Panachaiko

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Author

Alberto Pedrotti

15,732 255 5437

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Trail stats

Distance: 47.79 mi
Elevation gain: 8,973 ft
Technical difficulty: Difficult
Elevation loss: 6,421 ft
Max elevation: 6,276 ft
TrailRank: 64
Min elevation: 116 ft
Trail type: One Way

Time: one day 5 hours 20 minutes
Coordinates: 3591
Uploaded: August 1, 2016
Recorded: July 2016

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near Proástio, West Greece (Greece)

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Trail photos

Itinerary description

This is a rather tough MTB tour under every respect: length, altitude gain, orientation, complemented by the typical big danger of Peloponnese, namely, that of unleashed dogs.
This was also the first time that I did not look for the route on the spot: namely, with the aid of Google Earth I had prepared a track sketch that I had uploaded on my Garmin GPS. This very rough object, together with the freely downloaded Pegasus map of Greece, was absolutely necessary in order not to get fooled by the innumerable forks and junctions of dirt roads that one finds up on this very extended mountain. Without these tools, in 2004 I had not even been able to reach a height of 1000 metres, that time accessing the mountain from the side of Mavromandila.
The encounter at Veteika with the asphalt (left very early, at Ano Kastritsi) would be the natural ending for the track, but I chose to lead it further, to the junction with the main road Patra-Kalavrita. Namely, if your intention is to go on in direction Erymanthos, the shortcut offered by a certain little dirt road could turn out to be precious.

PHOTOS: WORK IN PROGRESS.
In particular, the stitched panoramas will be added later.

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Here the description of the summit panorama http://www.panorama-photo.net/panedit.php?pid=21340:

A 360° from the highest summit of the Panachaïko, the bulky mountain dominating Patrasso and the whole region of Achaïa, which is the NW edge of Peloponnese.
I had developed the desire to climb this mountain already in far 2003, when for the first time I had ended a bicycle tour in Patrasso. That time I had climbed what I call my "Seven Summits": the northernmost ones of which, Klinovec and Brocken, lie perhaps too far away to be seen from here. However, the two southernmost are in sight: the Parnassos, in clouds on the other side of the Gulf of Korinthos, and the Helmos, well in sight right of the less visible Cillenes.
The central mountain of Peloponnese, which is the Menalos, hosting a ski centre as well as Parnassos and Helmos, is also visible. Diversely, its highest mountain, the Taygetos, is theoretically visible right of the Erymanthos, but this theory does not come to reality in a summer day.

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Waypoints

Start

Ano Kastritsi

Last village on the mountain. There is a big fountain in the vicinity of the main church. so you do not need to bring a water provision from the coast.

Agios Nektarios

In a panoramic spot little after the village.

Villa

Isolated villa on a switchback. Little down there are shelters with free dogs - necessary to shout before passing through.

Viewpoint - start of forest

Little after a fork where I took the lower track.

Riverbed crossing

Lonely place; you find only some beehives here.

Saddle with water

To be honest, I did not trust this water. I still had a provision from below.

Fork after Agios Panteleimonas

Go up here. The lower road goes probably to a some mitato.

Shelter at junction

Let us say that you find also very nasty people up these Greek mountains. Maybe only their dogs are worse. While I was taking the photo of the shelter a shepherd intimated to me to keep the road and not to "look too much around"!!

Further shelter

Located in an utmost panoramic place. I found it locked, however in case of an emergency there would be space outside for a sleeping bag.

Dead end road

Leads to some shelters.

Fork at start of steep stretch

From here on, you will probably need to push for some minutes!! After a while, however, the gradient normalizes.

Optimal sunset view

This a striking stretch.

Refuge

I found it locked, but I could sleep at the entrance. Some people on a leaving 4WD wanted also to leave me some of their provisions!!

Saddle - bicycle parking

Here I left the bicycle in order to go for the main summit.

South end of summit

Best panoramic point

Palavos

The trigonometric point, marked by a column, is not actually the highest one. I bossted the latter by improved its summit cairn, under which I found hidden a manuscript left by USA climbers... The EOS signpost "Palavos, 1926 m" is on top of the column.

Open view on east side

I explored a little bit the track pointing eastwards.

Viewpoint on west flank

Panoramic switchback

I found it decorated with some cows.

Fork to Souli

At least, so I presume. Take left and stay high here.

Mitato

This nice building also marks the end of the inhabited section. Little below begin the first stables - be careful and watch out for dogs.

Ano Souli junction

Barely readable signpost.

Ano Souli fountain

Excellent finding, at this point of the tour!

Fork, start of ascent

At this fork, in front of a hill dominated by a white church, I decided to followed my track sketch, although it led steeply on the mountain flank. Going straight perhaps one would give an easier ending to the tour, and also avoid many threatening dogs.

Rough riverbed

In this stretch the track becomes so rough that it seems to come to a dead end, but this is not the case.

Last saddle

Here begins the hidden valley leading down to Avriokampos - the first group of, seemingly, permanently inhabited houses that one finds after Ano Souli.