Walking this part the 21 of july 2022

[pino627]

Hello everyone, first of all thank you very much for this fantastic forum and source of really useful informations.

Seriously, THANK YOU ! Sorry i'm from part of belgium where we don't speak german but french so i write in english

Last year, i decide to try this part because the year before i have to cancel it due to the extreme heat. Day before i walk omalos-kallergi-poria-melindaou-pirou(with raki boost with Iannis and Andrit)-katsivelli where i met "Ziafat" a nice guy who collect Malotira and then a Swiss friend from Agios Ioannis who met me there for the night and the next day walk together.

The day before i left Omalos with 8 liters of water in my backpack of 18 kg. Not sure to find water on the way in july and i drink alot in the heat so ...

It was a 21 of july 2022 and it was my birthday ! What a gift ! The best !

We sleep in Katsivelli shelter beneath the refuge that was closed. So don't need the tent that i carry ! Good water there at the source, just find the "lastico" and fill. Take about 15 minute for 2 liters. There is also plenty of tank full of water but not so fresh ... better to have a filter if you use it.

Wake up early and start at 6h30 we arrive in Askifou around 20h ... no big pauses half an hour before the Kastro where we stay a little bit to relax and half an hour in Niato. From Niato and for some reasons we take the longer road and not the direct path to Askifou (Amoudhari).

With the link below you can load some pictures of this fantastic trek and see the state of some of the "new" poles around the Kastro

But in clear weather and with the gpx found on this forum ... no difficulties to find our way (again thank you). The path is not difficult or dangerous but long and the first part without signal for the phone ...

In the link there is also a file "KATSIVELLI-ASKIFOU.kmz" that you can open in Google Earth with all the pictures georeferenced and time stamps !

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/myi11yrrbgod ... M2lWa?dl=0


We stay in Panorama Askifou and eat very good food there ! (A lot !!!)

Hope to do it again as soon as possible, this walk is fantastic and so dramatic !

Love Levka Ori ! Next week i will be there for a coastal walk this time, its too cold up there

Benoit

[admin]

Hello Benoit,

thank you for your posting - including the very good photographs. It is good to hear that you had a perfect trip last year on the day of your birthday - congratulations that you managed to complete the whole trip in one long day. You carried a heavy luggage - 18 kg, incl. 8 liters of water. That's really impressing.
We were also shocked as we saw the condition of the new poles when we passed from Kastro last time. I am sure that the was a lot of vandalism involved; the damage does not look 'naturally' (falling rocks or snow avalanches) but some poles are just cracked. I will talk to the friends in Crete what we can do about it and how we can improve the situation again. I am convinced that quite a lot of work needs to be performed.

Thank you also for the hint to the Panorama taverna in Askifou. I have now received very positive comments about this location several times so that we are also going to try it next time we stay in Askifou.

I think you were lucky last year with the water. I am curious what will happen this year - there was little snow during winter and the mountains look like late spring or early summer already now.

Thank you once again for your report.
Best wishes
Simon

[admin]

I forgot to wish you a nice trip to Crete next week. Have a good walk on the coast and keep us up-to-date!

Best wishes
Simon

[pino627]

Hello Simon, thank you for your wishes ! Hope to gather some useful updated informations !
You are right, 18kg is a lot especially 8 liters of water but if i can't find water in Katsivelli or if i have a problem it's not so much !

Bag include clothes + maps + tent (1kg800) + sleeping bag (UL) + matress (UL) + battery (UL) = around 9 kg
Food = 1kg
Water = 8kg

But i'm heavy (around 125kg) and drink a lot .... water !

What's the weight of your average bag for 2-3 days autonomy ?

Have a nice week too !

Benoit

[admin]

It is very responsible that you take so much water (no criticism - in my opinion a good idea).

Usually, we try to carry around 10 kg (incl. food for 2/3 days but without water). That's a bit easier if you are two persons. But on Crete, very warm clothes are usually not necessary.

Best wishes
Simon