Back on the mainland, we made our way northwards along the coast. No sheltered bays for anchoring, very small, shallow fishing harbours, hardly another sailing boat - that's what characterised our route.
In Platamonas below the Olympus massif, however, we were able to moor well and leave our boat alone for two days.
Because our hire car arrived on Monday. We drove to the Olympus National Park, to the end of the road, to Prionia, above Litochoro, 1100 metres above sea level. From there, there are many hiking trails, or rather climbing routes, to the various peaks. Mount Olympus is not a single mountain, but a massif consisting of seven peaks, the highest 2917 metres.
All but one of the peaks involve some tough scrambling at the end; our goal was the fourth-highest peak, Skala. Mytikas is the highest, Skolio, Skala, Stefanis and Profitis Ilias are the others, and it's 1000 metres up to the Agapitos Spilio hut through magnificent, extremely steep gorges. The path, or rather the climbing route, was extremely steep and strenuous because it was often interrupted by rock steps and ribs, like a staircase with very high steps. After four and a half hours (we were told three and a half) we reached the hut, wonderful but extremely strenuous, we were exhausted.
The hut is comparable to an Alpine Club hut, everything is available, everything is brought up by mules, which we saw at six o'clock on the second morning. No mattress dormitory, but double bunk beds, several dormitories for up to 19 people. Large quantities of spaghetti Bolognese were just the thing in the evening, a beer to quench our thirst beforehand and a nice dry white wine with the meal.
The neon light came on at six in the morning and sleep was out of the question. The plan was: 800 metres in altitude up to the Skala, then the whole 1800 metres back to the car. Another magnificent high mountain landscape, views of the various peaks, again extremely steep. The Skala is 2816 metres high, it went past thick pine trees up to the tree line, then above it was a rocky desert, and again very steep. 300 metres before the summit, Walter gave up, also considering the way back, and descended back to a wonderful viewpoint, Gisela wanted to conquer the summit alone. But the last ascent was so steep that she rested 50 metres below at a beautiful spot with a view of the energy-sapping descent and enjoyed the magnificent all-round panorama in the lee instead of being blown through by the icy cold wind further up.
We went back to the hut, had a rest, a good vegetable soup, lots of water - then it was downhill. It took us five and a half hours to get back - unthinkable for alpine paths - normally the way down is half as long as the way up.
It was a unique experience - but also the toughest mountain tour we have ever undertaken together.
