Litochoro - Mytikas

Access to starting point:
From the Thessaloniki-Athens highway, we take the exit for Litochoro.

Path description:
In Litochoro, signs direct us north towards Prionia, which is 18 km from Litochoro by road. We had already turned left earlier onto the footpath leading to Prionia through the Enipeas canyon. The path leads past two taverns, where we cross the river for the first time. Then we ascend through the forest along the canyon, keeping to the northern side of the canyon. There is also a parallel path on the other, southern side of the canyon; this coincides with the European footpath E7. In the second half of the canyon path, both paths merge; then we cross the stream several times over wooden bridges. To Prionia we gain only 800 meters of elevation, but along the path we descend deep into the canyon several times, so the elevation difference on the path is about 400 m greater. The path also takes us past the old Dionysios Monastery. Even a walk on this path is interesting; for many hikers, the Enipeas canyon itself is the goal and they do not proceed to the top of Olympus. For most mountaineers who also head to the summit, this is just the starting point, as they can drive here.
From Prionia to the summit of Mitikas, another 6 hours of uphill walking separate us. At the beginning, the path continues through the forest, but soon we leave the forest behind, and when we reach the hut at 2100 m, the forest disappears completely. The path is wide and easy to follow. The hut opens on May 1; we climbed Olympus at the end of April when it was still closed. This year there was less snow than usual, so at the end of April there was only a trace of snow left and the ascent was possible, but there were few mountaineers – we had company the whole way from the start to the top of Skala, where the path becomes more difficult. A dog from Litochoro joined us, waited for us at Skala while we handled the hardest part of the path alone and summited, and then returned to the valley with us. The last half hour of the ascent to the summit is very demanding and we must use our hands constantly.
Anyone setting out on this path before May 1 should carry everything needed in their backpack; for the path from Skala to Mitikas, caution and equipment suited to the conditions are primarily required.