Greece. On 10 March 2022, Benedikt set off on his speed ascent of Mount Parnassos. A mythical mountain at the foot of which lies the famous Oracle of Delphi.

From the port of Itea, he cycled through Greece’s largest olive groves, picturesque villages, and lemon and orange orchards, climbing ever higher. Eventually, Benedikt passed through the Oracle of Delphi, adorned with spring flowers; the road runs right through the heart of this magical place, whose energy was very palpable and inspiring for Benedikt too. Further up, conditions deteriorated; a strong, icy wind picked up and the sky clouded over. At around 1,100 metres, the road was then covered in snow and ice, so that Benedikt finally switched to skis in the village of Stavros at 1,200 metres. By now the wind was blowing so strongly that it almost felt like an expedition in the Himalayas for Benedikt. He was the only person in the thick fog. After 5 hours, Benedikt reached the summit at 2,414 metres. To be precise, the summit of Mt Tsarkos, one of the peaks of the Parnassos mountain range. Strong winds, half a metre of fresh snow and extremely poor visibility made the ascent extremely challenging!

Nevertheless, Benedikt loves these stark contrasts. From a warm summer sea breeze through blossoming spring landscapes straight into the depths of winter – a whole cycle of the seasons within five hours! The powerful energy of these sacred places – similar to Mt Fuji in Japan and many other sites in the Himalayas, the Alps and the Andes – also fascinates Benedikt. Last but not least, however, it is a particular pleasure for him to work on such expeditions together with his local friends. He extends special thanks to Elias Lefas, George Klaoudatos and Christos Tsoutsias, who made this ascent possible with their contacts, their motivation and their fantastic support!