Friday 14th September 2018. An ascent of Psiloritis (Ψηλορείτης) (Mount Ida) 2456m/2456m, Psiloritis Range, Central Crete, Hellas, from Lakkos Migerou Refuge, near Livadia. 10.3km, with 920m of ascent. 6 hours 55mins.

Psiloritis, at 2456 metres, is the highest mountain on the island of Crete, and also the most prominent mountain in the country - see at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Ida_(Crete). Its summit is located along a ridge stretching west to east, of which over 6 kilometres is above the 2000 metre contour. A rough little church, with dry-stone walls, has been constructed on the summit plateau. It contains two rooms. The eastern chapel is dedicated to the Holy Cross (Τίμιος Σταυρός - Timios Stavros), while the eastern one to SS Peter and Paul.

The high mountains of Crete are a unique environment in Europe. They are desert mountains, with many species of flora and fauna endemic to the place. They are young mountains, in geological terms, raised at the same time as the Alpine Orogeny, as the African tectonic plate is sub-ducted under the European one. They are mainly composed of hard sedimentary and metamorphic limestones. These landscapes have been formed not by glacial action (although there may be some evidence of such on Psiloritis itself), but by the action of frost, snow and running water. Extensive cave systems lie underground, as evidenced on the surface by sinkholes, where cave roofs have collapsed.

Rather than hire a car, I had decided before my arrival on Crete to engage the services of a guide, in order to enrich my understanding of what was a new mountain environment for me. Also, to be honest, I was not keen to hire a car, as Crete has one of the worst road safety records in Europe. A web-search led me to Greentour Crete (see at http://greentour.gr/), which came with glowing reviews. I was not disappointed.

Giorgos from Greentour picked me up, as arranged, from my hotel in Rethymno at 08:00 a.m. We took a two-hour drive into the mountains, through attractive villages, stopping at a traditional wood-fired bakery to buy some bread for our lunch. Giorgos was a mine of information about the area. We parked in a large car park by the (closed) Lakkos Migerou Refuge, belonging to the Rethymno Hiking Club. The car park was almost full but deserted, and we had difficulty finding a parking space. This surprised Giorgos, but the reason became apparent as we began our ascent.

A steep path, occasionally marked by cairns, took a slanting route south-east, traversing a shallow coombe on the north flank of the mountain. A string of men were descending. They were clad in traditional Cretan clothes, rather than of the type often worn by hikers. Among them was an Orthodox priest in his long robes. A conversation between Giorgios and some of the men established that a liturgy had recently taken place at the summit chapel, as it was the feast day of the Holy Cross (Timios Stavros). This was the reason the car park below was so full.

Our ascent continued at a gentle place, with pauses to view some of the flora unique to these mountains, and to watch griffon vultures as they wheeled far above our heads in a cerulean sky. The trail now headed up the eastern edge of the coombe on what looked like a lateral moraine. There was also another feature that implied some glacial action – there were crags near the head of the coombe that appeared to have been created by the plucking at the rock by a glacier. These mountains have few such features. An internet search after we got back also noted possible glacial action on the mountain, although the evidence is disputed.

We gained the main ridge, joining the E4 trail heading to the summit from Analipsi to the east. The summit cone was now in sight, and an easy hike away. We were soon there.

We spent nearly an hour on the summit, admiring the rather cloudy view, investigating the chapel and conversing with other hikers. We partook of the sweet blessed (non-consecrated) bread left by the priest after the liturgy, which formed a welcome addition to our Cretan picnic. I discussed points of Orthodox theology with a Norwegian Lutheran pastor and his wife, while Giorgios made friends with a local Cretan and her French friend. Two Italians arrived and kindly took our summit photograph. It was a pan-European sort of place.

As we made ready to begin our descent, a marked change in the weather commenced. Cloud rolled in suddenly from the north, enveloping the summit ridge in a lthin fog. It was certainly time to head down, with the temperature dropping markedly. We retraced our outward route, deviating a little to reach the minor east top of Psiloritis.

A little further on the fog coalesced into rain, and waterproofs became necessary. The rain did not last long and, as we descended, the hill-fog began to clear as rapidly as it had come in. A fine view north emerged, bathed in the soft light of evening. We reached the car park close to sunset.

My introduction to the high mountains of Crete had made for a memorable day. Giorgios had been a most engaging companion, as much a new friend as a guide. His knowledge of these mountains was extensive, and we had swapped many thoughts and ideas in the course of our hike. I look forward to hiking with him again, heading east to climb Mount Dikti (2148m). As for the present, I prepared that evening back at the hotel to join my hiking holiday in Western Crete next day.