Hello everyone,

This is the first in a serie of articles that I plan to post in the near future. They will focus on the numerous walk possibilities offered by the White mountains of Crete. The White Mountains (straight translation from the greek “Lefka Ori”) are a tiny range to the south-west of Crete. It’s tiny to our European standards, compared to the alps or Pyrenees, nevertheless, of the three main ranges in the island, it is the widest and most impressive. What makes these mountains stand aside from the others is a unique blend of unusual features:

•  Some peaks, standing above 2000 meters, are so close to the south coast that, as the crows fly, it’s a matter of 5 to 10 km to the lybian sea.
•  The center of the range is often referred to as a “high desert”. Barren with snow in the winter, stony desolation in summer, vegetation is very scarce and so is water. And yet, this does not prevent herds of goats from grazing there from june to October.
•  Mountains are mostly limestone, highly eroded at places with gorges cutting deep towards the sea.

In this post, I’ll present what is probably the most popular high-mountain walk in the range: Gingilos mountain. There are several good reasons that make this mountain very popular:

•  It is very accessible, only 30 kilometers away from Chania, the main city in the area. The (good) mountain road ends at Xiloskalo, the entrance of the famous Samaria Gorge. This place, a belvedere above the Gorge, is a very beautiful place to drive to, even if you do not intend to walk the gorge or climb the nearby summits. Few minutes before you get to Xiloskalo, you cross the omalos plain which stands 1200 meters above sea level. The plain is almost completely flat and circular, and surrounded by beautiful mountains, the most impressive being the Gingilos with its awe-inspiring north face. In summertime, you won’t be alone particularly in the morning, there is a canteen and even a restaurant there. That means you can enjoy a good coffee and pastries before the walk.
•  The trek itself is circular, which means that unlike many others, you can drive your car to Xiloskalo, take your time, and come back from where you came. If you took a bus though, you will have to plan your timings, since the last bus returns to Chania at 3pm. Overall, the walk, way-back, should not last more than 5.5 to 6 hours, depending on how fit you are. I regard this walk as an easy one. It’s a rather short day trip and the path is well tramped (at least until linoseli path). Also the way-marking is good and you don’t need to start with much water since there is a spring 1h15 after the start (leave the spring with 1.5 liter).
•  Gingilos is a magnificient peak. Unlike other peaks of the range, it feels Alpine and the sight of its huge cliff towering high above Samaria gorge is tremendous. The path winds through strange rock formations, stone arches, scree slopes and massive rock chaos. Finally, when you’re at the top, you get rewarded with incredible views of Samaria Gorge and Omalos plain.

Some words of warning. The walk is easy for a high mountain route, that is, if you’re a healthy person. It will not require much stamina but remember that the summit stands 700 meters above Xiloskalo. Keep in mind that you’re tackling a summit over 2000 meters high. Also, bring adequate shoes, with good ankle support. It should be hard to get lost if you stick to the plan (there are several route choices from Linoseli saddle and some should not be undertaken). The weather in the island and the range can change very quickly so be prepared:

•  Bring day-sack essentials (warm & rainproof clothes for instance). Even on sunny days, the wind can be very strong, and cold, in particular at Linoseli pass.
•  Tell people about your plans.
•  Do not start the walk if the weather is uncertain, the summit is in the clouds or subject to strong winds. It is always a good idea to go back if you don’t feel it. Tip: your mobile phones should be usable most of way.

The walk

As I stated earlier, the walk starts at the end of the road, at the place known as Xiloskalo, the entrance of the Samaria Gorge. From Chania center, drive towards the west (in the direction of Kastelli), just as you reach the outskirts of the city, you should turn left. This is well sign-posted. At Xiloskalo, you will find a parking lot just beside the canteen, and whilst looking south directly to Gingilos, you will spot wooden stairs on the right. Climb these stairs and after one or two minutes you’ll get to a panoramic restaurant. Follow the path as it twists gently uphill. Eventually, you’ll stop gaining altitude and start walking through arches and weird rock formations. This section of the path is eroded at places and, though quite easy, may be a problem to people suffering from vertigo. Pass a small cave (shelter) and in no time you are at linoseli spring (1h15 from the start). This spring has water all year-round that you can safely drink. Note that this is one of the very few springs you can find in the high mountains.

From there, take 1.5 to 2 liters of water and follow the path that zigzags the scree slope. You’re objective is in sight, the saddle between Gingilos to the south and Strifomadi to the North. The pass once it is reached offers several route choices. You should see warnings pleading to NOT attempt Klados or Thripithi gorge. I strongly advise you do so. People were found dead in the fore-mentioned places. From the pass, it is also possible to go to Sougia on the south coast, following part of the European E4 trail, but this is another story. From Linoseli pass, the path turns south and climbs the Gingilos summit ridge. It is now becoming more difficult, there’s not much of a path anymore. After few minutes, the path contours a vertical sinkhole (fenced). In few places you must use hands to climb some rock chaos, nothing terrible though. You have to follow the red paint markings. After about one hour, you’re at the top! The omalos plain is now far below and the central part of the Lefka Ori unfolds to the east, opposite the Samaria Gorge. From Gingilos summit, you can walk south to the next peak Volakias but it would take some two hours of not so easy walk way-back. This is the start of a ridge walk high above the Samaria Gorge to the lybian sea. I’d love to do this one someday (if anyone has some piece of information on this leave a comment please) but it may require a sleep in the wild and I doubt one would find water in this remote and rugged terrain. In a future post, I plan to talk about the ascent of Kastro mountain. Also in the Lefka Ori, this peak is located on the eastern side of the range. Like Gingilos, it’s a day-trip but a lot more challenging.

Fabrice