Mount Olympus 2012 – From the Sea to Greece’s Highest Peak

Mount Olympus – in ancient Greek mythology the abode of the gods and still today a mountain range steeped in legend. An extraordinary ski touring trip from Poseidon to Zeus.

Starting on the seashore, the mysterious realm of Poseidon, the destination is the summit of Mount Olympus, the seat of the gods and realm of Zeus in Greek mythology. On a rainy day in late March, Schorsch Nickaes, Patrick Jost and Benedikt Böhm set off on this extraordinary race.

They set off straight from the beach on their bikes. After 25 kilometres and now 1,100 metres above sea level, the three athletes continue on foot in their running shoes. At the snow line, they switch to skis. Despite the bad weather, they are in high spirits when, after a further four hours, they are forced to take a break due to the unstable snow conditions. After a night at Kakalos Lodge (2,648 m), the next morning they stand on the highest point in Greece, the summit of Mount Olympus (2,918 m), after just a 40-minute climb!

The descent is on skis down a thrilling 45-degree slope through a 300-metre-long, sheer-sided gorge. After less than seven hours of skiing covering a total of 68 km and 3,260 metres of elevation gain, they are back at their starting point. And what could be better than a refreshing dip!