Trail Running all over Mount Olympus, Greece
Running the mythical Mount Olympus. This was supposed to be something to check off a list. It wasn’t even part of my travel plans as I went from Bulgaria to Istanbul, via Thessaloniki. But, while looking at a map of the Thessaloniki, looking at my route to Turkey, the words “Olympus Oros” with a mountain symbol caught my eye. How could I not? I was a Philosophy major and reveled in the ancient Greek tales and tragedies. This immediately got added to my itinerary (sorry Carpathians. Another trip…), and I am infinitely grateful for that little peripheral catch.
I was expecting a dry mountain covered in scrubby, parched, thorny vegetation. Instead, what I got was quite possibly the most magical mountain experience I have ever had (and I have played on A LOT of mountains!!). A ‘one-and-done’ (hitting the summit) turned into two weeks in the town of Litochoro, located at the base of Olympus, and a strong desire to go back and do more exploring, spending more intentional and slow hours in those forests at the base of the mountains.
This desire is made easier by my affinity for Litochoro (or “Litohoro”). It is a town that runs from the base of the mountain, at the outlet of the amazing Enipeas Gorge, all the way to the Aegean Sea a few miles to the west. The old town area is clean, and quaint(ish), with plenty of restaurants and shops. This is the more touristy area of the town but it never felt like it was more for the tourists than the locals. I loved walking around this town, getting lost in the maze of streets, trying to find some fresh produce, or my way back to my AirBNB.
There are few places in the world I’ve come across where I’ve said, “I could live here!”. Litchoro was one of those places, but it was 90% because of Olympus.
As with some of my other write-ups, this will be generalized with links included to GaiaGPS maps and an invite to reach out if you have additional questions.
Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus is not a mountain, in the traditional sense of the word. Instead, it is a collection of mountains that culminate in the highest point on the Greek Peninsula at Mytikas (9,573ft) and Skala (9,455ft).
The long-distance European trail (E4) runs right by Mytikas and to the summit of Skala. This area, as with much of Europe has refuges that provide food and shelter and a place to sleep, allowing for a long-run to be broken up, or snacks to be had during. There is also an array of back-country camping options for those who may want to back or fast pack.
Between Litchoro and these summits are miles upon miles of gorgeous single-track through pristine forests and along some of the most inviting water on earth (the Tetons being the only other place I have found such water).
Here, I will outline a couple of the runs I did, ranging from just a few miles to a 27+ mile/12k+ft climbing summit day.
Enipeas Gorge Exploration
~9 miles and 3400ft gain/loss (Map link)
When the bus dropped me off in Litochoro and I had my first glimpse up this Gorge, I knew the lowly expectations I had of this mountain and area were going to be wildly surpassed. Looking at the mountains towering above the town and the craggy gorge simply created that sense of internal excitement that comes when you know adventure is afoot.
The river that creates this gorge starts maybe 10 miles away and decends several thousand feet to the town. No wonder it is so deep and jagged.
For my initial foray, I went around to the left (south side) of the gorge, climbing steeply up the side wall once I was inside. The trail is not the best here, with loose and crumbly rock. However, as you get closer to the top of the wall, the trail will undulate, while consistently climbing over time, before dropping down to the water (it doesn’t have to drop far because of how quickly the river climbs). Once again, the trail climbs away from the river before descending once again to the water, this time for good.
The trail along this stretch is a wonderful dirt single-track through a mature mixed forest. It is simply a beautiful area.
Once down to the river, it is hard not to gawk and marvel at the water. It is simply spectacular, or at least it was in October when I was there. Unfortunately, a flood at some point washed out a few of the bridges. I was able to, relatively, easily navigate all of the crossings using boulders and the remnants of the bridges, but this would be more difficult if the river were higher. Best to check in advance, or know that it might be an out and back instead of a loop. This is one of the reasons I did this loop first; to probe the area for future, bigger, runs; gather beta.
After the third river crossing, a trail heads up the north wall. It does not climb too far (a few hundred feet) or steeply because the river is so high in the gorge at this point. This is, again, a beautiful stretch of trail and has several springs if you want any water (drink it!!! It is sooooo good!!!!). After peaking at about 3200 feet, the trail will begin a fairly steep decent back to Litochoro. This will drop you to a parking area with an overlook of the gorge and the town, with the ability to see the Aegean in the distance.
Just after this parking area, the trail will split. The trail to the right is the most direct route but is a complete shit-show. I hated this trail. The one to the left is a bit more gentle and infinitely more aesthetically pleasing. I highly recommend it (though it is harder to navigate at the bottom, so make sure you have your GPS).
Wider Exploration
20 miles and 7000ft ascent/descent (Map Link)
There is not much to say here other than this was my favorite of all the excursions on Olympus. Maybe not as memorable as summit day, but more glorious, more magical, more beautiful.
I started where I had finished in the prior description, heading up the north side of the gorge this time and heading out on a wider loop. About 3.5 miles in is a restaurant. I got there early but was still about to get some sweets and water before continuing.
This whole loop was simply stunning. It wasn’t the views, though there were plenty, it was the solitude, the amazing forest, the flawless single-track, the variety. There was plenty of water along the way.
After steeply descending into the canyon (very steeply), you will reach a hut (Prionia), with food and drink options. This is about the half-way point. It will likely be chaos there, which was not welcome to me after all of the solitude. However, I was able to fill up my water and use the bathrooms before taking off again. It only took about a half-a-mile (past the “waterfall”) to lose the crowds and get the trail, largely, back to myself again.
After the crowds, the trail follows the river for a while. There are options from this point, including working your way back to the smaller loop outlined previously. I took a right on a trail and headed back up the canyon wall. Again, this was not a steep or big climb as the river simply drops away from the trail as it heads toward the sea.
Par for the course, the trails are beautiful and isolated. There is a real feeling of solitude, without feeling disturbingly remote. The trails are shockingly well maintained and easy to follow, even if not always marked amazingly well.
Eventually I reached a high point where I could, once again, overlook the city, the gorge, and look out to the sea. Then, the trail dropped steeply, though playfully, back down to Litochoro.
Mytikas Summit Loop
26.3 miles, 10k ft ascent/descent (Map Link)
This is a long day. My Strava had the route closer to 29 miles and 11,500ft of ascent/descent. I made a poor choice when I decided to do this on a weekend. The stretch a mile or two up from the main parking area, the summit, and the run back down to Refuge A and Prionia, was more crowded than I would like. The summit of Mytikas was an absolute shit-show. More of that to come…
This route starts similar to the 20 mile loop, heading up the more scenic route along the north side of the gorge. However, instead of turning right, to head to the hut/restaurant, this continues straight, above the river. After about 4.5 miles, the route takes a right to go up and meet with the road. This is where most people park to begin the route. Up until this point, even on a weekend, I had the route to myself. After this point, not so much (though I did still get a good amount of solitude on the way up, after a mile or two).
It took a mile or two from the parking area before I started to get any sense of solitude again, which was great because there are some really beautiful stretches of trail here. This is also where I started getting some serious climbs (over 20% inclines). Between the incline and the increasing altitude, my pace slowed significantly while my heart-rate headed in the opposite direction.
Kolokithes Spring is a good place to refill water before going above treeline. There are two huts before the final ascent but am unsure of the water options or costs. The Spring is a little way off the trail, but it’ll be a while before you have access to water again.
Above the spring is a steep climb to Petrostrouga (Πετρόστρουγκα) hut, where there will be plenty of people gathered for the next stage of the ascent (and, presumably, other things people climb and hike in the area). This hut is just below treeline, and at high altitude, so is a good place to begin to lather on some sunscreen and put on a hat.
From this point the trail heads above treeline, climbing the ridge, and ascending to the Plateau of the Muses (Muses Plateau). If you want to skip the previous hut, it is also possible to take a more direct route by climbing straight up to the ridgeline (can see the trail options on Gaia or other mapping services).
At the plateau you will find refuge Christos Kakalos (LINK), which is the last manned structure (though it looks like there may be more in the future) before the summit.
From this point you will be able to see the wall that is drops off from the summits of Mytikas and Skala. Harder to discern is the trail that goes below those summits. However, if you follow the trail around to the left, toward the saddle, you’ll be able to see the trail’s faint outline.
From the saddle, with some spectacular views to the west side of the mountains, the trail will begin the demoralizing process of descending below the summits (because you’ll just have to make up that gain again). After a half-mile or so, there is a way up to the summit on the right. This is a rock-climbing route that legally requires climbing gear and a helmet. However, just a short distance further down the trail is another route up the side of the wall that is a rough class 3 scramble but does not require gear. There are blazes on the rock for you to follow, though they are not always easy to see. It is not for the faint of heart but is a blast if you are willing to take your time, be methodical, and ensure you have good foot and hand-holds. The other option is to continue down the trail to the E4, which you can take towards Skala and then take to route up to Mytikas (this adds some mileage and gain).
Either way, you will end up on the ridge to Mytikas. Follow the ridge up (which is still not for the faint of heart). You will reach a point that forces you to the right, around a rock, with the aid of some chains and poles. There is a lot of exposure here.
I went around this point only to see how many people were on the summit and how many people were coming up the rock climbing route, blocking my access. They were ascending at a glacial pace. I promptly turned around 30 feet from the summit. No regrets. Fuck that shit-show!
I went back and ascended Skala, where there was one friendly Greek gentleman. It was such a pleasant peak. I’ll take that any day, even if it is a bit lower.
From here, the descent starts. And, it is a fairly steep descent down to Prionia. I was surprised by the number of people I had to pass along this stretch, presumably people returning from their earlier summit climb. Again, a weekday outing would, no doubt, lessen this. It was, at times, frustrating as I would get stuck behind groups and I had to make it all the way back to Litochoro, not just the road at Prionia.
After Prionia, the trail follows the river for a ways and goes beneath a monastery. You’ll have to cross the river several times and a few of those times, as mentioned above, involve navigating across the river where the bridges have been washed out. This never involved me getting my feet wet but I could imagine it being more tricky at higher flows.
After the final river crossing, the trail ends up on the southern side of the gorge and climbs up away from the river. Just follow the E4 back to Litochoro and revel in the fact that you just visited the home of the Gods.
Other Routes
There are an amazing array of additional routes that could be built. I was shocked by how well-maintained the trails were (at least not overgrown) and have faith that if there is a dotted line on a map, there will be a functioning trail there.
In Gaia I have a couple of shorter loops I did while I was in Litochoro. I also went to the track/stadium that is just north of the river across from the old part of town. Between the map apps out there and strava heatmaps/route builder, some amazing routes could be put together. I hope to make it back to explore more. If I do, I will add to this or write another piece.
Also, if interested, there is a marathon/ultra/vertical mile race (LINK). It is in the summer, so it’ll be crazy hot at the lower altitude. But, it puts the Pikes Peak Marathon (probably the hardest marathon in the US) to shame in vertical gain (though it is at lower altitude).
As always, if there are any questions, a need for a GPX file, or a request for suggestions, please reach out and let me know.
