Hiking Mount Olympus in Greece
October 5, 2024- October 7, 2024
After 14.5 miles and 10.5 hours of hiking through mountainous landscapes, scaling the sides of sketchy rock face, and trudging through muddy trails… I can officially say that I have been at the highest point of Greece.
On October 5, 2024 I was met with one of my most intense and challenging travel experiences that will simultaneously go down in my history as one of the coolest things I have ever done in my life, and I couldn’t feel more accomplished.
I am no stranger when it comes to hiking, but all of my previous experiences could not have prepared me for what I was getting into. My ambition definitely got the best of me when I decided to hike Mount Olympus because not only was it my first altitude hike, but it was also my first summit. Despite my inexperience however, I found that “the throne of Zeus” that lies 2918 meters in the sky was not as intimidating as it may seem.
Many other travelers I met on my journey through Greece made plans to start at the base of Mount Olympus and summit all the way to Mytikas Peak in one day… and I thought I was ambitious. However, all of these travelers had amazing things to say about their experiences. Of course, it was very mentally and physically demanding and I was more than impressed with their commitment. However, I find that my decision to break up the hike into two days allowed me to truly make the most of Mount Olympus because I got to experience first hand the most beautiful sunrise and sunset I have ever seen.
Every single part of this hike had it’s own kind of beauty, but I think it is nearly impossible, if not completely impossible, for anything I saw to compare to the way the sky turned all shades of pink, purple, blue, and orange when the sun set behind Mytikas Peak casting its shadows and rays across the clear sky. I have never seen anything like it in my entire life, and I found myself shivering out int he cold until it was dark because I didn’t know when the next time would be that I would something so beautiful.
I thought the best way to go about this hike was to do the loop trail option that took you from Gortsia, Apostolidis Refuge, Mytikas Peak, then down on the opposite side of the mountain to Prionia. I found this trial to be the best becuase it had an easier climb up from Gortsia than from Prionia. And, of course, by choosing the loop trial you are able to see so many sides of the mountain that you wouldn’t get to otherwise if you went up and down the same path. I was all about seeing as much as I could see.
After about a 6.5 hour hike from Gortsia, I arrived at Giosos Apostolidis Refuge where would be home base for the evening to recharge. This refuge is located directly at the base of Mytikas Peak that I had plans to summit the next day which made for an easy wake up with a delicious breakfast to get a good start to the next day. The staff was super friendly and the overall atmosphere was buzzing with excitement from other hikers who were planning on, or just finished, summiting to the peak.
On October 6, 2024, I woke up at 8am and was on the highest peak of Greece 3 hours later. Since I has no prior experience summiting, I got a guide that would provide me with all the necessary tools to get to the top because in order to reach it, you have to climb a class 3 scramble. To my surprise, the summit was easier than the hike to the refuge from Gortsia which worked well in my favor because my boy was already exhausted from the day before.
This is something I’m never going to stop talking about. The feeling I had at the top of Mytikas Peak was indescribable. As you can tell, we didn’t have the best weather to take in the view from 2918 meters in the sky, but I didn’t need to see how small the world looked below me to feel as though I was on top of the world.
And however quickly I felt I climbed the entirety of Mount Olympus, it felt as though I was back on ground zero even quicker.
If this trip taught me anything, it is that you are capable of more than you think you are. I was very nervous at the start of this trip. Even just thinking about it gave me butterflies of angst and excitement. Regardless of any concerns I had going into this trip, they quickly diminished. If there’s one thing that helps me get my mind off of things it’s hiking. I found myself craving the feeling you get during hikes when your legs are so tired but you hardly notice because all your brain is focused on is telling you to keep going.
I am never going to stop talking about this hike. I can officially tell people that I, not only completed my first altitude hike or even my first summit, but also that I got to meet Zeus at the very top of Mount Olympus.
If you are interested in seeing moreabout my first experience altitude hiking and summiting a mountain you can check out my YouTube video and my Instagram for more insights to Mount Olympus in Greece.
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