SAC scale T2 up Gortsia, T3 across Zonaria
The classic loop: Gortsia → Apostolidis → Zonaria → Prionia → Gortsia
- Distance
- 25.8 km loop
- Ascent
- +1,750 m
- Time
- 9.5–11 h
- Start elevation
- 1,100 m
Tap or click a waypoint for its name and elevation; arrows show the direction of travel. The waypoint table below carries the same points, with elevations and cumulative distances.
Elevation profile
Climbs from 1,100 m to 2,697 m over 25.8 km. Elevations are smoothed DEM samples — hover or drag the profile for a reading.
Why choose this route
The complete Olympus experience without repeating a metre: the dry north-east ridge with the sea at your back on the way up, a night at the highest refuge in the Balkans under Stefani, the Zonaria balcony traverse in the morning, and the lush Enipeas-side forest on the way down — with both trailheads on the same road.
The route, stage by stage
Stage lengths are measured along the mapped track. The split times share the published 9.5–11 h out between the stages by distance and climb — scree, scrambling and route-finding take longer than that arithmetic suggests, so read the splits as a rhythm rather than a schedule, and add your own stops.
Climbs 350 m over 2 km to Barba meadow (rest kiosk) (1,450 m) — 2 km from the trailhead, about 1 h 10 min of walking.
Climbs 490 m over 3.1 km to Petrostrouga refuge (1,940 m) — 5.1 km from the trailhead, about 1 h 40 min of walking.
72 beds, run by the Hellenic Rescue Team and open more or less year-round. Drinks and water are sold here. Published elevations range 1,919–1,950 m.
Climbs 540 m over 2.7 km to Skourta peak (2,476 m) — 7.8 km from the trailhead, about 1 h 40 min of walking.
Where the alpine zone and the 360° views begin. Height given as 2,476 m (OSM) or 2,485 m depending on source.
Contours 0.7 km, near enough level, to Laimos ridge (2,500 m) — 8.5 km from the trailhead, about 10 min of walking.
The "neck" between the Enipeas gorge and the Papa Rema drops — a wide path along a narrow crest, airy rather than technical in summer.
Climbs 70 m over 0.7 km to Giosos Pass (2,568 m) — 9.2 km from the trailhead, about 20 min of walking.
Πέρασμα Γιώσου — short rocky step onto the plateau rim; fixed rope when snowed. Greek guidebooks also call it the Step (Σκαλιά) of Giosos. Tagged in OpenStreetMap as a saddle at 2,568 m.
Climbs 130 m over 1.4 km to Giosos Apostolidis refuge (2,697 m) — 10.6 km from the trailhead, about 35 min of walking.
End of day 1 and the high point of the loop unless you add Mytikas. Book ahead: 66–80 beds, June–October, tap water not potable.
Drops 100 m over 1 km to Plateau SW entrance / Kofto junction (2,600 m) — 11.6 km from the trailhead, about 20 min of walking.
Where the steep Kofto ("Elevator") shortcut down to the E4 above Refuge A tops out on the lip of the Plateau of the Muses. In OpenStreetMap this junction sits about 400 m east of the Zonaria traverse itself, which runs from the Zonaria fork straight to Apostolidis, so the mapped track passes nearby rather than through it.
Portes (2,650 m) is about 650 m further on the ground, though the mapped track barely separates the two.
The gap between Touba and Stefani where the plateau opens. Elevation from the DEM, about 2,650 m; OpenStreetMap records it as a named locality rather than a summit.
Louki couloir base (2,700 m) is about 600 m further on the ground, though the mapped track barely separates the two.
The Zonaria path passes directly under the Mytikas couloir here. Stone-fall from parties above is the mountain's main hazard; a helmet is worth wearing even if you are only walking through.
Drops 220 m over 1.4 km to Zonaria fork (2,480 m) — 13.2 km from the trailhead, about 30 min of walking.
Where the E4 to Skala parts company with the Zonaria traverse to the plateau. A west-side source places this junction at 40.08139, 22.36142; the OSM way junction used here is the eastern reading.
Drops 330 m over 1.2 km to Kofto junction (lower) (2,150 m) — 14.4 km from the trailhead, about 30 min of walking.
Kofto ("the Elevator") branches directly to Kakalos — a steeper T3+ variant of roughly 3 km and 2 h, about 80% gradient in its upper section, and it holds a snowfield late into the season.
Drops 50 m over 0.2 km to Spilios Agapitos refuge (Refuge A) (2,100 m) — 14.6 km from the trailhead, about 5 min of walking.
110 beds, mid-May to end of October, meals and water. Quoted at 2,100 m by the refuge and OSM, 2,060 m by Greek guidebook tradition. Last water on every line that passes it.
Drops 1,000 m over 5.5 km to Prionia parking (1,100 m) — 20.1 km from the trailhead, about 2 h of walking.
End of the walking. The 4–4.5 km road link back to Gortsia starts here; taverna and springs while you wait for a lift.
Contours 4.5 km, near enough level, to Gortsia (Diastavrosi) parking (1,100 m) — 24.7 km from the trailhead, about 1 h 5 min of walking.
Back at the car after 4–4.5 km of asphalt, which most parties hitch rather than walk.
Getting back to your car
- The loop closes itself: 4–4.5 km of asphalt from Prionia back down to Gortsia, 45–60 min on foot and downhill.
- Hitchhiking is standard practice and easy in July and August as cars leave Prionia through the afternoon.
- Taxi as the fallback, from Litochoro.
Things to know
- Do it in this direction. The ascent gradient is gentler, the descent is knee-friendlier and has water sources, and afternoon traffic leaving Prionia makes hitching the road link easy.
- Book Apostolidis ahead; the plateau is busy in August.
- Adding Mytikas via Louki at dawn (helmet!) turns this into 27.5 km, about 2,250 m of ascent and 13–14 h of walking.
- Taxi fallback for the road link: Radio-Taxi Litochoro +30 698 777 0240, which serves both Prionia and Gortsia, roughly €25–35 from Litochoro. A €2 weekend shuttle has run June–September in recent years — verify locally.
- The catalog figure is about 21–22 km of trail plus the 4–4.5 km road link, with ~1,750 m of ascent and ~1,800 m of descent over two days.
- The last stretch from Refuge A down to Prionia gets hot and busy after 11:00.
Conditions
- Water
- Dry from Gortsia all the way to the plateau, where bottled water is sold at Apostolidis and Kakalos. On day 2 there is nothing until Refuge A, then the unreliable Pigadouli fountain, the Magalias stream and the springs at Prionia.
- Exposure
- Laimos on day 1 and the whole Zonaria balcony on day 2. Both are wide paths above sustained drops, and both are no-fall zones in snow, verglas or fog.
- Season
- Mid-June to October is ideal. Zonaria holds snow later than Laimos, so early-season crossings need crampons and an axe. Refuge seasons constrain the loop too.
- Crowding
- Day 1 is moderate, the plateau is busy in August, and the Refuge A to Prionia leg on day 2 is the single busiest trail on Olympus.
Waypoints
| Waypoint | Elevation | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Gortsia (Diastavrosi) parkingΓκορτσιά / Διασταύρωση | 1,100 m | 0 km |
| Barba meadow (rest kiosk)Μπάρμπα | 1,450 m | 2 km |
| Petrostrouga refugeΚαταφύγιο Πετρόστρουγκα | 1,940 m | 5.1 km |
| Skourta peakΣκούρτα | 2,476 m | 7.8 km |
| Laimos ridgeΛαιμός | 2,500 m | 8.5 km |
| Giosos PassΠέρασμα Γιώσου | 2,568 m | 9.2 km |
| Giosos Apostolidis refugeΚαταφύγιο Γιόσος Αποστολίδης | 2,697 m | 10.6 km |
| Plateau SW entrance / Kofto junctionΚοφτό | 2,600 m | 11.6 km |
| PortesΠόρτες | 2,650 m | 11.6 km |
| Louki couloir baseΛούκι | 2,700 m | 11.7 km |
| Zonaria forkΖωνάρια | 2,480 m | 13.2 km |
| Kofto junction (lower)Κοφτό | 2,150 m | 14.4 km |
| Spilios Agapitos refuge (Refuge A)Καταφύγιο Σπήλιος Αγαπητός | 2,100 m | 14.6 km |
| Prionia parkingΠριόνια | 1,100 m | 20.1 km |
| Gortsia (Diastavrosi) parkingΓκορτσιά / Διασταύρωση | 1,100 m | 24.7 km |