Trekking and rafting in Tzoumerka mountains

Hi folks,

Last August I bent my own rules that state: every year I shall spend my summer vacations in Crete. Well not quite, I shared my time between Crete and Epirus. Epirus is not the best known destination in greece but it's worth a visit. Well I was there for one week and I got to see a lot. My friend Stati was kind enough to invite me for a few days at his mother's place. A small village called Megarchi near Arta.

Arta is a medium provincial town on the Amvrakikos gulf. The town is famous for a beautiful stone brige across the Arachtos river. The landscape there is not much different from what I'm used to see in northern Crete. Rocky hills and olive trees everywhere. However, not far away (one hour drive towards Ioannina) Tzoumerka stands as a mountain range of southern Pindos, with quite different landscapes.

Stati, Kosta his 13 year old son, and myself decided to go camping at Dasiko Chorio "Kedros", a tourist settlement of 20 cottages on the flanks of Tzoumerka, at altitude 920 meters. The owner also offers a few camping lots without toilets but access to drinking water. We pitched our tents in a shady and isolated place.
Our stay was the occasion to visit some interesting places in the area

• Plaka and the old stone bridge (5 minutes walk from the iron bridge, to the north)
• Katarraktis waterfall. Not that impressive in august, but the 90 meters high waterfall was not dry!
• monastery of Agia Ekaterini
• Enjoy live music at night thanks to the festival that takes place in early august
• taste the Kokoretsi, marvellous skewer made of offal

The two great attractions are

• the Tzoumerka mountains, a long ridge featuring many summits above 2000 meters, with very steep western slopes and crags
• the Arachtos river, nice spot for kayaking and rafting, even in full summer

We made the descent of Arachtos with « Via Natura » company. They are located at Plaka, the small village at the iron bridge. They also offer very nice accommodations. Early august, the river still had enough water to go rafting, however I can imagine May is probably the best time. The place is truly peaceful and beautiful with crystal waters, many springs, birds, waterfalls and cliffs towering high above the river.

The second highlight, of course, is the gorgeous background dominating the Arachtos valley. The mountains, unlike those I know in Crete, look more like the Alps or the Pyrenees with grassy slopes and jagged peaks. Strogoula and Katafidi are probably the most famous summits, Katafidi being the tallest in the range with 2393 meters high. So most naturally, we decided to climb Katafidi. There is a path (red markings) starting from Katarraktis but there is also a dirt road... Fortunately most of the road can be avoided by following the path (except for 45 minutes until the saddle bellow the summit).

Starting from Dasiko Chorio, we drove with a car until a crossroad where we turned to the right (left is for Katarraktis). Then we turned left at the first unsurfaced road. 500 meters later, we turned right at another crossroad and stopped the car after about one kilometer. We hit lucky because after few minutes walk we found a footpath. Following the footpath we headed towards an isolated tree on a ridge. After an hour walk or so we crossed the unsurfaced road again. Just opposite the road, we found the continuation of the path. If you can not find it, you should follow the road until you reach a small chapel. When we returned in the evening, the path led us to this chapel.
The path contours a ridge and then leads on the south side of a deep valley. Walking on pleasant ground, we soon passed a waterfall. From this point the path becomes a little harder to follow and becomes steeper, some sections on loose rocks and screes slopes. At last we meet the road again, some hundred meters from a refuge. Unfortunately the refuge was locked and we needed water. No problem however, few meters before the refuge, the road crosses a stream. And at that moment, we met a 4x4 vehicle with people that gave us each a bottle of water!

From the stream, we took a path climbing on the right side of a valley that follows a south-east direction. We were taking the same course as the unsurfaced road, lower down the valley. This part of the walk is very pleasant, we were walking in long grass with a stunning backdrop: the huge crags of Tzoumerka mountain. Finally the path led us to the road again, which we followed until we reached a saddle. From this point, you switch to the east side of the Tzoumerka mountain.
From the saddle, we left the road on the right side, climbing on boulders. The idea was to follow the ridge of Katafidi (there's a huge drop, so watch your step! It's a matter of half an hour to reach the summit of Katafidi. We stood at an altitude of 2393 meters, highest point of Tzoumerka ridge. After a well deserved break, we started our descent, and retraced our steps to the car. The walk took us 10 hours, at an easy pace. Kosta, being only 13 years old, did very well. And he enjoyed it!

I'll probably go back to Tzoumerka next summer, and I'd love to cross the ridge from the south, via Katafidi, until Strogoula. I think it would take two or three days.

I can't wait! Until then, I will continue to write posts. Next one will be about the Lefka Ori in Crete, as usual. I'll describe a coastal path, a section of the E4 trail between Sougia and Agia Roumeli.

Until then, see you!