E4.16A Koustogerako - Omalos

Not particularly difficult

From the square of Koustogerako (1) an uphill cart track begins, which winds up along the impressive slope.

After 2 km of ascent on the cart track, at an altitude of approximately 700 m, we encounter a small plateau (2) and we continue north.

After 1.400 m and having entered a forested area, we meet a right turn-off which we ignore. In the next 100 m we cross a stream and continue for another 600 m, until the end of the dirt road (3).

From this point, a barely discernible path heading north begins. After about 20 minutes of walking, at an altitude of approximately 1.000 m, we meet a stream which we follow up to the point where its bed turns eastwards, in an area named Olysma (4), where an old shepherd’s stone hut can be seen.

From Olysma, we still continue northwards, following the gently uphill and unclear path along a pine-covered slope.

In this section, the path is difficult to discern, so we must keep the bare summit ahead of us in mind, as an orientation point, since we must pass beneath it. A panoramic view of the area of East Selinos stretches out to the west. Down below, at the foot of the slope we pass along, the gorge of Agia Irini prevails.

About 3,5 km after Olysma, we follow a path (again hard to discern), at an altitude of approximately 1.200 m. Then, we descend to a small flat area, in Panochoriani Sterna (5), where there are a cistern and an old shepherd’s stone hut.

From this point on we follow the cart track, constantly going northwards, and 2 km after passing by a circular shepherd’s stone hut, we encounter the main paved road (6) which connects Omalos and Agia Irini.

Having turned right and come (after 600 m) to the church of Agios Theodoros, we continue for another 1,5 km. Then, we arrive at Seliniotikos Giros, at the north-west edge of the plateau of Omalos.