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 precipitous peaks of that famous Alpine range.

After a night in the Hotel Exari in Omalos, a minibus took us the short distance across the plateau to the cluster of buildings at the head of the Samaria Gorge. This gorge was to be our hiking objective tomorrow. Today we were to ascend Gingilos (Γκίγκιλος), the impressive rugged peak that sits at the head of the gorge. Seen up close from the restaurant at Xiloskalo, this peak appears to stand on its own. In fact, it is a subsidiary peak to Volakias (Βολακιάς) 2116m/868m, the highest mountain to the west of the Samaria Gorge.

The trail began, steeply, on a rock-strewn path that zig-zagged up the north-east ridge of Strifomadhi (Στριφομάδι) (1931m/70m) through scrubland. Once on the crest, it took a circuitous route under the ridge through a limestone landscape of pinnacles, crags and natural arches, to a spring at Linoseli, where we refilled our water bottles in blazing sunshine. Here we were near the head of a deep-cut coombe on the northern flank of Gingilos, a wild dramatic place. A poorer path continued up the scree in a series of zig-zags to reach a high col at about 1700m between Gingilos and Strifomahdi. Here we stopped to rest, eat and take in the view of the northern and southern coasts of Crete.

Aware that the next section of the trail involved some scrambling, we stowed our walking poles on our rucksacks before we continued our ascent. The scrambling sections were relatively easy, with little exposure, although the rock was so sharp to clutch, and vegetation so prickly, that I wished I had brought some protective gloves. Above the crags the trail continued up a stone dome to the south-west top of the mountain at 1964m. This top was marked with a significant cairn. Nine of our party of eleven decided to continue with our guide Jean to the main summit, a 15-minute scramble away. The route proved to be a little more technical in the scrambling moves required over a jagged field of crags and boulders, but exposure was again not great. The true summit quickly loomed into view. It provided views through the heat-haze down into the depths of the Samaria Gorge far below our feet, and to the highest mountains in the range to the east.

We scrambled back to the south-west top, where we consumed a lunch of cheese, dried olives and Cretan bread.

The descent began, using our outward route. The incipient arthritis in my knees made the down-scrambling more awkward for me, and I was soon left behind, joining the rest of the group at the col. We continued on our way down, with the late afternoon light provided by a sinking sun making the scenery even more dramatic. Again I found the rock-strewn path to be harder in descent due to my condition and I was left behind again. This at least enabled me to wander alone, heightening my senses to the environment around me. I disturbed a mixed flock of goats and sheep on the trail, and was amused to spot a goat halfway up a tree, consuming the leaves its less intrepid fellows could not reach.

Finally I reached the waiting minibus, in which we were whisked down for our second night in the Hotel Exari.