The neighboring mountains of Giona, Vardousia and Oiti in central Greece, some 200 kilometers northwest of Athens at the southern end of the Pindus range, offer a wealth of opportunities for rock climbing, mountain skiing and biking, rafting, hiking as well as cave exploration.
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If you turn left at Thermopylae, headed toward Amphissa, the area is about an hour’s drive from the Athens-Thessaloniki highway. It is crossed by European Walking Route E4 and gives the walker or climber the opportunity to become well-acquainted with the broad diversity of the Greek landscape.
Giona, whose Pyramida summit is Greece’s fifth highest at 2,510 meters, lies northwest of the Amphissa valley and is linked with Vardousia to the west and Oiti to the north. It is marked by deep canyons, gorges and caves -- many of which are still unexplored -- and is thought to have the steepest precipice in the Balkans, at Plaka Sykias, more than 1,100 meters high -- a popular route.
The southern and western sides of Vardousia also offer dozens of challenging climbing routes.
Oiti offers superb mountain-biking routes in the areas of Katavothres (from Stromi to Mavrolithari) and Athanasios Diakos. Trekking diehards will find the route from Korakas to Athanasios Diakos especially rewarding.
The Katafygio refuge (www.katafygio-oiti.gr), at 1,200 meters in the Vryzes area on southern Oiti, is a hub for activities throughout the year.
πηγή: ekathimarini.gr
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