Sfakia sky marathon 43km +3060m sea to summit (2022 edition)

Sfakia sky marathon 43km +3000m (sea to summit challenge, bring the cheese down challenge)

(English below)

"Σκουπα" και στον 2ο ορεινο μαραθώνιο που διοργανώθηκε ποτέ στον όγκο των λευκων Ορέων!!

Όμορφη εμπειρία, μοναδικη, οι αθλητες ενθουσιαστηκαν από το το βουνό τη φιλοξενία και την αρτια διοργάνωση σε τέλειες συνθήκες (τέλειες αφού ΕΥΤΥΧΏΣ δεν φυσουσε πολυ)!

Υπήρχαν και η πρόκληση κάποιος να κατεβάσει ένα κεφάλι τυρί από το κατσιβελι (bring the cheese down challenge) και να το καταρτίσει!
Ειχα την κρυφή ελπίδα να βαρεθούν όλοι α το πάρουν ώστε να το πάρω εγώ αλλά δυστυχώς ο τέταρτος αθλητής μου το πήρε... 😛

Από τις ρουσιες μέχρι την ανωπολη στον γυρισμο αποδεσμευτηκα από τα καθήκοντα της σκούπας και έκανα μια γρήγορη απολαυστική καταβαση σε τεχνικό τερεν, ότι καλύτερο!

Χρονοι:

Αναλυτικές πληροφορίες στο site του αρκαλου, σας περιμένουμε του χρονου με το καλο!

https://www.arkalos.gr/en/sfakia-sky-run-en/description-sfakia-sky-run/

The ARKALOS mountain athletes’ association, under the auspices of the Municipality of Sfakion, organizes the Sfakia Sky Marathon – Sea to Summit mountain running race. This is a special race, unique for the Greek trail running scene. As its name implies, initially, it consists of a continuous uphill which starts from sea level and specifically from Loutro Sfakion, and passes through the highest peak of the White Mountains Pachnes, at an altitude of 2.454 meters, after 20 kilometers and 2.600 meters of positive altitude.

From there, athletes have the opportunity to admire more than 60 peaks above 2.000 altitude, a unique phenomenon for the Greek mountains!

Then the route moves to the heart of «Madara» – a name used by the locals for the White Mountains – and reaches the most isolated plateau of the island, at the location Katsiveli at 2.000 meters in the mitata (small houses made of stone) of which the breeders were making cheese a few years ago.

From there, the athletes will return and finish in Anopoli Sfakion, traveling a total of 43 kilometers with 3.000 meters of positive and 2.400 meters of negative altitude difference.

The race, is a journey from the past to the present as it mostly moves on the paths that for centuries were used by the shepherds of the area to lift, during the summer months, their herds on the mountain to find food. With the arrival of winter, they descended from the same paths to lower altitudes to spend the winter.

At the same time it is a trip from summer to winter, since the temperatures at that time at the starting point (sea level) are summery but at the top (at 2.454 meters) it is often close to 5 degrees Celsius or even lower.

Athletes participating in the race will have the opportunity to visit some of the most beautiful places in the White Mountains, to experience the unique mountainous desert landscape and from the top to admire the unobstructed view of the Libyan Sea to the south and the “sea of peaks” to the north.

See you next year in the race!!

more info here:
https://www.arkalos.gr/en/sfakia-sky-run-en/description-sfakia-sky-run/