The throne of Zeus and the mythical descent from the mountain of the gods is the dream of every splitboarder or skier! The following ascent and descent are addressed only to experienced riders and climbers, holding all the necessary mountaineering equipment, and with a well-organized action plan on the days, they will select to visit the mountain for ski mountaineering, where to stay, cook, etc! The climb is demanding and may take 8-10 hours.
All mountain refuges remain closed during the winter.
Never forget:
Map of Olympus, GPS
Boot crampons, ice axe, helmet
Water & food
Mobile, batteries, wireless
First Aid Kit
The winter trail to the Muses Plateau starts from Gortsia. We start the hike by following the summer trail to Petrostrouga refuge. From there if they allow us, we can continue to the Muses Plateau on the same day. If the snow coverage is deep, we can stay on the refuge and continue the ascent the following morning. At this point, we have to abandon the summer trail and continue uphill through the winter trail which is called Dereki to Skourta summit.
The Dereki climb is demanding and the snow is usually frozen. Crampons for the split may be necessary throughout the climb and it is a good idea to carry them with us throughout winter.
After the Skourta summit, we head to Laimos passage. You may need to remove the split or skis and use crampons on the boots to pass that. It is often icy and the wind may blow. After Laimos we climb to the plateau from the Giosos passage using crampons and the wire mesh.
Passing through the Giosos passage, what is left is to cross the plateau towards one of the 2 refuges.
On the plateau, there are several ski tours around and descents from the surrounding peaks.
Throne of Zeus, Toumba, Prophet Elias.
DESCENT:
Going down the plateau requires experience, and often the best approach is to follow the path we went up. Passing Laimos to Skourta and ride down to Petrostrouga Refuge.
A second, quicker descent from the plateau is by the Gavos Stream but is only indicated to those who have experience of the particular mountain, have done it again, and know the trails.
From the Gavos stream, you have to find the way to connect with the Gomarostalos trail in order to be able to return safely and on time to Prionia. Otherwise, the ride down might be dangerous as it leads to unexpected cliffs.
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