Σ/Κ στα Τζουμέρκα, Vol. II

[apapadop]

Αυτή η σύντομη ιστορία αφιερώνεται σε ένα νεαρό φίλο που δε ξέρει ούτε Ελληνικά, ούτε αν έχει μήνες ή χρόνια μπροστά του.

Justin, this one is for you.

After thoroughly enjoying our last weekend trip to the Tzoumerka mountain, we thought we'd revisit, this time allowing ample time to visit some places we simply didn't have the time to see last time.

So, as usual, after a looong Friday I left Athens alone around 22:00, to reach Patra after midnight. I crashed in bed with exactly 8 hours of much needed sleep ahead of me, that I fully took advantage of.

Saturday morning, we gathered with zikpol and the ladies and were on our way by 10. We followed the boring road through Mesologi, Agrinio and reached Amfilochia, a crossroad of sorts, where we had our first rest stop and the first photo opportunity!

Here are the two Suzuki DL650's (aka "Vstrom") resting.

[apapadop]

Leaving Amfilochia, we passed Arta and thus entered Epirus, arguably one of the finest, most beautiful and unspoilt regions of Greece. Taking the high pass over the western bank of the river Acheloos, we crossed the waters at the bridge of Plaka and then headed eastbound.

zikpol had the (as it turned out) splendid idea to visit the village "Katarraktis" (literally "waterfall", in Greek), which supposedly sported real waterfalls, a feature not oft met around our neck of the woods.

I was expecting a puny stream of water. This is what we got...

[apapadop]

This is the location as seen through satellite:
http://wikimapia.org/#y=39457933&x=2...8&l=14&m=a&v=2

There are two waterfalls there - this is the left one (as seen from below).

[apapadop]

... and this is the right one.

[apapadop]

zikpol doing advanced kung-fu training.

[apapadop]

.

[apapadop]

The locals told us that all that water comes exclusively from ice melting - there is no water spring or other source of water right above the falls. The sheer volume of water coming down makes one wonder... if a little snow melting on a relatively small mountain of a small country is generating all this volume of water, imagine what's happening on a global scale by polar ice caps melting.

[apapadop]

Leaving the falls, heading to our destination (Pramanta mountain refuge @ http://wikimapia.org/#y=39508842&x=2...6&l=14&m=a&v=2 )

[apapadop]

In our path we crossed the village of Agnanta. The time was right, the sun was burning and we had travelled many weary miles. This huge tree (platanus?), situated in the center of an elevated stone-tiled square provided all the shade and coolness one could wish for. We took shelter under its huge branches for more than an hour, enjoying our simple lunch and mostly the cool wind and the splashing sound of a nearby stream.

[apapadop]

After lunch we drove to Pramanta mountain refuge, greeted our friends Babis & Pola there, unloaded the bikes, and then set out to visit the Monastery of Kipina, about 15km away.

This is the interior of the cave reachable through the monastery (the entrance is right next to the sanctuary). The first few meters are well marked, but soon after...

[apapadop]

.

[apapadop]

... the situation becomes much more interesting! (this is where we headed back, having no experience, gear and cave coverage in our life insurance).

[apapadop]

Right after Kipina, on the road to Kalarrites, we noticed this sign, which signifies the existence of watermills. We'd never seen what a watermill looks like before, so our natural curiosity led us on...

[apapadop]

We didn't find anything resembling a watermill (just a building being restored), but we did manage to descend right on the river bank, where this amazing waterfall of sorts flowed into Acheloos. It was a narrow gorge-like river pass, shady, protected by the steep rocks on both of its sides. It reminded me of a Japanese garden, shady, with lots of water, carefully tended by craftsmen. Only that we were experiencing the sole work of nature, in all its bewildering beauty.


15.jpg

[apapadop]

That evening we returned to the refuge, chatted a little bit with the lads, met a few people and then turned in to bed. After a nice full 8-hour sleep we had breakfast and then headed back to the watefalls, this time to follow a footpath that we hoped would take us higher up the mountain, perhaps close to the waterfall springs.

Some of the flora one meets across the path.