The Mountains of Greece

More about the book

I first starting researching this book in the 1970s. It is, as the title suggests, a guidebook, describing walking routes, not monuments and cultural things. This is the third major new edition. In the course of preparing it, Michael Cullen, my co-author, and I have re-walked all the old routes and added several new ones. For most people Greece means islands, seaside and summer heat. But most of the country is in fact mountains, beautiful ones: rugged, undeveloped and remote. Alpine pastures soften the harshness of the crags, forests fill the ravines, and springs and rivers abound - a startling contrast to the baking lowlands. There is a rich variety of wild flowers and butterflies. And what survives of the ancient pastoral way of life is full of interest too. The backbone of this edition remains the traverse of the Pindos range, but the guide also highlights several regions of special interest that can provide one to two weeks' walking. Walking the mountains of Greece, in summertime at least, is demanding rather than technically difficult. Most of the routes vary between 1000 and 2500 metres in altitude and are well within the capabilities of a fit and committed walker.