Climb Mount Kedros from Kissos

The route at a glance

Route suitable for: Mountain hiking.
Hiking on: Dirt roads, footpaths and goat trails.

Degree of difficulty: Difficult (for experienced hikers).

Start: Agia Fotia area, 2 km south of Spili, on the road to Tympaki.

End: Gerakari village

Stages of hiking: The trekking is developed in 5 stages.

– A first on a dirt road roads and paved roads from Spili to Kissos,

– a second one from Kissos to Mouris via the western ridge of Kedros, the top of Kedros on footpaths, goat trails, and dirt roads,

– a third for the climb to the top of Kedros from Mouri,

– a fourth one for the descent to Gerakari through the cavernous chapel of Prophet Ilias and Mouri, on footpaths and goat trails initially, and on a dirt road afterwards.

– and finally a fifth, directly from Kissos to the top of Kedros.

Features: Lack of a standard footpath from the western ridge of Kedros above Kissos (point B17), up to the dirt road that leads to Mouri (point B27).

Caution! Mount Kedros is very often in winter or summer in dense cloud cover. Do not enter the climbing process in such conditions without GPS and mobile phone. Many hikers suffer every year underestimating this parameter.

Marking: Old marking of E4 (color yellow – black), insufficient in many places, or completely absent in some other very critical ones.

Drinking water points along the route:

In addition to the possibilities, you have for drinking water in Agia Fotia (the starting point of the route) and in Kissos, during your descent from the top you will encounter:

– a first spring, a few meters opposite (west) from the plane tree in Mouri (flow limited during the summer months),

– and a second spring, a little lower to the left (east) below the cave of Profitis Ilias (Prophet Elijah), with sufficient flow during the summer months.

Realization: Any time of the year.

Equipment

Spring – Summer – Autumn: Hiking or Trekking shoes, long trousers (due to the presence of dense clumps of woody bushes), walking stick, hat, sunglasses, water (1½ liter water bottle).

Winter: Winter hiking shoes, crampons, gaiters, ice ax (for possible snowfall, as well as ice on the summit in January – February), winter clothing, raincoat, walking stick, water (1½ liter water bottle).

The route in numbers

Stage Α. Agia Fotia – Kissos

Route length: 2,9 km

Duration: 0h50′ – 1h00′

Minimum altitude: 442m

Highest altitude: 643m

Total altitude gain / loss: +232m / – 42m

Slope: Maximum +26,9 % / -20,8 %. Average +9,5% / -5,8%

 

Stage B. Kissos – Mouri 

Route length: 5,9 km

Duration: 2h40′ – 2h50′

Minimum altitude: 618m

Highest altitude: 1240m

Altitude gain / loss: +736m/ -119m

Slope: Maximum +46,4 % / -44,2 %. Average +15,0% / -11,2%

 

Stage C. Mouri – Summit of Kedros

Route length: 2,8 km

Duration: 2h10′ – 2h40′

Minimum altitude: 1240m

Highest altitude: 1777m

Altitude gain / loss: +529m /-24m

Slope: Maximum +68,1 % /-67,9 %. Average +22,6% /-14,5%

 

Stage D. Mouri – Gerakari 

Route length: 5,9 km

Duration: 1h30′ – 1h40′.

Minimum altitude: 654 m

Highest altitude: 1240m

Altitude gain / loss: +8m / – 587m

Slope: Maximum +11,4 % / -31,0 %. Average +4,6% / -10,9%

 

Stage E. Kissos – Summit of Kedros

Route length: 7,6 χμ.

Duration: 3Ω15′ – 3Ω30′.

Minimum altitude: 618m.
Highest altitude: 1776m.
Altitude gain / loss: +1190m / – 56m

Slope: Maximum +11,4 % / -31,0 %. Average +4,6% / -10,9%