Distance

0.5 km to summit

9.5 km total

Elevation

2,866 m start

Vertical

180 m gain

Time

1 hr 5 min to summit

9 hr 30 min total

The second day of a four-day trek on the Olympos Massif, Macedonia, Northern Greece.

For more information on Mount Olympos, see at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Olympus

From the summit of Skala 2866m/20m to Mytikas 2918.8m/2355m, and return to Skala.

Four of our group declined the option of the Grade 2 scramble to the summit, so Ivo our guide had four of us in his summit party. I was of two minds myself, as I am not a confident scrambler. However, I had wanted to climb to the summit of Mount Olympus since I was a boy, when my passion for Ancient Greece started. I had come a long way and invested a lot of physical and emotional effort in scaling this summit, so it was not a hard decision and I joined the summit party. With helmets donned as protection against stone-fall (a constant hazard on this peak, due to its popularity) we set off.

The first part of the scramble was relatively easy. It was down the shaded narrow gully of the Kakoskala, with little in the way of exposure. Then followed an exposed but easy traverse below the ridge crest down to the Skala - Skolio col at 2810m, with views west down into the yawning gulf of the Megala Kazania cwm, with its floor some 500m below.

Once past the col the up-scrambling began. This was an ascent of a steep couloir on the flank of the false summit of Paramytikas, using cracks and ledges in a series of zig-zags to gain height. The scrambling here was not hard, but we were in constant risk of stonefall from those above us, and a slip here could have been lethal. I was glad of my climbing helmet.

Once at the top of the couloir we traversed right around the summit of Paramytikas. This involved a few awkward scrambling moves round a tight corner with considerable exposure and a short down-scramble, but the rock was good and no mishaps occurred. On rounding this narrow neck a full view of the summit could be seen only about 100m away. An easy scramble left up a wide gully (more stone-fall risk) brought us up onto the summit ridge and, within a few steps, to the summit itself.

I have climbed many hills and mountains across Europe. Some have been higher than Mytikas, but this peak was a much longed-for prize, due to its myth and folklore stretching back thousands of years. It's one of the world's most iconic mountains.

We had the summit virtually to ourselves for some minutes, before a party of Germans arrived to join us. We helped each other with summit photos.

Then began the down-scramble to the col and up-scramble to the summit of Skala again. Aware that most accidents in the mountains occur on descents, when summit-fever has waned, I took things slowly and cautiously. Down-scrambling I find harder than up-scrambling, and my technique is not elegant. Still, it got me down to the col safely and up onto Skala again. We all arrived safely with no mishaps, to be greeted by the rest of the party. I took a well-earned rest by the summit cairn, together with some food and drink. It seemed tastier than usual.

Route name

Skala

out-and-back
Obstacles

rockfall/loose rock

Key gear

helmet

scott

Excellent work. Looks like an incredible route.