scenery, friendly locals and delicious food. However, the stunning beaches on this famous Pindus Horseshoe trail are replaced by craggy mountains, breezes and great hiking. This region, known locally as , boasts some of the most scenic mountains in Greece. is an area of great natural beauty, with striking geology and two national parks, one including the river and the , The Mountains of Greece: Trekking in the Pindhos Mountains other around Valia Kalda, to the east of the imposing snow-capped Mt . The 46 or so villages of Zagori were interconnected by mountain roads and traditional arched stone bridges The Mountains of Greece: Trekking in the Pindhos Mountains modern roads were opened in the s. The stone arched bridges were built by benefactions from expatriate merchants in the 18th century and replaced older wooden bridges. Gamila and Astraka are only 2 of 8 peaks that make up the massif of Tymfi Mountain, Astrak being the highest at 2, m 7, ft. Astraka Towers are vertical rock formations resembling a huge wall of rocky towers looming over the Mikro Papigo village. Vikos Gorge, listed as the deepest gorge in the world, in proportion to its width, by the Guinness Book of Records, renowned for its natural beauty and crystal river pools is an unforgettable experience. The gorge begins m after Monodendri village and constitutes a true natural monument. Its overall length exceeds 30km. Its depth varies. In Monodendri it reaches m and is at its narrowest point and in Vikos village it reaches 1,m more than 1,m in its east part and approximately 1,m in its west part. In its deeper part the gorge reaches approximately 2,m width. Due to its geological isolation and the absence of human presence, Vikos Gorge includes many rare plant and flower species. There have also been recorded more than bird species, 19 serpent and amphibian species, as well as many rare butterfly species. Throughout the Pindus Mountains Horseshoe trek, expect to enjoy famous Greek hospitality, stunning architecture, engaging history, wonderful food and drink and beautiful views. You will rest in a traditional guesthouse and enjoy exploring the village. Today involves a wonderful hike taking in villages and a quick look at the stunning Vikos Gorge. You will start by heading downhill from on the Vitsa Steps and into the heart of the Vikos Gorge. From here you will cross beautiful arched bridges and start heading uphill towards Koukouli. The village square in Koukouli is a great place for a refreshment!! You will then continue walking towards the village of Kipi, where you will The Mountains of Greece: Trekking in the Pindhos Mountains another break and see more beautiful bridges! From Kipi you will walk through dense forest towards Dilofo, a protected village due to the local architecture. Finally you will continue towards Vitsa and then walk past the village and towards Monodendri, a charming village that retains much of the traditional stone-build architecture. Today you will get a chance to cross Vikos Gorge, a spectacular site, and the deepest canyon in the world. From Monodendri you will hike downhill, where you will meet the small river that flows through the gorge. Continue hiking next to the stream and walk right into the heart of the National Park. Vikos-Aoos National Park is full of wildlife, and you may spot birds of prey, wild boars and occasionally even bears find refuge in the park! Your walk will end at Vikos village after a short ascent, around 40 minutes. Starting at Vikos Village, the walk today heads towards the charming village of Mikro . The views get more impressive as you gain elevation. The walk continues through the forest and under the impressive towers of Astraka. Soon, you will reach Mikro Papingo, one of the most beautiful and well-preserved villages in Zagori. Today is a shorter day to give you free time to explore the nearby natural rock pools of Rogovos, near the village of Mikro Papingo. Overnight: Mikro Papingo Distance: 4 hours of hiking Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Today you will hike the high plateaus of Mt. Tymfi, reaching an alpine lake at 2,m. On the way up, you will pass numerous water springs. The scenery is magnificent, with incredible views over Pindus mountain range. You will hike back to the refuge where you will spend the night. Today is a big day, as you are crossing the Tymfi mountain range. It is a long but beautiful walk, as you are in the mountains, away from villages all day. Starting from the refuge, hike downhill, reaching the plains below. Under the impressive cliffs of Astraka, continue towards a small water reservoir, known locally as Loutsa Robozi. This reservoir is used by shepherds to water animals The Mountains of Greece: Trekking in the Pindhos Mountains summer months. The walk brings us at the beginning of Megas Lakos, an impressive canyon. Continue on the The Mountains of Greece: Trekking in the Pindhos Mountains as you cross a water spring, and then back into civilization in village, a village with a stunning location and views. Today is the last day of walking, and another big day as you walk from Tsepelovo to via the pretty Beloi Viewpoint. You start by walking from Tsepelovo towards , the highest village in Zagori. This walk goes on pretty cobblestone paths and has stunning views of the Vikos gorge. You will eventually reach Beloi Viewpoint, a natural balcony overlooking the Vikos Gorge. You will then walk towards the Vradeto village for a short stop and hike down the impressive Vradeto Steps, an old and historic path which takes you down to Kapesovo village. You will get a transfer from Kapesovo to Elati, where you will spend the night. Unfortunately, this wonderful Greek trekking tour of the Pindus Horseshoe finishes today. Enjoy breakfast before saying goodbye. Enjoy a transfer back to the airport, where you can make the journey back to Athens. This trek in Greece is always run as a custom tour for you and your group. Please contact us with your preferred starting date and group size so we can help you make incredible memories on this private group tour. Pricing is based on the number of guests on your trip and whether you want a guided or self-guided tour. This tour is typically run from April through November. The hotels listed below are subject to availability and may change. For groups with an odd number of guests, The Mountains of Greece: Trekking in the Pindhos Mountains can choose a triple room and receive a discount on the tour price. Single travelers can book private tours too, however, the cost is typically 2x the per-person cost for groups of Contact us and we can try and match single travelers up, where possible. En Chora Vezitsa is situated in Vitsa Village The Mountains of Greece: Trekking in the Pindhos Mountains offers 10 spacious rooms with free parking and traditional breakfast prepared with local products included. The hotel's terraces feature beautiful views of Vikos Gorge. This inn in Monodendri is very popular, with guests noting the traditional breakfast, great location and clean premises. Some rooms come with a balcony and stunning views over the countryside. Zissis Hotel is located in the picturesque village of Aristi, in the Zagori area of Epirus. It features a stone-paved yard with views of Vikos Aoos National Park and the surrounding mountains. Astraka Mountain hut on Tymfi Mountain is located at an altitude of meters feet. There are 50 beds in the dormitories, which are comfortable and clean, though not private rooms. There is also a dining-room with fireplace, common showers cold water and shared bathroom. Located in Tsepelovo Village in the Zagori region, the traditionally built Kadi is made of stone. It offers accommodation with Tymfi Mountain views. The 4-star Guesthouse Driofillo is centrally situated in Elati. It features romantic rooms with fireplace and satellite LCD TV, and offers traditional regional cuisine. Wi-Fi is free throughout. This tour includes return transfers from airport to hotels as well The Mountains of Greece: Trekking in the Pindhos Mountains all necessary transfers for the hikes. Prices below are subject to availability and might change depending on the season, currency exchange rate and availability:. There are some longer day hikes on this trekking tour of Pindus Horseshoe. The walking is on a mixture of dirt tracks and well-constructed stone paths. These trips are designed for active people who enjoy active days. Participants should have hiked similar distances in the past. Check with your local country about visa requirements for travel to Tanzania. You could also The Mountains of Greece: Trekking in the Pindhos Mountains this websitethough you should verify with your government. Yes, it is mandatory to have Travel Health and Medical insurance to join this trip. You can get travel insurance here. Make your way to airport, where you will be met for your transfer to Vitsa for the start of this trip. Please try to travel as light as possible. Although you do not need to carry your entire luggage while walking, you will still need to carry it over short distances. Also, remember you unpack and repack on most nights. Yes, children are welcome, as long as they have previous hiking experience. Please mind that we are going to walk hours daily, so adequate physical preparation is a must. Trekking Hellas Group of Companies was founded inand is the largest and most distinguished adventure tour operator in Greece. They operate adventure tours all over Greece, and embrace and have implemented socially and environmentally responsible policies for the protection of nature and environmental awareness. Learn More. Trekking in the Pindos Mountains and the Zagori Villages of Greece

It consists mainly of a description of this route, The Peloponnese and Pindos Way. If you are contemplating doing part or all of the route, you will need to do three things. They cover most of the country. With my friend Michael Cullen, who grew up in Greece and founded its very first trekking company, we are in the process of creating a long- distance hiking route that bisects the country from north-west to south-east, the whole thing to be called The Peloponnese and Pindos Way. As you can see from the map below, the route is cut in two by the sea in the Gulf of Corinth, with the Peloponnese to the south and the Pindos to the north. The ferry that used to join the two ends no longer runs. We think there is a kind of logic to this solution! The northern part is more Balkan in landscape and climate, the southern more Mediterranean, which also means that the hiking season between snowmelt and first snowfall is a month or so longer. If you need further convincing, take a look at the website of Jane and Alan Lauriein which they describe their epic walk from the Prespa lakes in the far north-western corner of Greece to the south of the Peloponnese. It is a wonderfully fresh and evocative account of the landscapes they passed through and their adventures and encounters. There is also a version that was shown on Greek TV in This project started life in the seventies when I was teaching in Athens and looking for somewhere to go in my leisure time. Sun and sea tourism had already begun to overrun the seaside and island places that I had first known as a student in the sixties. A look at the map showed that the brownest, most roadless and least populated part of the country was the Pindos mountains. Just what The Mountains of Greece: Trekking in the Pindhos Mountains was looking for! And I set off to follow my own route up the Pindos. For The Mountains of Greece: Trekking in the Pindhos Mountains latest edition, due out early inwe decided to cut pretty much everything else and concentrate on creating this one long route traversing the whole country. The Peloponnese Way is pretty well established, much of it following the route of the E4 path, which has been resuscitated from years of neglect by Rolf Roost. The Pindos Way, while entirely followable, is a bit more problematic; the waymarking and maintenance is inconsistent or non- existent and the terrain both higher and more The Mountains of Greece: Trekking in the Pindhos Mountains. All these routes are based on what remains of the incredibly dense network of footpaths connecting villages and hamlets and high summer sheepfolds that were the only roads in these mountains until the Second World War. Unmapped and known only to the locals, they made these mountains more or less impenetrable to strangers. Our great hope is that by naming the route and making it the title of the new edition of the Cicerone Press guide we can will it into existence, attracting attention to it and encouraging Greek walkers and Greek locals who live along its route to take it seriously and work towards establishing it as one of the great walks of Europe. So, walkers of the world, let us get out there and make sure it is so ranked. Walk it, mark it, sing its praises, spend some money in the villages. At first, the local peasantry scratched out the waymarks, riddled the signs with bullet holes…but that did not stop the crazy foreigners. Guesthouses will open. Villagers will take on the responsibility of keeping their sections of path open. Think of the Chemin de Saint Jacques in France and Spain with itswalkers every year, each leaving 50 euros a night in villages with little other source of income. One hundred, let alonewalkers a season would make a significant difference to the economy of remote Greek mountain villages and facilities would quickly improve. For the moment they consist principally of notes on each of the four main sections of the Pindos Way route. One of the great walks of Europe Our great hope is that by naming the route and making it the title of the new edition of the Cicerone Press guide we can will it into existence, attracting attention to it and encouraging Greek walkers and Greek locals who live along its route to take it seriously and work towards establishing it as one of the great walks of Europe. The eastern Agrafa ridge from Trovato. The first turbines will show against the skyline on the right. The eastern Agrafa ridge The Mountains of Greece: Trekking in the Pindhos Mountains Epiniana. The eastern Agrafa ridge from Dhrosella, Epiniana. Elliptical clouds above Asprorema. Share this: Twitter Facebook. Post to Cancel. The Pindos Way – Hiking the mountains of Greece

This Northern Greece trekking holiday challenging hiking with lovely mountain scenery. Pindos Peaks is a trekking tour in Northwestern Greece with excellent hiking routes for those who want to combine challenging hiking with beautiful scenery in the Greek mainland. To Trek the Pindus Mountains is roughly km long, with a maximum elevation of 2,m Mount . Because it runs along the border of Thessaly and Epirus, the Pindus range is known colloquially as the spine of Greece. The mountain range stretches from near the Greek-Albanian border in Northern Epirus, entering the Epirus and regions in northern Greece down to the north of the Peloponnese. Geologically it is an extension of the Dinaric Alps, which dominate the western region of the Balkan Peninsula. This Northern Greece trekking holiday is about as good as they get. Dinner and overnight stay in hotel on BB basis for the first night of this Northern Greece trekking holiday. From there we slope down to the Katsanos plateau, following a beautiful descent, across varied scenery until we reach Vrissochori village. Half an hour drive wait for us and we will be transferred to Pades a small village on the The Mountains of Greece: Trekking in the Pindhos Mountains of Mt Smolikas. Overnight in a guest house. Hours of walkingaccording to the group dynamic we can be transferred a small of road part on a higher plateau then the walk will be aprox. Day 3: Pades - Samarina Early in the morning we start climbing to the top of Smolikas mountain 2. We will walk by a beautiful alpine lake atnamed after the old legend. The peak is in front of us and we can reach it after 1,5 hours. From there slopping down the mountain through pine and beech forest we'll reach the Vlach nomad village Samarina. Walk 10hrs according to the group dynamic we can be transferred a small of road part on a higher plateau then the walk will be aprox. Alt m — m — m — The Mountains of Greece: Trekking in the Pindhos Mountains. Day 5 of Northern Greece trekking holiday: Distrato - Vovoussa Early in the morning we'll head for Vovoussa village which is situated close to the banks of the Aoos River. The walk is through forest in one of the most unexplored areas of Greece, lots of wild animals find refuge here, such as the brown bear, wolves and wild cats! Walk 6 hours Alt. Day 6: — Valia Calda We will enter the Protected area of Valia Calda, the walk starts next to the river Aoos and slowly entering the Arkoudorema stream bear streamwhich the path crosses several times! At the end of this beautiful walk we will have our tents organized and a barbeque will be prepared for our evening meal. Walk 5 hours. Day 7: Valia Calda — Flegga peak — Metsovo We ascent towards the twin alpine lakes of Flegga, above them is the peak, which offers great views to the plateau of the artificial lake The Mountains of Greece: Trekking in the Pindhos Mountains Aoos, descenting we reach the big lake and then we will be transferred to Metsovo, a mountain town hidden in the mountains! Walk hours. Alt m — m — m. Phone number :. Number of people:. By sending this enquiry I agree to the Terms and Conditions and for my contact details to be sent to the company I am enquiring with as per the Privacy Policy. I'd like to subscribe to the AWE newsletter for the latest deals and inspirational articles. I'd like to register with AWE to make enquiring quicker in the future. Northern Greece trekking holiday: Trek the Pindus The Mountains of Greece: Trekking in the Pindhos Mountains This Northern Greece trekking holiday challenging hiking with lovely mountain scenery. Activities Trekking. Duration 8 days. Activities: Hiking. Activities: Ski Touring. Newsletter sign up. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.