Yesterday we really wanted to go for a hike somewhere close and easy. Olympus is close but not that easy so we decided to go in an area called Elatochori, pretty close to Olympus also.
We read nice articles about it, we saw a lot of beautiful pictures... We didn't find any relevant hiking maps but then again when did that stop us? We were hoping we are going to find an info center or a willing local to give us some details.
Up to there the road was generally uneventful, a lot of highway with little view. The more we were approaching Elatochiri the more vivid the colors of the forest got and the more spectacular the view.
The village is almost deserted at this time. Most of the "action" happens in winter because there is a sky slope close by. So, there goes our hope for a touristic information center. We did find though some very willing to help locals that recommended us to go to a beautiful waterfall called Sotiris which was supposed to be close by. They also suggested we should not go walking around since there are no actual hiking maps that include the area.
But, since we came for a hike there was no way we were going back without it just because a nice local advised us not to. We left the car behind near a spring thinking that that would help us find it easier when we come back, we took the backpack, our boots and started walking on the first path we saw, looking for the waterfall, going..well...going straight for a while... and then up.. and then...we found our selves at a dead end.
How often does that happen on the mountain? Paths that lead to dead ends? Since we decided there is no turning back we manage to eventually find a path... the only trick about it was that it wasn't a human one... it was a goat path. Well, as good as any when you need it.
If we are to make abstraction of the fact the we had no idea where we were or where we were going for that matter I must say I really enjoyed the view, the autumn colors and the chilly air.
Three hours and a half later we were still looking for the waterfall but this time far more tired and starting to worry that we won't be able to find the car by night fall. But just when hope started to fade out we stumbled, literally, on an indicator to the Sotiris waterfall. We ran to have a look since we didn't really have a lot of time to spare. We've been searching for it the whole afternoon and now that we found it we just had time to take a short look. I believe that was the most "chased" "waterfall in history.
As an old Romanian proverb says, "At the blind stork God makes its nest" we managed to find the car just in time.
Passing through the village again we decided to have a warm chocolate at the only pub we could find open and this is how it looked.
Yummy, ha?
We read nice articles about it, we saw a lot of beautiful pictures... We didn't find any relevant hiking maps but then again when did that stop us? We were hoping we are going to find an info center or a willing local to give us some details.
Up to there the road was generally uneventful, a lot of highway with little view. The more we were approaching Elatochiri the more vivid the colors of the forest got and the more spectacular the view.
The village is almost deserted at this time. Most of the "action" happens in winter because there is a sky slope close by. So, there goes our hope for a touristic information center. We did find though some very willing to help locals that recommended us to go to a beautiful waterfall called Sotiris which was supposed to be close by. They also suggested we should not go walking around since there are no actual hiking maps that include the area.
But, since we came for a hike there was no way we were going back without it just because a nice local advised us not to. We left the car behind near a spring thinking that that would help us find it easier when we come back, we took the backpack, our boots and started walking on the first path we saw, looking for the waterfall, going..well...going straight for a while... and then up.. and then...we found our selves at a dead end.
How often does that happen on the mountain? Paths that lead to dead ends? Since we decided there is no turning back we manage to eventually find a path... the only trick about it was that it wasn't a human one... it was a goat path. Well, as good as any when you need it.
If we are to make abstraction of the fact the we had no idea where we were or where we were going for that matter I must say I really enjoyed the view, the autumn colors and the chilly air.
Three hours and a half later we were still looking for the waterfall but this time far more tired and starting to worry that we won't be able to find the car by night fall. But just when hope started to fade out we stumbled, literally, on an indicator to the Sotiris waterfall. We ran to have a look since we didn't really have a lot of time to spare. We've been searching for it the whole afternoon and now that we found it we just had time to take a short look. I believe that was the most "chased" "waterfall in history.
As an old Romanian proverb says, "At the blind stork God makes its nest" we managed to find the car just in time.
Passing through the village again we decided to have a warm chocolate at the only pub we could find open and this is how it looked.
Yummy, ha?
Buna ! Ai putea sa+mi dai te rog o localizare exacta la cascada Sotiris ? :) Multumesc anticipat !
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