NatureSoul Adventures at Spathi Peak: An epic mountaineering experience in Dikti

PREPARATION FOR THE ASCENT

Wednesday. The phone rings and John, whom I met recently in the White Mountains, says on the other end of the line "Let's go do the Sword". All day long I wanted something. I wanted to escape. I felt like I had a lot of energy. I wanted to do something! His idea was just what I needed. To walk above the clouds. On the highest peak of the mountain range of the Dictis  at 2148 meters.

I didn't miss a minute. I read other articles with the description of the route.I opened 3 pages of meteorological forecasts. And yes... there was a window of ideal conditions. Cloudy and a buffalo bore. There was a squall that looked like it would spoil our plans. John played conservatively. He came out of the project. Perhaps another time he said. Pffffff....But it can't be, I said..it's not possible now that I've wanted it. I had to find other company.  Andreas is a friend with a heart. I haven't seen him in almost two months. Morning and night work, no day off, the dog. I had my eyes on him. If I told you he called me and said, "Thursday Friday, I'm off for the weekend," you'd believe it.

I don't want to make a long story short... The decision has been made. We're going to spend the night in Limnakaro at an altitude of about 1000 meters... We will wake up early in the morning and judge the weather conditions there!

ON THE WAY TO THE PLATEAU

Thursday night in the car... good mood music and the air from the windows entering the car freezing... My bald head was crying out for warmth! I started glancing at the sky. Blackness everywhere. Where are we going? We were laughing and laughing... He's not gonna do it to us, we said. There was no shortage of jokes about cancelling the plan and replacing it with drink bombs in Malia... I closed the windows because I couldn't take any more cold jokes and we went on!!!! 2 o'clock at night we were in and out of our down sleeping bags and saying goodnight!

Friday morning. Paradise. Heaven in the blood. The rising sun slowly showed incredible colors in the sky. Quiet..you could hear the rustling of leaves and a bell from the goats everywhere!

THE ROUTE TO THE SUMMIT

Unfortunately we did not manage to wake up early . 08:10 we were on the trail. Classic comments... where are we going up there now. And it's naked. And we're crazy... and on the first hill when the panting starts, the quadriceps catch fire... the laughter stops. Andrew wasn't used to this kind of climbing. I was thinking about his psychology. "Come on, let's go, we've just started the engines!!!! But I believed in him. I know he's got stubbornness and grit. But I knew that in making safety-conscious decisions I'd be alone. Less experience, stupidity and ignorance would help in making not-so-conservative decisions. I certainly enjoy having such people around me. That's what their little souls say.  You know, speaking your mind saves lives sometimes.

What a beauty. Beautiful peak, the Sword. We were walking and the sun was still behind the peak. We in the shade and the morning dew and the Sun from behind up there to light up the ridge. Awe.

With this and this we arrived after a couple of hours at the gap. On our left the peak Spathi 2148m and on our right the peak Master Christ 2141m. The Sun is now in our company.  We were now in a rhythm. Andreas was holding very strong. And his shoes weren't the best. What a laugh. Unstoppable. I was pulling video all the time. The path was not distinct... I was tired. The ridge was winking at me. We made the decision to get off the trail ( the non-existent one ) and cut straight up, ducking for a ridge.  It was probably not a good idea. We were getting tired, I guess. and we wandered off and got back on the path.

We reached the top. The usual things followed. Book summit....flattery...photos...laughs...

"Let's go down slowly," I said. He didn't want to. He enjoyed the summit. The weather. The view.

You don't do that on the mountain. One slip and the shot becomes an adventure... you're in the middle of the night until help arrives. I told him anyway... pfft... I didn't want to play that role. But in a group there has to be someone who thinks more wisely. My crazy friend is crazy, but so am I. I thought we'd put some pepper on the route. He might like it. May I like it even more.

MEETING THE CHALLENGES

Let's go, I say. Let's go cut the edge. and meet the trail back at the crossroads... at the crossroads for Christ's sake. There he is, fried at once. We were walking along the shore. every step with precision. Before us is the Master Christ. On our right below the clouds the Plateau. On our left the boring path. But then the ridge became a cliff. . .

Conference. Let's take it down from here... let's take it up from there...

No. I said no and Andreas agreed. I don't know, I felt a little disappointment on his part. Maybe I was wrong. But I said no, and I don't regret it. Okay. That's where the mountains will be! Always ! We were well oriented. We had a map with us and I had taken three-point bearings. We went down like goats and soon found the path again. The weather was kind to us. The sole of Andrea's shoe came off!

Good thing we left the free climbs for another time. Our knees were a pain in the ass on the way down, I must admit. But the way back is always shorter. You see, there's no longer any fear of the unknown. But someone once said. "If I stick to the known, I won't learn the unknown!" This is what I wrote in the summit book in Mythika of Olympus many, many years ago. Since then I still have it as my flag. I keep the knowledge and look every day to learn something more. "With caution but not with fear" as one of my climbing instructors used to say.

We got to the car, gave each other a big hug, told our folks we were okay, got in the car and enjoyed the ride back without even talking.

Happy Ascents and Happy Returns to you.

Always.

Dimitris Kampourakis

September 2024