Horto-Metochi

Metochi

Distance: 6,4 km

Total time: 2 hours

Altitude: from 0 m. (Chorto) to 279 m. (Stavros)

Marked with: round yellow signs

Drinking water on walk: yes (Metochi fountain)

Download GPS track: from Wikiloc    from Everytrail

      An easy, 2-hour walk climbing from the seaside village of Chorto to Metochi mostly on earth road and coming back through a connection to the route Argalasti-Chorto that passes just west of Metochi.

     Starting from the asphalt road bridge of Chorto`s stream, we walk at the left side of the stream on a flat stone paved road, which soon passes on to the other side, next to a small wooden bridge. At the corner of the cemetery housing a shrine, we turn right uphill on a concrete road. Reaching an uphill junction we head left, following the round signs put up by the Friends of the Kalderimi of South Pelion Association. The whole route is meticulously signed by these. Further up, we notice a 200 m. stretch of path on the left hand side of the earth road we walk into, but it is blocked by vegetation, so we continue on the road in expectation for its being cleaned.

      Soon we get a view of Metochi and, just after a junction going to Milina on the right, we leave the earth road at the point where it takes a right turn and continue straight ahead, to find the kalderimi (stone paved path) into an olive grove. Passing next to a shrine and the church of Panagia on the right, we then cross the stream over a bridge that lies on stone built bases. Here also lies an old fountain dating from 1929, devoid of water. The beautiful kalderimi continues to climb and, as it enters Metochi, gets covered by cement.

A house`s yard at Metochi

      Getting just below the village square in somewhat less than an hour from the start, and in order to avoid walking on the main asphalt, we follow a concrete paved path a few meters below the asphalt heading left (west). Both options take us to the fountain at the entrance of Metochi. By now we must be thirsty enough, so it is a good thing to drink from the fountain`s plentiful cool water. A few meters further on the asphalt road, we find the path on the right, crossing a small stream and then climbing the slope in a northwesterly direction. This stretch was completely blocked by wild vegetation until 2012, when members of FoK and Orivatikos Alpine club managed to open it again, a difficult task demanding hundreds of hours of hard volunteer work.

Climbing from Metochi fountain to Stavros

      Reaching an underground water tank at the top of the hill, called Stavros, we meet the Argalasti-Chorto route. Going right, we can get to Argalasti square in half an hour. For Chorto, we turn left and, passing over soil left from the tank`s construction, we find ourselves walking down a wide kalderimi, between two pezoules (low stone walls). This part was also completely blocked by vegetation before.

    Further down, we cross the asphalt and continue to the other side on impressive kalderimi for a few meters, which then becomes a wide path. Crossing obliquely the asphalt, the path continues as earth road with stretches of kalderimi. Reaching an olive grove, the road becomes a path at the grove`s right side, parallel to an old telephone line. We walk into forest for a little while and then cross the asphalt. The kalderimi descends on a straight line between two olive groves and crosses the asphalt again. At the other side there is a narrow earth road-kalderimi. The road turns left, but the kalderimi continues straight ahead into an olive grove, only to disappear immediately.  Walking straight into the grove on the path parallel to the asphalt on our right side, we soon reach a small concrete building of the water system. There we turn left downhill, following an earth road that incorporates stretches of kalderimi.

On the way to Chorto

     Further down, the road is covered by concrete for a short distance and then becomes a kalderimi. We pass by the old fountain of Dialetaras next to a small water tank as we walk into Chorto and the kalderimi stops as we cross a concrete road. We continue straight ahead and soon reach the stream, where we turn right to return to our starting point.

Hania-Agriolefkes-Schidzouravli peak

On the way to Schidzouravli

Distance: 11,4 km
Walking time 3.50`, total time 5-5,5 h.
Altitude: from 1300 m. (refuge) to 1470 m. (Agriolefkes), 1450 m. (Schidzouravli)
Marked with: red paint and metal signs
Drinking water on walk: no

Download GPS track: from Wikiloc   from Everytrail    

        Having as a base the ski centre at Hania, this circular route will allow us to visit the nearest peaks, Agriolefkes, Golgothas and Schidzouravli, walking into dense beech forest.

        Starting from the Orivatikos Alpine Club of Volos (EOS Volos) refuge at the ski center (the upper refuge),  it is best to climb first to Agriolefkes peak. We can do so by following the pylons of the ski lift at the back of the building. Or, from the marble memorial of skier Pappas next to the refuge, we walk on the uphill dirt road heading east and, reaching the wide ski piste ''Panorama'', we follow this to the top, to the concrete pole marking the peak (1470 m.).

The pole at Agriolefkes peak (1470 m.). At the distance Pliasidi and Aidonaki peaks

     After admiring the view, we head on to the south and find a narrow path with red marks that climbs down the slope and reach a crossing, where another path joins in from the left. We will use this path to return to the refuge at the end. As for now, we continue straight  on in a southerly direction to get to the clearing of Golgothas at an altitude of 1430 m. A few years ago two F-16 combat planes crashed here, killing their four pilots. We can still find small metallic debris if we look around. In 2015 a small stone memorial was erected here by the families.

The stone memorial at Golgothas

      We continue downhill southeast. After passing a signed crossing to Agios Lavrentios to the right and yet another one to Agios Georgios, we cross a narrow dirt road. This spot is called Monastiraki. On the other side of the road there are two paths. The left one, marked with blue paint, continues slightly downhill to Lakka Morogianni and Ftiritsa.  We take the right one, which has red marks and climbs steadily east heading to Dramala peak.

Beech forest in autumn (early November)

         But after a little while we leave the path to the right, following the marks and sign, and climb sharply on a steep narrow track. This was created by hikers in order to reach Schidzouravli peak, as there was no established path going there in the past, because of its rocky nature. Remember that these paths primarily used to serve lumberjacks carrying wood and charcoal by mules.

Schidzouravli, view to the south

            Reaching the rocky top, we continue east to get to the concrete pole at the highest point (1450 m.). The view from here is magnificent. To the north, we see Pourianos Stavros peak housing army telecommunication buildings, and more westerly Pliasidi, Aidonaki and Agriolefkes peaks. Further on, if the sky is clear, we can see Kissavos, Olympus and Athos mountains. Turning south, we see Dirfis mountain of Evia and west, Othrys, Parnassus and Pindus. The Pagasiticos Gulf and the Aegean Sea with the North Sporades islands (Skiathos, Skopelos, Alonnisos) complete the picture.

Schidzouravli, view to the north

          After getting enough of this natural beauty, a hard task to achieve, we continue to the east following the red marks and find ourselves again in beech forest. Walking steadily in an easterly direction towards Dramala peak, in about 15 minutes we reach a crossing and start going downhill turning right (southwest). This path used to serve those going from Dramala to Agios Georgios. 

         Further down, we reach a forest road just next to the abandoned pen of Koutsis. A few meters on to the right, the road exits from beech forest to an open space overgrown with ferns. This is called Kathreftis. We could follow this road in order to return, but it is much better and also a shorter distance to take instead a narrow path, which goes slightly uphill between the ferns. The beginning of the path is marked with a signpost indicating to ''Chania''. Walking on, we enjoy excellent views of Pagasiticos gulf down below.

View from location Kathreftis 

        After a while, the path opens out to the road again and we soon return to the junction at Monastiraki, where we turn left, taking the path leading back to Golgothas. Struggling as we climb uphill, we get an idea why such a name was given to this spot. After Golgothas, we get to the crossing where the uphill path to Agriolefkes is on the left. Now we elect to go right, avoiding to climb to the peak, and our path opens to the wide ski piste. At the other side and a little lower, we find the dirt road that leads us back to the refuge.