“We are Gods!” – Climb Mount Olympus, Early Summer 2027.
2027-06-15 08:00 - 2027-07-15 17:00 UTC | Mount Olympus, 601 00, Litochoro, Pieria Region, Central Macedonia, Greece
Yes, that’s right, come and climb to the seat of the gods in a long weekend!
One of the most famous mountains in the world happens to be a couple hours flight away, the summit is a scramble, and there are options of multiple hiking peaks. Throw in a night in a mountain hut, and the chance for a post-summit beer on the beach and you’ve got the makings of a great few days!
We will be aiming for towards the beginning of the hiking season, so either late June or first half of July. Exact dates to be determined depending on people’s availability and flight prices. A good level of hiking fitness is recommended, if you would like to go to the summit you will need to be confident at scrambling, if you’d rather hike throughout there are several (slightly) lower peaks that are still accessible.
The general plan is as follows, if you are interested let me know and I’ll send you more details:
Day 1. Fly out to Thessaloniki, transfer to Litochoro (the town at the base of the mountain) and spend the night there.
Day 2. Start early, drive / taxi to the trailhead and hike to the Muses Plateau, staying in one of the two huts there. There are three possible routes to the Muses Plateau, a long & steady hike, a short & steep hike, and a short & steep hike with a bit of scrambling. Depending on numbers in the group we will either decide on one route for all of us or, if there are enough of us, take several routes and meet at the hut. If weather looks bad for day 3 then there is the option to do an alpine start and get to the summit(s) in on this day, staying in the hut afterwards.
Day 3. Summit peak(s) of your choice and return to Litochoro. Have a celebratory beer and meal before staying in town. There is the option of climbing up to 3 or 4 of the peaks of Olympus, depending on how early you wish to get up and how you feel about scrambling and exposure. As with the day before, options will be discussed with the group prior to the trip and depending on the numbers in the group we will either decide on one route for all of us or take several routes and meet up for the decent / at the carpark / on the beach with a beer.
Peak options are:
Profitis Ilias, 2788m. A great place to watch the sun rise before tackling the other summits (for those who don’t mind an early start). Προφήτης Ηλίας – Mount Olympus Summits.
Mitikas, 2918m, II UIAA. The summit of Olympus (for those who don’t mind scrambling). Mount Olympus – Google Maps: Skala, 2882m. Can be linked with Mitikas or climbed separately to avoid the scramble. Skala – Mount Olympus Summits.
Skolio, 2904m. This may be a push in the time available for those climbing Mitikas, but possibly more doable for anyone who is only climbing Skala. Skolio – Mount Olympus Summits.
Day 4. Transfer to Thessaloniki and catch the flight home.
