Having been lately situated in Russia, there were two things I missed: warm, sunny weather and mountains. Coming back to Greece right on time for the spring's advent, it was the exact right time to hit a mountain. At about noontime of this beautiful, mild spring day, My French friend Olivier and I were driving out of Athens' center bound to conquer the top of Mount … [Read more...]
A Hiking Trip on Mount Hymettus
After the cloudy mood of the past few weeks, a more casual for Greece, brilliant day finally rose over the peninsula of Attica this morning. The bright sky in combination with the mild, November temperature made a perfect day to do some hiking. At 8 am, I met in Syntagma Square, downtown Athens, the folks from the Mountaineering Club of Athens. All 35 individuals who made … [Read more...]
A Trip to Geraneia Mountains
It was an inexorably hot summer Saturday morning in Athens. All the roads leading out of the urban area were flooded by folks surging out of the city, seeking refuge from the heat at the country's numerous beaches. On one of those roads were we also, for the moment trapped inside the car which resembled an oven, slowly moving along with the dense traffic jam. Unlike most of the … [Read more...]
Climbing Mount Cithaeron
Mount Cithaeron is a mountain located north of Athens, of which the highest peak, known as "Profitis Ilias" or "Elatias", rises to 1409 AMSL. The homonymous, elongated mountain range to which it belongs used to form the boundary between the territories of Athens and Thebes in ancient times; and the border between the Greek prefectures of Attica and … [Read more...]
Hiking Mount Aigaleo in Athens
A sunny and peaceful Saturday morning... and we were driving our way out from Athens. Our destination was the Gereneia Mountains on the west border of Attica; however, there was only a tiny portion of the distance separating us from our destination we got to cover, after all. As the car was rolling along the highway by the outskirts of the city, that rolling of it started to … [Read more...]
A Hiking Trip to Mount Helicon
Mount Helicon may not enjoy the honor of a good position amongst Greece's highest mountains, coming only 59th in a row. Despite its nearly insignificant height (1749m) however, it may well boast of being one of the most renowned mountains in the world concerning its millennia-long, rich history, and tradition. This mountain has been carrying a sacred notion since a … [Read more...]