Trails
Known by everyone and roamed by few, the legendary Mt. Olympus may not be a popular destination, but it is one of the few big mountains in Europe where, at least on weekdays, one can still hike in peace and quiet, away from the big crowds. The mythical mountain and alleged home of the Greek…
Deep in the heart of Cyprus and away from its blazing coastal line, the luxuriant forest of Machairas thrives against the arid climate of the subtropical Mediterranean island. Especially known to the Christian world for the homonymous monastery that was built there in the 12th century, this eastern part of Troodos mountain range is uniquely…
Deep in the Small Cold valley, resting at the edge of a cirque, Teryho chata has been weathering the abrupt summer storms and blinding winter blizzards of High Tatras for more than a century. Built in 1899, by the Hungarian Carpathian Association, this mountain refuge was named after the doctor and avid climber Edmund Tery,…
Zelene pleso means “green tarn” and that’s exactly the hue of its crystal clear waters. Located at the end of Bielej Vody valley, this small mountain lake is surrounded by towering peaks that soar one kilometer high above the valley, casting their long shadows on its floor for the biggest part of the day. On…
Every year, the missus and I try to tick off at least one summit from our bucket list. Last time, since we love the High Tatras, we decided to go for Gerlakovsky—Slovakia’s highest peak. But life is what happens to us while making other plans, and as we were organizing the whole thing a pregnancy…
Madari circular trail is in my humble opinion the most beautiful trail in Cyprus. It starts just outside the village of Kyperounta in eastern Troodos Mountains and follows a well signed 13km trail with approximately 650m elevation gain through some of the most beautiful sceneries the island has to offer. Its average difficulty shouldn’t pose…
Atalanti is one of the most popular trails in Cyprus Atalanti trail is the second highest in Cyprus after Artemis and one of the most beautiful on Troodos Mountain. Cyprus may not be a popular hiking destination but truth is that it has some excellent trails extending from easy to moderate difficulty which are perfect…
Hiking is one of the healthiest and most relaxing activities there is. It’s a great way to get out of your routine, relief stress effectively and improve your mental health while getting some great exercise. Consequently, it’s one of the few things on this world that can improve your overall health and quality of life…
Irish Mountains Talking about mountains in Ireland, might sound a bit ironic since the emerald island is famous for its endless green flats more than anything else. Truth is that Ireland not only has mountains but they also present a great opportunity for people to be introduced to mountaineering (this hiking guide can help) and…
People and especially media people tend to tell stories about epic journeys and successful accomplishments. But truth to be told there are much more to be learned from a failure than a success thus the reading of a defeat is much more useful to a reader than an epic story of triumph. This story is…
The Viewpoint Day 5 Our fifth day in Zagori started with a hearty rural breakfast. It was splendid with five types of homemade jam and cheese produced by the owners among other things. You just can’t beat top ingredients…
The Descent Day 4 It was pitch–dark and I could only hear the intense activity that took place in the refuge. Time was half past six and most people were already up, getting dressed and fixing their equipment. Me and…
The Ascent Day 3 I waited five minutes for the alarm to ring, then I quietly got dressed and went out. Darkness was still covering Mikro Papingo as I was navigating through its narrow alleys. Outside the gate, Astraka towers…
The River. Day 2. After a good night’s sleep, we woke up in high spirits. The euphoria of the previous day was still on and we couldn’t wait to start our second day in Zagori. The day’s march would take…
The Gorge. Day 1. Hiking Vikos gorge under rain is treacherous because of the rock falls. So naturally the first thing I did when I woke up was to open the door and get on the small balcony. To my…
Zagori Hike : The Beginning Having left behind Ioannina—the capital of Epirus. We took the old road to Zagorochoria—as all forty six villages of Zagori are collectively named. We hadn’t seen a car or people for the last twenty…