Our Destination Manager, Katya Panchenkova, took to the great heights of Mount Olympus, Greece, in early autumn. A regular hiker who’s not only our Balkan expert, Katya’s one of our most committed team members to taking on challenging treks. She tells us more about why and when she took on the Olympic odyssey, and how she was in the lap of the Greek gods when it came to summiting.
Katya, What made you decide to take on the iconic Mount Olympus?
Myths and legends have always surrounded Mount Olympus, the home of the Greek gods, and these stories have fired my imagination since childhood. In addition, the hike is a tempting challenge and I do love a challenge.
Can you tell us more about the nature of the summit?
It’s well known that Mount Olympus isn’t just one summit, but has 52 peaks in total, with the two main ones being Mytikas (2,918m) and Skolio (2,911m). Mytikas is categorised as a YDS (Yosemite Decimal System) Class III rock scramble, and not one that you should undertake on a self-guided trekking holiday. Although Mytikas is the highest peak, Skolio provides the best views and it’s not a technical ascent. When I plan a hiking trip, I like to add a challenge and a reward after that, so a strenuous hike to a summit with scenic views towards the sea suits me perfectly. And anyway, who doesn’t want to reach the home of the gods and walk on the Muses Plateau?!
Have you done many summit treks before?
Not many, although I have climbed the highest point of the Balkan Peninsula, Mount Musala (2,925m) in Bulgaria twice – once in the summer and again in winter for sunrise on 31 December. Although we don’t offer the winter one as a trek yet at The Natural Adventure, hopefully we will sometime. I have also climbed Mount Świnica (2,301m) in Poland’s Tatra Mountains, which is another challenging but very rewarding self-guided trek, and one that doesn’t require any scrambling or special equipment.
How did you travel to Greece?
I flew to Thessaloniki Airport and, from there, I took a bus to Litochoro, a small town at the foot of Mount Olympus. The ride was 1h 20mins, with a quick stop in nearby Katerini which has fantastic views towards the peaks of Mount Olympus. Because even though Katerini is a coastal town, Olympus is only 20km south-west of it.
When did you travel and how was the weather?
I did the trip at the end of the hiking season, which is the beginning of October. Unfortunately, at this time there was an unusual cooling along the Balkan Peninsula, which meant that we had heavy rainfall and snow at higher altitudes.
Did you do much specific training?
I didn’t do any specific training, but I usually do three to four multi-day hikes in a year. Not that long before my Mount Olympus trek, I did a seven day, self-guided hike in Poland’s Karkonosze Mountains. There’s also a summit trek on that one, to the top of Mount Sněžka (1,603m), the highest peak in the range, on the border with the Czech Republic (Czechia).
How were the mountain huts on Mount Olympus?
They are very well maintained. Don’t expect hot showers and private rooms, but I definitely received a warm welcome everywhere, clean bathrooms and a crackling fireplace in the dining room. The feeling of sitting next to a warm fireplace with a cup of hot mountain tea after completing a walk in fog and snow is priceless.
And how was the food?
The food in all mountain huts was hearty and prepared with local ingredients. Breakfast is included in the tour price and usually consists of a boiled egg, toast, jam, butter, honey and, of course, some Olympus mountain tea or strong Greek coffee. I bought supplies from town for lunch, such as bread, cheese, salami, apples and energy bars. There was an option, however, to buy sandwiches and other snacks from the mountain huts. And I bought mineral water in the huts for each day, as water is scarce, and this cost around €2 per 1.5l bottle.
For dinner, there is a choice of soups and cooked meals. Spilios Agapitos Refuge is famous for its Spaghetti Bolognese and so I had to try it and see if it lived up to its reputation – which it definitely did, with a huge portion too. I wasn’t even sure if I could finish it, but the steep hike in the rain on that day drained my energy, and so I managed to finish my portion, no problem.
How was the weather generally and did it affect the trip?
When I arrived at the first mountain hut, Spilios Agapitos Refuge, after a 3h hike in heavy rain on day three, the owner, Maria, shared the weather updates. She told me that there was snow and ice on the Zonaria Trail, which connects with Muses Plateau, making it too dangerous to pass. After discussing different options with local guides and other hikers, I realised that I needed to change my plans for the next day or so. There were two options: one was to summit Mount Skolio summit and return to Litochoro, and the other was to use an alternative trail to Muses Plateau and not take on the summit. Since I wanted to spend more time hiking in the mountains, I decided to go for the second option and follow a forest trail to Petrostruga Hut and then up to the Muses Plateau.
Were you disappointed that you didn’t summit?
I believe that, when you’re walking in the mountains, we should approach them with respect and, if nature doesn’t allow us to summit on a particular occasion, then we should turn around and leave it for the next time. As soon as I’d decided to take the alternative trail, I left all doubts and disappointment behind and just looked forward to the walk. This trail between Spilios Agapitos and Petrostruga Refuges was an enjoyable, forest trail with some inspiring peak views in the distance. It also means that the trek to Mount Skolio is still waiting for me, so I can keep daydreaming about returning to the home of the gods.
What was the best wake-up spot?
Waking up at Christos Kakkalos Refuge up on Muses Plateau was definitely the best. As I mentioned above, when I arrived there the day before, it was snowing and there wasn’t any visibility at all. But when we woke up in the morning, we were rewarded with one of the most memorable sunrises I have ever seen. The sun appeared behind strangely-shaped clouds and touched the fan-shaped peaks of Stefani summit, towering over the snowfield of the plateau. It really was a divine view, which made me feel as if time stopped and nothing was real anymore.
Then, just to top it all off, the descent from there along Lemos Ridge was one of my walking highlights. This trail really did have the most incredible views of surrounding peaks and the sea. Also, we saw several curious chamois along the way, walking close to us in search of food (or entertainment!).
Had you packed everything you needed?
I am happy to say that I was well-prepared, even for walking in 30cm of snow. I packed waterproof hiking boots with ankle support, waterproof overpants for rain and snow, and a waterproof jacket. Bringing a woollen hat and fleece gloves was a good decision since it was between -10C and -5C at Muses Plateau in the morning. Hiking poles are highly recommended for this hike, both in the summer and winter seasons, due to steep ascents and descents.
What is your most lasting sense memory of this trek?
The feeling of absolute freedom when walking down from Muses Plateau, following the signposts that are designed for winter treks, and surrounded by an untouched snowfield and towering peaks in the distance.
Are there other summits you’d like to take on?
I would like to go hiking in the Durmitor Mountains in Montenegro and climb the summit of Bobotov Kuk (2,523m), which is their highest mountain. You can achieve this on this section of the Via Dinarica, which is a small group tour, so I’d have the added bonus of a guide on that one.
What about other trips in Greece?
I would definitely love to take on the challenge of walking the complete Corfu Trail, which is 200km long and crosses the entire island from south to north. It takes two weeks and so that’s high on my list, especially as you get to walk to the top of Mount Pantokrator, which is the island’s highest mountain at 905m.
If you’d like any more information about our self-guided walking holiday to summit Mount Olympus, see the link to our holiday, and also don’t hesitate to speak with one of our adventure specialists. We also have an epic blog to befit an epic trek, Mount Olympus is the ultimate Greek odyssey. You may also enjoy our blogs, Guide to the Zagori region and Eight best day hikes in Greece.
