Skiing on Mount Olympos in Greece is like nothing you’ve lived before. This short film features Mike Styllas, one of the refuge guardian on Mt Olympos. Up until a few years ago, the refuge on Mount Olympos were completely closed during winter. Several of the refuge guardians, Mike included, realized the potential for ski mountaineering and Continue reading Mount Olympos (The Pantheon)
The idea of skiing and snowboarding on Mount Athos was one we had been dreaming about for years. However, we were not sure however if it would ever be possible. Athos has been a holy Christian sanctuary for over 1000 years. It is therefore not a place one travels to indiscriminately. Because most people regard skiing and snowboarding as frivolous, we expected a negative reception.
Mount Erymanthos is only 25km south Patras, the largest city of the Peloponnisos, and overall Greece’s third largest city. Despite its proximity to the urban core, Erymanthos is one of the most remote feeling mountains in the country. In ancient times the mountain was believed to be a sacred haunt of the goddess Artemis, the goddess of the hunt. It was also believe that a giant and ferocious wild boar roamed the grassy slopes of the mountain. The legend is that the great hero Hercules was sent here to tame and capture the wild boar, one part of his twelve labors. Hiking in Erymanthos one can easily imagine the mythology of this ancient hunt. The grassy slopes and fields beneath the two summits of Olonos and Mouggila are prime habitat for the wild pig. Today, however, we visit the the mountain searching for a different kind of prey.