Canyon & Gorge Hiking
Canyons and gorges, like sheer rock faces, attract a certain type of daring adventurer. These channels carved out by streams, often with sheer cliffs on either side and in which rushing torrents, rapids, and whirlpools might be encountered, are not for everyone.
Some canyons may require a steep descent down cliff faces, using some of the skills and equipment required by climbers, and once down, one cannot easily change one's mind and climb back up without extra climbing equipment.
Though some canyonds may be approachable on footpaths, but these too can be hazardous, especially in wet weather (or in dry, if there is scree). Even where there are no rushing torrents, there may be icy water through which one must wade and slippery rocks to contend with.
Some of the equipment common used by canyoners includes a thermal suit (wet suit) for protection against extreme cold, a helmet to protect the head against bumps or falling rock, a climbing harness and other gear for descending rock faces. Needless to say, sturdy boots with soles that have good traction are also needed.
Certainly none of this is said to discourage the thousands of visitors to Greece who go on gorge walks with none of these hazards, most of the popular gorges being more easily approachable and often hiked in summer when water levels are low and danger of flash floods past.
For the more demanding canyoning outlined here, there are many professional agencies in Greece that organize and supervise such expeditions, and these should certainly be used by all but the most experienced canyoners.
Typical expeditions last from three to five hours, though more arduous ones may last from ten to eighteen hours or even a couple of days. This sport is relatively new to Greece, with a small number of popular canyons explored as yet by those who lead such expeditions.
Easier Gorges
- the Goura canyon on Mt. Parnitha (just north of Athens)
- Keramidhi on Mt. Parnassos (northwest of Athens a couple of hours along the main train route towards Lamia)
- Fonissa in the Peloponnese
- Enipeas on Mt. Olympus
- the Vikos Aoos Gorge in Ipiros (Epirus)
- Samaria Gorge in Crete (quite a long gorge)
Certainly there are many others waiting to be explored, though it is strongly recommended that beginners have an experienced canyoner with them when doing so. The hidden dangers of virgin canyons can only be guessed at from topographic maps, even when read by the very experienced. The most demanding of canyons explored so far in Greece is the Gorgopotamos canyon in central Greece (near the foothills of Mt. Giona and Mt. Iti). This is the canyon over which the Greek resistance, under the command of a British intelligence officer, cut an essential German railway viaduct in 1942, cutting off German supplies to its army in North Africa for three months. Another canyon in the same category is the Ha Canyon in Crete.
