Greece – Mount Olympus (2,918 m)
🕒 Summit at 14:10
📍 Coordinates: 40°05′08″N, 22°21′31″E
🗺️ Route: Prionia – Spilios Agapitos Refuge – Skala – Mytikas Summit – Return
🚗 Transport to region: 382 km total
• 382 km drive Gjurgevište (Kosovo) → Prionia (Greece)
💤 Accommodation: The Palms Apartments, Gevgelija (night of 2/3 September)
🌤️ Conditions: Warm and clear lower down; misty and cool near the summit ridge
🚗 The road to the mountain of gods
After finishing Velika Rudoka in Kosovo and surviving a terrifying shepherd dog encounter, I drove south toward Greece, crossing mountain roads and borders deep into the night. I stopped at The Palms Apartments in Gevgelija, just across the North Macedonian–Greek border, for a few hours of real rest before the next challenge.
At dawn, I continued toward Prionia, the base of Mount Olympus. The drive alone was beautiful, winding through gorges and pine-covered slopes, with the Aegean glimmering faintly in the distance. I arrived later than planned, knowing it would have to be another fast, one-day push to the summit and back.
🧗 Climbing through the myths
I began the ascent at 10:00, hiking fast through thick forest toward Spilios Agapitos Refuge, where I stopped briefly for water and a few bites of food. Above the refuge, the terrain turned steep and rocky, the air thinner and drier.
The final scramble from Skala to Mytikas, the true summit, was far tougher than it looked. The ridge grew narrow, the rock sharp and exposed. Mist began to rise from the Aegean side, wrapping the cliffs in ghostly white.
Despite the late start and fatigue from days of continuous travel, I reached the summit at 14:10, standing on the legendary throne of Zeus himself. The view flickered in and out through the mist, brief windows of sunlight over the sea, a moment that felt both ancient and alive.
🏃 Rush back to daylight
There wasn’t much time to linger. The clouds thickened quickly, and I knew I had to descend fast before dark. I moved carefully down the ridge, reaching Spilios Agapitos Refuge again by late afternoon and Prionia around 17:00.
By then, the mountain was silent except for a few distant voices and the soft echo of bells from below. It had been a long, intense day, one of those climbs that felt like both a gift and a test.
💭 Reflection
Mount Olympus lived up to its myth raw, steep, and full of presence. For a one-day climb, it demanded everything: focus, endurance, and speed. But standing on the Mytikas ridge, even for a few short minutes, felt like touching a piece of timeless history.
📅 Date: 3 September 2025
