Taygetos

August 01-02

Myths and legends wander its trails, wrapping its slopes in a mystical aura. The tallest mountain in the Morea stands proudly to remind everyone who is the king of southern mainland Greece. A title it rightfully holds as it is the highest mountain range in the Peloponnese.

Its peak, at a height of 2,407 meters, is called Prophet Elias and is the highest point in the Peloponnese, while its majesty covers an area of 2,500 square kilometers between Megalopolis, Eurotas, and Messinia. A characteristic feature of the mountain range is its five peaks (due to which it was called Pentadaktylos during Byzantine times).

With coniferous forests, ravines, plane trees, crystal-clear springs, and a dense network of trails, the proud giant invites you to traverse it to reveal its symbols. To whisper the stories woven into its peaks and gorges. To unveil its secret passages and take you on a mental journey through the ages.

According to ancient Greek tradition, the imposing mountain mass was named after the nymph Taygete, daughter of Atlas. Taygete was a local deity of the mountain range and belonged to the entourage of the goddess Artemis. The myth has two variations. According to the first, Lacedaemon, born from the union of Zeus and Taygete and a hero of the region, gave the mountain his mother’s name. According to the second, Lacedaemon was Taygete’s husband, and their child was Eurotas, after whom the river flowing into Taygetos was named.

The majestic mountain is first mentioned in Book Z of Homer’s Odyssey, line 103.

In antiquity, its highest peak was then called Taleton. Like all mountain peaks, it was considered a sacred place because it was the closest point to the sun, and people believed it was the most suitable place for their prayers to be heard by God better.

If you wait until dawn, just before sunrise, you will witness a miracle. The perfect shadow of the pyramid, as researchers call it, is a natural phenomenon you can only see from the mountain’s peak. The mountain’s shadow creates, when the weather permits, in the mornings, an equilateral triangle in the Messinian Gulf. It is caused by the refraction of the sun’s light, ready to greet this land.

According to another myth, Lycurgus challenged them to solve a riddle in exchange for the princess’s hand. The riddle asked the young men to find the time the sun rises. The candidates climbed to the top of Taygetos, but no one answered. All except the one who matched the sunrise time with the moment the pyramid phenomenon appears.

Throughout its extent, from the north at the borders with Arcadia to the center above Sparta, and in its southern extensions, the Taygetos mountain range reveals areas of exceptional natural beauty at every step. Well-preserved cobblestone paths, like the one leading to the settlement of Anavryti, combine easy access with a tour of the magnificent environment. The large gorges attract many hikers every summer, as well as climbers, as crossing them offers many thrills in athletic activities in the wild mountain nature. The winter ascent to the peak is included in the annual programs of all mountaineering clubs in Taygetos, where national mountaineering gatherings have also been held.

Kostas Ouranis, poet, prose writer, and journalist, wrote about Taygetos: “No mountain I’ve seen in my life, from Mont Blanc with its eternal untrodden snows to the wildest Spanish sierras, ever made the impression I felt, that I received, I should say, when from a high bend of the road to Sparta I saw Taygetos in all its imposing height…”

Day 1

Our meeting will take place in the village of Lefki, and from there we will continue to the Manganiari spring at an altitude of 980m, where our hiking excursion will begin.

We pack our backpacks and start our hike towards the EOS mountain refuge and the Varvara location at an altitude of 1550m.

Our trail crosses a mountain forest of fir and black pine, capable of protecting us from the scorching sun during the summer months. Along the way, we will encounter two springs that will refresh us until we reach the refuge.

Here we can stay either in tents or in the refuge rooms, both offering a unique experience with nature around us providing a sense of peace and freedom.

2 hours of hiking.

Day 2

Our day today will start very early in the morning, around 03:00, because during the Sunrise, the Pyramid Phenomenon is very interesting and should find us at the peak to enjoy it.

Breakfast at the peak to regain our strength after our night hike and return to the refuge to pack our things so we can continue our descent to the parking area at the Manganiari spring.

7 – 8 hours of hiking.

Essential equipment: