Forgotten Olympus – Discover ancient paths on the Mountain of Gods

About

Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece. Since ancient times, it is known as the Mountain of Gods. Today most of the tourist traffic is concentrated around the Enipeas Gorge with the most popular road from Prionia to the Muses Plateau and further to the main peaks. However, there are many more paths on Olympus. Some of them are rarely used, some have been forgotten and overgrown with grass and bushes, some are hard to find because they are not there yet. On this webside you will find some routes - hike and bike - gpx files and short descripion, which will help you to discover this forgotten paths. Follow us.

Popular routes

Forgotten paths

Wild and wilderness

Inspiration

Olympus, Greece. We love this place. Check it out!

The human race

Olympus Mythical Trail (OMT) is a 106 km ultra-trail in the famed "Mountain of the Gods", Mount Olympus. It is the hardest trail race in Greece and the most technical and endurance-demanding of its kind, initiated in 2012. OMT takes athletes on a quest around the slopes and ancient trails of the legendary mountain, a popular destination for travelers and hikers worldwide due to the allure of the Ancient Greek myths.

Lazaros Rigos

Tormented by crazy thoughts about good and evil, my mind takes its own direction. Is life real or is this entire journey just a misguided dream. I look down at my legs as I move forward, my body is holding up fine but my mind has had enough and is about to break. I can't give up even if I want to because I'm miles away from any civilisation, to quit now would mean to die. This is a metaphor for my mental state.

Kristian Morgan

Mount Olympus

The Olympus massif is unique in Greece and throughout Europe. It climbs to a height of almost 3000 meters directly from the sea level. It is climate-diverse, rich in nature and very varied in landscape. It is an oasis of peace and quiet. It is wild, inaccessible and forgotten. It is truly a gods' place.

Landscape

Steep, very deep (1000 m) gorges are a characteristic feature of Olympus. They often stretch for many kilometers from different sides of the massif. The most extensive is the Enipea Gorge, in the eastern part of the Mountain. For most of the year, rivers flow down the bottom of the gorges. The tops of the Olympus, however, are mostly mild and easily accessible. The exceptions are the two highest peaks Mytikas and Staefani, which are rocky, have vertical, inaccessible walls.

Nature

Olympus has rich, multi-species and sometimes very dense forests in the lower parts (especially in the eastern part) and an Alpine floor with green grasses on the tops. The forests reach up to a height of 2700 m above sea level and this is a record on a European scale. 1700 plant species have been recorded, including 23 endemic species, about 30 species of mammals and over 100 species of birds. No large predators are recorded here.

Paths

The paths on Olympus are very diverse. Downstairs, in the forest floor, there are a lot of soft, comfortable trails, ideal for running. In the upper parts, the paths become more rocky and technically difficult. In many places they are simply not there, even if the trail is marked with some signs. Gorges are often an impassable barrier. If there is no path, it is practically impossible to go to the other side of the ravine, because the walls are almost vertical and covered with prickly plants. There is no mud on Olympus :-)

Forgotten Olympus routes

Here you can find rare, forgotten, or even invisible routes on Olympus. Don't worry, you will find the way, in each section there will be a map, gpx file for downloading to your sport watch or smartphone, short description and some photos for inspiration. All of this only from our personal experience, tramps, trips and running trainings in the Mountain of Gods.

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Team

Three friends, one passion for mountaineering. We live in Litochoro in Olympus massif because we love this place. We are exploring the region: walking, running and biking in this beautiful and wild mountain.

We are discovering many unknown paths. Join us!

Lazaros Rigos

Runner, Olympus Mythical Trail Director

Michiel Panhuysen (Mig)

Mountaineer, runner, journalist

Grzegorz Olesiak (Greg)

Runner, biker, culture antropologist

More About Greece

More information about Greece: travel, culture, running competitions, photo galleries you can find on our other website

Contact info

If you want some more information about Olympus routes or about this website don't hesitate to contact us:

Address

55 Peaks, 28is Oktovriou 1 Litochoro, Greece

Contact us

E-mail: info@forgottenolympus.eu