"Sunday 16th September 2018. An ascent of Gingilos 1974m/138m, Lefka Ori (White Mountains), Western Crete, Hellas, from the Xiloskalo Restaurant, near Omalos. 9.5km, with 1000m of ascent. 7 hours 40mins. The White Mountains (Lefka Ori), so-called due to the dazzling white limestone visible in summer, and snow-caps in winter, form the most western of the three highest mountain massifs on Crete – see at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lefka_Ori. Like the Psiloritis massif to the east, they were formed in the same period as the Alpine Orogeny. They have similar geology to Psiloritis, in that they are composed of limestone and its metamorphic derivatives (such as marble). The highest peaks are in the eastern part of the range, forming characteristic cone shapes of boulders and scree, broken up by the action of rain, frost and snow to form unstable slopes at the optimum angle for these geological formations. However, the western part of the range presents mountains of a different aspect. Many are rugged, with soaring cliffs and pinnacles, with sweeps of scree beneath. The reason for this is that they are mainly composed of hard dolomitic limestone, and therefore resemble the pr..." — marktrengove • Sep 16, 2018