from the bottom of the sea to the top of the world

To get to Litohoro, I took a bus about 3 hours south along the coastline, with ocean on the left side and the mountain range on the right.  Litohoro is a small town that tends to draw a different breed of people, due to its location.  Everyone who goes to visit the town does so for the towns only draw... Mt. Olympus.  I got into town around 1:00 in the afternoon, and figured I'd spend the night and perhaps due a small day hike before moving on.  Though I wanted to climb the highest peak in Greece, Mt. Olympus, I wasn't willing to risk it alone, as it was a 2 day climb to the summit.  I had hoped to find someone on the bus with similar ambitions, but no such luck; I was on my own.  So I walked into the tourist info. office seeking basic town info, and within 20 min., had been convinced to do Mt. Olympus on my own.  I learned that 2 canadian girls had left about an hour ago ahead of me, that the mountain was packed with tourists and new people trying to summit every day, and that it was a 3 hour hike up to the refugee, where you stay for the first night.  The guy at the info. center called the refugee to see if they had a bed available, which they did, so he booked me in, hung up the phone, and said to me that if I left right now, I could make it to the refugee before sun set.  He handed me a trail map, and before I knew it , I was on my way!  Just like that!  I had to make a split second decision, and was worried if I thought too much about it, I might not go.  It would be a great opportunity to break in my new hiking boots.  Also, the weather  report was favorable, and I didn't want to take the chance of that changing if I were to sit around for a day and wait to hopefully find someone else trying to summit.  So I was off! 

First though, I needed to eat lunch, change clothes, reorganize my daypack, which was all I needed to bring, and stock up on water and trail snacks, so I told the guy at the info center Id be back in an hour to let him know when i was officially leaving, and hit the town.  I bought as much fruit and water as my arms could carry, had a filling lunch, transferred all my essentials into my daypack, including 1 change of clothes, socks, contact solution, and something warm to sleep in.  Everything else that I didn't need would stay behind in my big pack, which I would lock up at the tourist info center, free of charge.
The trail to the summit actually starts about 30 minutes out of town, at the entry to the national park.  I could've hiked into it from the city I was in, but this would've added 4 hours to my hike time, which, since I was raising the sun, I couldn't afford to do.  Honestly, I was okay with trimming 4 hours off my hike time anyhow.  Usually, though, people start the hike in the mornings, so there apparently is a small gathering at the taxi stand every morning between 8 and 10 of hikers ready to start their climb, which means 4 can jump into the taxi and split the bill.  I was starting late, however, and didn't have that luxury.  So it cost me $22euro for a 30 min. taxi ride to the entrance of the NP, where I would find the trail head.  I don't know if it happens naturally with age or what, but I notice that I get car sick sooo much more easily than ever before! Its never been a problem for me, but this taxi ride had me wanting to vomit and thankful it was over, as the road was your typical 2 lane-er that weaved and winded across the mountain range, with switchbacks and shear drops on one side of the vehicle.  Once the taxi dropped me off, I had to sit for a bit and eat an apple to calm my stomach , but then I was on my way. 
It took me 3 hours to reach the refuge, so I was within the estimated time.  Its funny that I find myself competing with the given 'estimated time' from the visitor center.  when I was approaching 3 hours and still the refuge was far off, I starting getting stressed out, thinking I was out of shape, and began pushing myself to make it within the 'estimated' time.  But the 3 hours was dead on.  The hike initially was quite lazy and easy and relaxing, past some babbling brooks, through a beautiful forested area and up into the hills.  The trail was very well marked, as the tourist info. center promised.  to quote the guy, "you'd need to work hard to get lost on this trail." Glad he was right.  After about 1.5 hours, I came to the break where you come out above the tree line, and for the first time , was able to view my accomplishments and the scenery.  Of course, the view was stunning, I was high above where I started, no sign of civilization in site, and could even see the ocean far off to the east.  And if I looked up the mountain, I was able to catch the first glimpse of my destination for the night, the refuge.  It didn't look THAT far off, I thought to myself.  At this point, I figured I was making good pace and would easily beat the 3 hr. time estimate... Damn those mtns. are decieving!   The path and its difficulty level quickly changed once I broke past the tree line, from a gradual climb to a strenuous path full of switchbacks and steep rocky steps to cover.  I could look ahead and see others on the trail in front of me, including a father/son duo from england and a young couple from Germany that had passed me about 45 min. ago.  I started the ascent to the refuge, which was challenging and deceptively high, but just a preview of what was to come.  About 30 min. from the refuge, I stopped some people who were on their way down and asked for a time estimate to the refuge, just so I could keep track of my pace.  I was told another hour!!!  But it looked like it was right there! and I was quickly approaching the 3-hr. estimate!  They couldn't possibly be right!  I felt defeated, but within 30 min. had finally reached the last switchback and the refuge was dead ahead!  I was sooo glad they were wrong!  I made it within the time limit, as if I'd loose points for being over 3 hours!  Its funny the mental games you play with yourself and how challenged we can get when told of others accomplishments!
Once at the refuge, I gladly took off my boots and traded them in for slippers, which were provided free of charge by the refuge, got my bunk assignment, and headed into the bathroom to change into drier clothes and warm up.  Despite the fact that I had just had a crazy workout, once you get above the treeline and are subjected to the winds that whip around the mountainside, it gets quite cold very quickly! Especially because your clothes are soaked with sweat, so #1 rule is to bring a change of dry clothes to get into ASAP.  Once I was able to warm up, the refuge, which I must compliment for being one of the nicest I've been in, had food available so that one wouldn't have to carry meals with them up the mountain.  I enjoyed a great bowl of veggie soup, followed by some spagetti to load up on carbs. and energy.  By this time, the sun had sunken below the mtn. range, and the colors were painting the sky. I love being in the refuge's, because you meet all types of people, who have just had one shared experience, and who have nothing to do but interact.  No t.v., no typical comforts. Just out enjoying nature.  Its wonderful!  There were some families with young children, several couples, a group of men obviously out on a male-bonding trip, several canadians (they are ALWAYS up for rugged challenges!), and I think I was the only american on that night.  Sitting at the table, after everyone had eaten, and conversing about the day and the plan to summit tomorrow, comparing stories and adventures; its just amazing!  The atmosphere was mixed with energy and exhaustion.  I'm always impressed when I see older people on the trail, and hope when I get to their age (some seemed in their 70's) that I'll have what it takes to do what they were doing.  People were excited about the next morning, everyone debating what time to wake up, the 'estimated time' to the summit, etc.  Though no hot water, the refuge did have electricity, which was automatically shut off at 10pm....mandatory bed time.  It worked well, as most were in bed by 9, including myself.  I had brought my sleeping bag, but on top of that, needed 2 very thick blankets, which were supplied by the refuge, to stay warm throughout the night.  I actually think it was too much, as I woke in a sweat and had trouble sleeping that night.  The cost of the refuge was $10euro/night.  My room had 15 beds, in addition there was a top floor with the same # of beds, plus another room or 2 with about 6 beds each, so this was a big refuge.  The one bathroom had 3 stalls (no toilet, just holes) and 3 sinks, but it worked out well.  Actually, the refuge reported a water shortage, and requested minimal use of water, and no showers allowed, not that you wanted to since the water was freezing.
One canadian girl was sleeping under me that night, who had started the hike the day before, and had summited that day.  She reported having severe knee problems on the way down, though, and therefore didn't feel she could make it off the mountain that day after summitting, so she decided to stay for a 2nd night at the refuge.  She was planning to wake at 6:30am to start the hike off the mtn, so I asked her to wake me as well, which she did.  I was surprised by how many slept in, actually.  But I got a late start, and by 8am, as I was leaving, most were up and about.  Since I knew I was coming back to the refuge that night, rather than moving on to another refuge on the other side of the summit as some do to extend their hike, I was able to leave some stuff behind, and just take the essentials with me.  On a side note, I should mention that I was getting dressed, but hadn't put my contacts in yet, I noticed something crawling on the floor (just as I had thought to myself how clean and bug-free the refuge was!)...I couldn't quite make it out until I ducked down, and then couldn't believe my eyes!  It was a scorpion! I've never seen one in the wild before, and this was a big one!  about 1.5 inches in length! I watched as it scurried around in and out of peoples shoes, and followed it for a bit trying to get a pic, b/c I knew no one would believe me.  I did get a pic, though its a bit fuzzy b/c i couldn't focus the camera quickly enough as I was chasing it,but trying to not wake the others.  I thought I should tell someone, so that noone would get stung, which would surely prevent someone from summiting, but ended up getting distracted by the task at hand, and never shared the news.
Anyhow, I was off.  The sun was at my back, my pockets were stuffed with 2 water bottles and some fruit and snacks.  The 'estimated time' was another 3 hours, with the final 45 minutes to an hour being what is called 'scrambling' to the summit.  I had an idea of what they meant by this term, but my idea wasn't even close to what I was going to experience.
The trail for the first 2 hours was grueling.  Those of us from the refuge were spread out along the trail, far enough that we couldn't communicate, but close enough that we were within eyeshot, which made me comfortable.  A large group was ahead of me that had started together, I was in the middle, and the late-wakers and older people in the rear.  The german couple and father/son team were up ahead as well.  I quickly realized that I underestimated my need for water, and started having to ration it so that it would last, as I knew the last hour was when I 'd really need it.  The trail started with switchbacks, but after the first hour, it shifted to just being straight up, literally.  The climb was steep as we hung to the mtn. side; steep enough that a mis-step could be dangerous and possibly deadly. We were now above the clouds, following the ridgeline.  Once again, I was being decieved, as I would look ahead at the peak I was on, thinking, this must be the tallest one, and then you get to the summit or turn a corner, and see another peak in the distance that you must move on to.  Around every corner and above every high point seemed to be another to climb.  By this time, we were far enough in the mtns that the refuge was out of sight, and all you could see were the mountains surrounding you in every direction.  The view I had previously had of the sea and small town below were gone.  At times, when you can't see the other hikers, its just you on a mtn, and the high you get from that is immeasurable. No other human in site, no means of communication, just nature surrounding you!  amazing!  Finally, up ahead, I saw the other hikers converging at a point and resting.  I knew I was getting close, but not to the summit.  To the beginning of the summit.  This was the top of the closest peak; the place where you get a view of what lies ahead, and have a decision to make: to go or not to go.  And it was not an easy decision.  I looked at what was ahead and my gut reaction was that it was crazy!  Crazy as in dangerous, stupid, life-risking, intimidating, scary, insane, I can't believe they let people do this without any safety gear, this is what they meant by scrambling...ridiculous!  CRAP!  What to do... I knew if I looked at it to long, I'd chicken out. Kinda like waiting in line for that extreme rollercoaster, vs. just being able to hop on without watching it over and over again.  I tried to stay logical, telling myself that people summit every day, and I hadn't heard of any deaths, and that that candian girl who slept under me the previous night had done it, and they wouldn't possibly let people attempt it if it was too dangerous, right???  hhmmm.  I was trying hard to convince myself.  I walked over to the father/son team, who were also looking at it and debating.  In the end, they chose to not continue. The german couple had chosen to give it a go, and were just starting the trail.  I needed to make a decision quick... a large group (8-10) brazilians were just starting as well, behind the german couple.  I felt that as long as I was close to others, I would give it a go.  I knew if I didn't, I 'd regret it the rest of my life, and that was a worse fate than challenging my fear.  To get on the trail from the flat, comfortable summit we were standing on to rest, you must instantly get on your hands and knees , slithering down a near vertical precipice to a miniscule ledge below.  This was where the ' scrambling' began.  From here on out, it felt to dangerous to stand on your own 2 feet, and you needed as much contact with the mtn. as possible to maintain your balance.  I was on the tail of the group of brazilians, who, after about 10 minutes, 1/2 decided to not procede and retreated to the safety of the previous summit.  The rest, mostly men, drudged along at a pace I couldn't keep up with, leaving myself and passing the german couple ahead.  The german girl was as terrified as I was, and so I latched on to them.  They didn't speak good english, but we understood each other enough to say that we were in it together, and would support each other through the challenge.  There were 2 aspects of getting to the summit. the first was the physical challenge.  Literally , we were hanging off a mtn., with no ropes or safety gear, hovering over a thousand+ foot drop, where any misstep or loss of balence would be guaranteed falling to your death.  The rocks that we were clinging to never provided a steady base, most were about 2-3 inches for foot placement, with hand grips where ever you felt you could hold on.  Between the safety of the trail we left behind, and the actual summit we were aiming for, we had to cross one more peak, dead in the middle.  To get to this peak, we had to literally crawl down the first mtn side, cross over a gorge that was about 5 ft. wide with endless depth from where the path crossed it, crawl back up the next peak, then down and up again.  Essentially, this was rock climbing without ropes.  The whole time, I had the scene from 'cliffhanger" running through my mind.  Those of you who have seen it know what scene I'm referring  to.  So that was the physical challenge. 
The 2nd challenge was all mental.  It was balancing fear with logic and rationality.  It was seeing that you are hanging on to a sheer cliff, with hardly anything to balance on, and trusting that your feet won't suddenly slip, or that your hands will be able to hold you on to the mtn., that the rock wouldn't give way, or that the german couple would be able to grab me if i fell.  It was trying to not let my fear of falling keep me from my goal of summiting.  Trying to maintain my balence despite the pit in my stomach, my shaking hands, and the very strong urge to just cry and be frozen by fear. It was not allowing myself to look down, but also not looking up to see what was next.  It was maintaining focus on each and every step and rock in front of me that I would put my hands and feet on, testing each one before trusting them with my weight. I was completely terrified, and constantly was fighting off the mental igames of  "what if...". 
The german couple and myself slowly moved along, following the spraypainted red dots that indicated the best path and most stable places for hands and feet placement.  My heart was pounding and I was heavily breathing the entire time.  Both the german girl and myself were relying on her boyfriend for support.  Every once in a while, I would need a hand stepping to the next ledge, or scrambling up to the higher rock step, or just for an increased sense of security and balence, which he was great for.  Every once in a while, the german girl or myself would look ahead, and just keep repeating to ourselves "shit! this is crazy!" But then we'd take one more step.  And that was how we did it, one step at a time.  At times, we had to encourage ourselves and even count off... "okay. on 3. 1.2.3..go!" as we would be challenged by traversing something where the hand hold was just out of reach, or the foot hold felt too unstable, or there was just literally nothing to hold on to at all! 
We reached the middle ground.  The final summit before the big one.  On top, there was just 1 flat rock, about 3-4 feet in diameter, where one could sit safely and rest their weak legs and hands before continuing on.  The german girl at this point decided she couldn't and wouldn't continue.  She would sit there until her boyfriend returned. Once I learned that the boyfriend planned to continue, knowing I had already come so far, I wasn't about to stop.  So we left her sitting on that 1 stable rock, with deadly drops to either side, as her boyfriend and myself reorganized and began the decent of that peak to get to Olympus. 
More of the same manuevering, crawling, fearing, and trusting that we could do it.  We had to cross another gorge, straddling to rock faces at one point with nothing inbetween but air, the bottom not really visible.  We were officially on Olympus, the summit was a mere 200 feet ahead...and up.  As the group ahead of us summitted, we heard them break out in cheers and laughter.  So close!  The last 100 feet or so were incredibly tricky mentally, always just inches from falling off the mtn. Always stradling a cliff or clinging to an edge, with nothing on the other side.  Finally, one last step up, and we made it!  A high-five exchanged between us, a sigh of relief, a massive adrenaline rush, a chance to 'shake it off'.  There was a book at the top, kept in a sort of metal locker, for those who summit to sign in and leave a comment... My name is now in there.  We took pictures holding on to the flag that is posted at the highest point, shook hands with the others on the summit (there were about 10 of us), laughed and took a moment to release the stress of the climb, and admired the scenery.  I was told the day before that clouds typically roll into the valley every day by noon.  We were lucky, having timed the climb just right.  When we reached the summit, there was not a cloud in site.  After hanging out there and taking it in for about 15-20 minutes, the clouds began to roll in below us, and within a moment, the entire valley was under clouds.  We would have to crawl back down the mountain precipice in the clouds!  We had a snack and water, and prepared ourselves to backtrack on the way we came.  I took some video footage from the top, and tons of pics for proof!  The large group had left ahead of us, and just 2 older men remained.  We began the decent, familiar with the terrain, though now doing it in reverse, and struggling to see the red spraypainted dots, as they were below us and in the clouds, rather than above us.  I scooted down most of the mtn. side on my butt, but then we had to ascend to reach his girlfriend whom we had left behind.  When we got to her, she was frozen with fear, having taken in the view and her precarious situation while waiting for us.  She was crying and unable to move, though with some assistance from her boyfriend, she slowly began the crawl back to safety. 
When we made it back to the flat safe summit of the nearby peak, where the 'scrambling' ended and the walking trail began, a sigh of relief was shared by all, "congrats!" were heard all the way around, and pics were again taken.  Now light on our feet, we began the trail back to our base, the refuge below.
From the refuge, I had another meal of spagetti, rested a bit and exchanged stories with others who had summitted, and then began heading back down the mountain.  3 hours later, I reached the paved parking lot where the taxi had dropped me off the day before.  I found a couple with a rental car heading back into town and caught a ride with them into Litohoro, where I found a place to crash for the night and take a much needed shower.

The summit stands at just below 10,000 feet above sea level.  My climb in nepal will almost double that to get to Mt. everest base camp.  I have to do a plug here for my massage therapists back in Florida.  Many of you know that for the last year , I've been struggling with knee and ankle pain that has prevented me from doing things and limited my dancing.  I have been to countless massage therapists, chiropractors, drs. and physical therapists in boston, with no relief.  I finally bit the bullet and bought a plane ticket out of desperation, just before leaving on this trip, to visit my old therapists who I used after a car accident I was in several years back.  After 2 sessions in a row, I am happy to say I haven't had ankle pain since! And this climb was the ULTIMATE test.  There was NO WAY I would've been able to do this climb without the group from Structural Energetic Therapy.  THANK YOU!  (they get this blog)  "This summit made possible by SET!"

On a sad note, there was no sign of Zeus in site, or perhaps he was with us all along!