AN INCREDIBLE HIKE UP MOUNT OLYMPUS, GREECE
I grew up in the shadow of Mount Olympus. That is, the “fake” Mount Olympus in Salt Lake City, Utah.
At some point in my post-college years, I started fantasizing about how cool it would be to climb both the fake Mount Olympus AND the REAL Mount Olympus in Greece!
I started with the easy one. Mount Olympus SLC is a pretty short hike, but steep.
It’s only a 4 mile hike to the top from the trailhead, but you gain 4000 ft of elevation in that short 4 miles. It’s so steep that by the end of the hike, my knees gave out and I biffed it in the home stretch haha!
For more info https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/utah/mount-olympus-trail.
With half of my goal accomplished, I began researching what it would take to plan a trip to Mount Olympus in Greece.
I found very little useful information on the topic, and the idea felt more and more like a pipe dream. I had never traveled outside the US, and wasn’t sure how to make it happen with my work schedule.
Fast forward a year and I found myself teaching, with the promise of a summer free for travel!
Being a teacher is the best for a lot of reasons, but my favorite perk is definitely SUMMER. I love my students, but that 3 month break is crucial for me to be able to love them again next year lol!
So I dusted off my old dream and decided to make it a reality!
I had always wanted to visit Greece. This desire probably arose from a combination of watching Hercules too many times as a kid, and writing letters to my brother while he lived in Athens as a missionary.
WHERE TO START HIKING MOUNT OLYMPUS
Getting to Litochoro
There are several ways to climb Mount Olympus, but most trailheads start from the town of Litochoro. This was my first big challenge, as I began my trip in Athens. How to get from Athens to Litochoro?
I didn’t have much of a plan besides just asking people at the bus station, which seems crazy in retrospect!
But I went around the station to different ticket windows asking for a bus to “lit-uh-chore-oh” in my terrible American accent. Finally, I pointed at the town on Google Maps and the guy goes “Ooooh!! Litochoro!” pronounced Lee-toh-hor-oh.
So yeah, I’m an American.
I then learned that there was no bus from Athens directly to Litochoro. However, the bus driver agreed to drop me off on the side of the highway on his way from Athens to Thessaloniki.
Which I guess I agreed to???
It was about a 4 hour bus ride from Athens. The bus driver pulled over at Plaka and let me out.
Getting to the trailhead
From here, I hitchhiked into the town of Litochoro. The Greeks are super nice and I got picked up, but I had been walking on that LONG, HOT highway with my heavy backpack for long enough that I began to wonder if I should have rented a car.
I dropped a bunch of my stuff at a hotel in town, which they let me do for free. It seemed like a pretty common thing that they do for hikers. I took only my old Deuter daypack (which I LOVE LOVE LOVE – it’s been with me through so many adventures!! Link here) with a change of clothes, toiletries, snacks, and water.
From Litochoro, I hitchhiked again up to the Gortsia trailhead. This was a really fun experience. The guy that picked me up was a local, probably in his sixties, who shared stories of his boyhood climbing Olympus!
He sang along to a Greek opera song about his nearby hometown of Katerini while we wound up the mountain, stopping at viewpoints to gaze down into the river and gawk at the incredible views of the Aegean Sea.
This was a once in a lifetime experience and I loved every minute of it! However, it took most of the day just to get to the trailhead, so I didn’t begin my hike until 3 o’clock in the afternoon.
I chose Gortsia because I wanted to make the hike a loop so that I could see more of the mountain. There is also a lot more shade from this side of the mountain, if you want to beat the heat a bit.
That said, most hikers start and end at Prionia, which would be much simpler and avoid the hassle of hitch-hiking.
BEGINNING THE CLIMB
Gortsia to Refuge Petrostrougka
I finally reached the Gortsia trailhead, already exhausted from the long day of traveling.
And it was HOT.
But thankfully, the hike was shady for the first few miles.
Tall, skinny evergreen trees drooping with moss lined the trail. The jangling of pack mule bells, the scent of the sea and pines, soft gray dirt muffling my every step… It was magical.
It was also very steep and I took plenty of breaks!
I reached the first Refuge, marking approximately the halfway point. There were no other hikers there, but I bought some spaghetti for dinner and the host radioed ahead to let Refuge B know that I was coming.
Quickly back on the trail, I began the ascent to the Plateau of Muses.
The Ridgeline Trail
The sun was getting low in the sky, so I picked up the pace. The shade was now long gone, and I was following a long, exposed ridgeline trail.
Mercifully, the heat was dissipating and the mountains were radiant with evening life.
Mountain goats were grazing in herds along the meadowy path, leaping across the trail in front of me and off down the mountain. Birds swooped above me calling out their evening songs, and bugs were lazily disappearing into the night.
A breathtaking sunset broke over the mountain range, creating a haze over land and sea.
Words truly can’t describe the experience. I’ve never felt anything like it. Truly one of the most breathtaking, exhilarating moments of my life to be a part of that mountain that night.
I frolicked with the goats as long as I could before booking it the last few miles to the Refuge.
Dusk settled as I emerged from the ridgeline onto a large, rocky plateau.
The moonlight illuminated my path as I followed the shining porch light to the Refuge ahead.
The throne of Zeus loomed dark in the distance, and I could hardly wait for morning!
Refuge Apostolidis – Hostel on Mount Olympus
I snagged a bunk bed in a large hostel-style room with about 30 other hikers. Totally exhausted from the day’s adventure, I fell straight to sleep.
I remember briefly waking to the sound of people speaking German early in the morning. So early that it was still dark.
By the time I woke up, the room was pretty much empty.
I guess the other hikers wanted to watch the sunrise from the summit, so they were long gone.
I bought a typical European meat and cheese breakfast, wishing earnestly for a bowl of Marshmallow Matey’s (the far-superior off brand Lucky Charms).
Collecting my things, I settled my way-too-expensive-for-what-it-was bill and headed out to summit the peak!
THE THRONE OF ZEUS
Summitting Mount Olympus
Stepping out the hostel door, you are immediately slapped in the face with the impressive sight of the “Throne of Zeus.”
This is the final obstacle you must climb in order to summit Mount Olympus.
But summiting Mount Olympus is challenging.
The last phase of the hike is a class 3 or 4 scramble up the Throne of Zeus, for which I highly recommend a helmet. Not only is the climb steep, but it can be quite treacherous if you have hikers above you kicking up loose rocks.
Below the throne is a big bowl filled with lots of geometrical gray boulders.
You can almost imagine Zeus sitting up there on his rock tower chucking lightning bolts into the bowl!
The trail cuts across the lip of this bowl at the base of the rock formation, until you come to the backside of the throne.
Here, I noticed a few trail markers painted on the rock face. I began scrambling up the rock here.
It was not an easy scramble, and I wished for a helmet.
Fortunately, there were no hikers above me because I was accidentally summitting Stefani instead of my intended Mytikas (the highest point).
I think that mistake ended up truly being a blessing for me. If I had climbed Mytikas as planned, I would have had a bunch of hikers accidentally kicking rocks on my head.
When I finally reached the peak, the wind was blowing so hard that it made me nervous!
I was perched on a little platform surrounded by plunging cliffs.
I took a brief pause to enjoy the scenery, and noticed a crowd of people a couple of peaks over from me (Mytikas). Maybe there is more space over there, but Stefani was much less crowded with equally beautiful views.
I didn’t linger. I guess I’m a little more afraid of heights than I realized.
In fact, I was so nervous that this was the only picture I took! Just a quick, crappy snapshot of the top and I was headed back down!
DESCENDING MOUNT OLYMPUS
From the Summit to Prionia Trailhead
I carefully descended, pausing in little nooks of rock to take in the incredible views over the Aegean Sea.
I felt like a Mythical God, staring down on a kingdom that I had conquered.
Once I was back at the base of the Throne, I followed the switchbacks down the mountain to Prionia Trailhead.
My body was exhausted from the climb, my knees were giving out from the steepness, but I was mentally completely hyped!
It was a gorgeous sunny day, with breezes blowing across the peak to cool my sweaty body.
There were fewer trees on this side of the peak, but many pink wildflowers and tall grasses.
Back to Litochoro
I got down to the parking lot in the late afternoon. I had planned to walk the extra 5 miles back to Litochoro, but my knees were done.
So I hitchhiked again.
This time, I was picked up by a pair of young men who spoke good English.
When I told them I was from Utah, they talked to me about skiing and asked if I was a Mormon. Typical. It’s interesting to see how the outside world views your culture.
But they told me that the best part of the hike was that trail between Litochoro and Prionia. Which, sadly, was the section that my weary knees were too exhausted to manage.
I hope one day I can go back with my husband and kids to swim in the pools on the river Enipeus!
The hike took about 14 hours round trip top to bottom, not counting the travel time and overnight stay.
It was the most amazing adventure and I would do it again in a heartbeat!!
GO FOR IT
So right about now, I hope you are thinking “Maybe I should climb Mount Olympus!” Or maybe my adventure has inspired a different travel-inspired dream??
Well whatever your dream is, I am here to cheer you on! Go for it!!
I honestly don’t even know why climbing Mount Olympus became my dream, but what I DO know is the feeling I got when I DID IT.
I climbed that peak, halfway across the world. And it was an incredible experience that I will be reliving in my mind for the rest of my life.
No matter how silly, or how seemingly unrealistic the dream. YOU. CAN. DO. IT. So climb that mountain! Book that that trip! Take the risk!
It will ALWAYS be worth it to accomplish a dream!
Step 1 to living your dream?
Visualize it! Pin this post and the images that inspire you most! Look at it often.
Imagine yourself on your way to your dream, and you’ll find yourself headed there sooner than you realize.
So Pin it, Save it, Share it!
And leave a comment to let me know where you’re headed on your next adventure! I love to hear your experiences!
MORE DETAILS FOR HIKERS
Here are my lessons learned & recommendations for any hikers who are feeling inspired to replicate my excursion:
- Start from Thessaloniki and take a train to Litochoro OR rent a car. Litochoro seemed like a very fun and beautiful place to stay if you can find an Airbnb there. There is a lot of traffic through this town so if you stayed the night there you could easily make connections with people to help get you to and from the trailheads that you want. I passed straight through this little town and wished I had stayed to explore it.
- Be sure to hike the section of trail between Litochoro and Prionia during your time at Mount Olympus, as it is a major local highlight that I missed. If you’re not an avid hiker, this section of trail is the perfect day hike with pools, waterfalls, and gorgeous photo ops. You will get a taste of Mount Olympus without the strain of the steep summit.
- There are several different ways to hike Mt Olympus, but I recommend one of these two options.
- The simplest and most popular route of travel is to do an out and back hike from the Prionia trailhead. I recommend renting a car to get you there. On day 1, hike from Litochoro or Prionia to Refuge A, then on day 2 summit and hike back down.
- I did the hike as a loop from Gortsia to Prionia, which was extremely fun but a bit more difficult logistically. I hitchhiked from Litochoro to the Gortsia trailhead, which was a bit more difficult than anticipated. I had read that it is easy to get picked up and that is probably true if you are hiking during peak times of the day. However, I had traveled from Athens that morning, and so I didn’t start hiking until 3PM. There were very few cars driving up the road at that time. That said, I did eventually get picked up and made it to the trailhead. Hike from Gortsia, stay at Refuge B or C on day 1. On day 2, summit the peak and then hike back down to Prionia. I had originally planned to hike all the way down to Litochoro that day, but my knees were giving out so I hitchhiked from Prionia back to Litochoro.
- Considerations: I LOVED hiking the loop, but it definitely requires more flexibility with your time. You won’t have control over what time you start and end your hike, as it is dependent on when you get picked up. The other thing to keep in mind is the heat. I don’t know if I’ve ever been so hot as I was waiting on the side of the road for somebody to take pity on this poor hitchhiker. Also, the first half of the hike is in the forest, but once you get up on top of the peaks there is very little shade. I started hiking around 3PM and arrived at Refuge B at 10PM. The sun was starting to set as I reached the top and I finished my hike by moonlight. There are a lot of advantages to that heat-wise, but I don’t recommend it. The trail is narrow and steep enough that if you were to lose your footing in the dark you could get yourself into trouble.
- Food: I carried snacks, but didn’t bring meals to save on weight. This had its advantages and disadvantages. You can buy dinner at any of the refuges, but it is fairly expensive for a relatively meager amount of food. I bought breakfast at Refuge B and it was a typical European breakfast of a few slices of meat and cheese, which was not much to sustain this hungry American for a long hike. I would highly recommend bringing a couple of freeze dried meals or something to supplement.
- Safety: If you are planning to summit any of the peaks, bring a helmet. It’s a class IV scramble and there are people kicking rocks down from above so you do not want to be without one. That said, I reached the summit without one and was fine. But I also accidentally summited Stefani instead of Mytikas because it is not very clearly marked. Once I got on top of the peak, I could see the crowds of people on top of Mytikas and was kind of glad that I ended up on the less crowded peak. Supposedly you can rent a helmet at the hostel, but they don’t have very many so they were long gone before I got there.
- Equipment: I packed everything in my old Deuter daypack, which I LOVE. I bought it used, and it’s been with me through many travel adventures. Seriously, this thing holds up so well that you’ll never need to buy another one. I took with me only the essentials – a change of clothes, water, snacks, a few toiletries, and a phone charger & mini tripod so I could take photos.
