of the Swiss Jura than of southern Greece. Most of it is shady, with a few open meadows offering glimpses of the rounded summits of Mt Ménalo (or Mainalon). Our high point is the tiny and very seasonal ski resort at 1600m, or (optionally) the 1880m summit of Sfendámi (add 35min). Keen peak-baggers could go further and book a night at the EOS refuge, allowing them to summit 1981m Ostrakína, Ménalo’s highest point, and other minor summits.
The descent, again through shady forests, criss-crosses the mountain road before reaching the tiny hamlet of Kardharás – almost dead outside winter weekends, although the luxurious Neféles Mountain Resort (tel 27960-22771, tel 27960-22871, www.nefelesmainalon.gr) can normally open for you by prior arrangement. Otherwise you’ll have to continue 5km along the road – you may get a lift if you’re lucky – to the larger village of Kápsia, which has a conference-oriented but welcoming hotel, Arkhontikó Kalteziótis (tel 2710-235822/3, www.kalteziotis.gr).
From Vitína’s central square (1030m), follow the main road E, with the church on your L. After 300 metres, at a L bend (Hotel Aígli ahead, Hotel Sinói 100 metres to your L), continue straight and immediately L, following the road R. Yellow-on-white squares (YS) guide you throughout the morning’s route. After 400 metres, with a pine wood L, follow the lane L. After 300 metres, fork R up a farm track (YS) to the main road (20min). Go straight over (E4, YS) up a surfaced lane, soon passing a stone spring and cistern R. Where the concrete lane ends in front of a stone chapel (30min), turn R up a jeep track (E4). This becomes a path, still heading NE and well marked with YS.
Enter the fir forest and climb steadily up a rocky defile. At weekends, be prepared for down-rushing mountain bikes from here onwards. At 50min, you climb steeply to a surfaced road: turn L and immediately R up a jeep track in a gully heading broadly SE. The signed route forks L twice, passing a mountain bike ramp before rejoining the gully floor. At 1hr 10min, turn sharp L up a path, then resume SE along a broader, rockier path. At a clearing, the gradient lessens; fork R along a gravelly path (E4, YS). At 1hr 25min cross straight over the forest road, heading SSE (YS). Emerge on a small forest track and keep R/straight. This soon levels off and dwindles into a path bearing L (E); climb past several ramps to reach the junction of a forest road and smaller track (1520m – this morning’s high point; 1hr 45min).
Go straight across the dirt road and down a lovely path (E4, YS) initially heading E; the path bears R then L down to a grassy jeep track in the valley floor. Turn L, gently downhill. The next half-hour needs careful route-finding. At 1hr 55min, bear R (two YS on tree trunk) onto a vague trail skirting the R edge of semi-open grassland (Láki Roúkhi). Pick up another grassy track, keep L/straight for 100 metres, then bear nearly 90° R (SE) across meadows looking for YS on trees. If you miss the YS waymarks on trees, turn sharp R at the water tank. Where the now wider track veers R, fork L (two YS and one red square on a tree) heading SSE and climbing gently up an open meadow strip. After 300 metres, turn 90° L/NE (two YS on R, pointing L), climbing up a steeper path between fir trees. Reach the top and descend for 5min or so. With the main trans-Ménalo road just visible 80 metres ahead, turn 90° R (two YS) and weave between fir trees to reach this asphalt road at its junction with a good dirt road descending NE (2hr 30min).
Cross straight over and pick up a small path R of the dirt road (some fallen trees), descending initially parallel to the dirt road, then bearing R. At 2hr 40min, you cross a grassy track and remain on a small trail (YS). Some 5min later, turn R along a good dirt track (no obvious waymark); from here you are following orange squares (OS), not yellow squares (2hr 45min).
Mt Ménalo: the ski area in May with Sfendámi summit behind
A couple of minutes later, continue L/straight along a smaller track aiming SE between the summits of Mávri Korifí (1818m) and Mesovoúni (1860m). The valley is now open and grassy. Where the track bears R away from the valley floor, continue straight up the gully on a smaller track (OS) which dwindles to a path. This climbs steeply – better for descending bikers than ascending hikers – but is shady and soft underfoot.
At 3hr 30min you reach the main asphalt road (1600m, the day’s high point) and turn L. From this point, you can either follow the asphalt road for about 2km (25min) to just beyond the buildings and car park of the ski centre or take the following optional detour to Sfendámi.
Detour to Sfendámi
After 50 metres along the asphalt road, turn R across a grassy bowl and climb steeply up to a ski hut (1680m). From here, a jeep track continues R (SW then S; keep R) up to the base of Sfendámi; continue cross-country up to the pyramidal 1880m peak (30–40min from the ski hut). Return the same way past the ski hut and then turn R (E) down to the ski centre and car park (1hr total).
From the ski centre (3hr 55min, excluding Sfendámi detour), follow the main asphalt road S, passing the access track to the EOS refuge (L), and a small red square plaque (R) indicating the start of the trail to Alonístena and Mourdziá. Here (4hr), by an E4 and EOS info sign, hop L onto a small path running parallel to the road, which becomes a lovely corridor through the forest. At the asphalt road (4hr 15min), turn R along it for 50 metres, then L (OS, E4) down a gently descending path. Cross to the L side of the gully, then (4hr 30min) pick up a jeep track with views ahead up to Mourdziá ridge (1762m). At 4hr 35min, the trail lurches down a stony bank to the asphalt road; or, easier, follow the track R and turn L up the road. Either way, opposite the winding-road sign ‘ΣΥΝΕΧΕΙΣ’ (SYNEXEIS), continue SE down a path which descends across semi-open ground, down some steep terraces, bears L and skirts just above the asphalt road before giving up and joining it by a telephone pole (E4, green EOS sign; 5hr).
From here, it is not worth persevering with the overgrown and gravelly trail, so resign yourself to 2km (25min) of road trudge E, with little chance of a lift. At 5hr 25min, a lane forks L to the scattered houses of Kardharás, including the E4-backed Neféles Hotel and the oft-closed Ostra (tel 27960-22743, www.ostra.gr, expensive) – about 5hr 45min hiking from Vitína, excluding Sfendámi detour.
If these hotels are closed or full, stay on the main road and continue to Kápsia and the Hotel Kalteziótis (6hr 45min from Vitína, excluding Sfendámi detour): see Stage 7 for the route from Kardharás to Kápsia.
Alternative route via Ostrakína and Mourdziá
If you’re coming with a group, you could, by arrangement, overnight at the EOS refuge near the ski area. This would allow you to summit Ostrakína (1981m) in the afternoon and next day follow the high-level path over Mourdziá (1762m) and E down to Kápsia; I have not done this but have heard it is wild and beautiful.
To book the EOS refuge: see www.eostripolis.gr or tel 27210-232243 midweek evenings, or try the warden Tássos on mob 694-5858862 (little English spoken; approx €120 per night for up to eight people, with an additional €15 per extra person; bring sheet sleeping bags and food to cook).
STAGE 7
Kardharás (1020m) or Kápsia (700m) to Trípoli (670m)
| Start point | Kardharás (or Kápsia) |
| Distance | 19.5km from Kardháras (14.5km from Kápsia) |
| Difficulty | 2 |
