(Ἑνα ελληνικὁ κεἱμενο βρἱσκεται στο κἁτω μἑρος της σελἱδας.)
If you are starting out from Athens and can only do one stage of the route this would be the one to do. Both start and finish points have hotels and are served by several daily buses to and from the Liosíon St (odhós Liosíon) depot in Athens.
At four to six hours walking a day you can do it comfortably in eight days and you could shave a couple of days off that. There is accommodation only at Áno Mousounítsa/Athanásios Dhiákos; anywhere else you will need to camp.
You can cheat on the first day and take a taxi to the mouth of the Reká ravine, the start of the real mountain route, though I think there is a lot to be said for starting on foot from Ámfissa itself. The trail is not waymarked to begin with, but is easy to find following the directions in our guide and the gradients of the first day are a good way of easing yourself into hiking mode. From Reká onwards – it is one of the most impressive gorges in Greece – you quickly find yourself in a truly montane landscape. The route takes you first across the Ghióna massif, via a col just below the mountain’s 2507m summit, before descending into the valley of the Mórnos river which supplies most of Athens’ water.
Almost at once you climb again on to the craggy Vardhoúsia massif (summit 2495m) which you cross by its extensive central meadows before climbing out through the fir forest on to a grassy rounded ridge with peaks between 1600m and 1900m which takes you all the way to Karpenísi, walking the crest all the way, in about three days. There are no villages on the route.
About half-way you pass the katafíyio or mountain refuge of Sarádena; it is invariably locked but makes a wonderful camp site, with dramatic views back to the peaks of Vardhoúsia. From there on you are guided all the way by the conical peak of Mt Veloúkhi rising to your left front above the little mountain town of Karpenísi. Surrounded by mountains it still preserves some charm despite undergoing terrible destruction during the Second World War and again during the Communist insurrection of the Civil War. It is relatively prosperous with a minor ski resort, several hotels, restaurants and even a shop selling outdoor gear.
Στἁδιο 1 Ἁμφισσα – Καρπενἡσι
Αν προλαβαἱνετε να κἁνετε μὁνο ἑνα κομμἁτι, αυτὁ θα εἱναι η λογικἡ επιλογἡ. Εἱναι κοντἁ στην Αθἡνα. Υπἁρχει τακτικἡ συγκοινωνἱα ως την Ἁμφισσα (ξενοδοχεἱο). Παρουσιἁζει χαρακτεριστικἡ ποικιλἱα ορεινὡν τοπἱων. Το δασωμἑνο φαρἁγγι της Ρεκἁς (απὁ τα πιὁ εντυπωσιακἁ στην Ελλἁδα), το πἑρασμα των δὑο κακοτραχἁλων ορεινὡν ὁγκων της Γκιὡνας και των Βαρδουσἱων, μἱα τριἡμερη διἁδρομη με κατασκἡνωση στις πρἁσινες στρογγυλομἑνες κορυφἑς μεταξὑ Ἁνω Μουσουνἱτσα και Ρἁχες Τυμφριστοὑ. Μπορεἱς να γλυτὡσεις την πρὡτη μἑρα πηγαἱνοντας με ταξἱ μἑχρι το χωριὁ Βἱνιανη και τις εκβολἑς της Ρεκἁς και πἁλι την τελευταἱα μἑρα του σταδἱου 1, που εἱναι και η λιγὁτερη ενδιαφἑρουσα, απὁ τις Ρἁχες Τυμφριστοὑ ως το Καρπενἡσι (ξενοδοχεἱα, τρἁπεζες, συγκοινωνἱες κτλ).
The Pindos Way 