Mount Olympus

Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece — 2,917 m at Mytikas, the home of the twelve Olympian gods in ancient Greek religion and the centrepiece of Greece's first national park (founded 1938). The classic 2-day climb from Prionia is the standard ascent: a forested approach to the Refuge A mountain hut at 2,100 m, then a pre-dawn alpine climb to the summit on day 2 with a short Class III scramble on the final ridge.

Day 1 is a 6.5 km, 3-hour climb from the Prionia trailhead at 1,100 m up through the Enipeas gorge and beech forest to Refuge A (Spilios Agapitos) at 2,100 m. The refuge is staffed mid-June to late October — 110 bunks in dorms, full board provided, communal mess hall. Day 2 starts at 5–6 AM: a 2.5-hour climb to Skala at 2,882 m, then the trail's crux — a 1-hour Class III scramble along the ridge to Mytikas. The scramble is short (about 400 m) but exposed, with steep drops both sides; some climbers find it intimidating. From Mytikas, you retrace to Skala and descend the full 1,800 m back to Prionia.

The climbing season is mid-June to mid-October, when Refuge A is staffed and the upper ridge is reliably free of snow. Outside that window, the scramble becomes a winter climb. Pre-booking the refuge is essential in July–August (40+ groups per night). No permit, no guide required — Mount Olympus is on the E4 European long-distance path and is well-marked from Prionia with red blazes. For climbers wary of the Mytikas scramble, Skala is a respectable alternative summit (35 m lower, no exposure). Most parties also visit the small chapel at Profitis Ilias (2,803 m) on the second-day descent.