Volakias to Kallergi

Peaks: Gigilos (2080), Volakias (2116), Volakias South/Prinias (2118)
Area: Lefka Ori/White Mountains, Crete
A great start to my five-day immersion into the Cretan mountains in advance of our family holiday. I was initially tempted by a backpacking traverse of the White Mountains, but eventually discounted this as impractical in the time available: instead, I hired a car, and headed uphill for Omalos after landing in Chania. I stayed in a great little hotel with a lovely mountain atmosphere, and after breakfast of local thyme honey, yogurt and freshly churned butter headed up to Xyloscala at the top of the famous Samaria gorge. I was just before the main glut of tourists, and planned to descend the gorge with K and E later, so was in a very happy frame of mind as I left it all behind and headed up the zigzags towards Gigilos. This was an obvious first peak - probably Crete's most climbed mountain - and a fine-looking objective when viewed from Omalos. It throws down an impressive slabby face of naked limestone to the north, and has a pyramidal structure unlike most of the Lefka Ori. At the top of the zigzags, the route heads round a spur and begins to descend towards the obvious valley marking the true start of the gorge. This is quite spectacular and contains a number of large crumbling limestone spires and arches. The route negotiates these and is interesting throughout as a result. One section passes through one of the arches, while another weaves between two giant pinnacles. Above, the miraculous spring of Linoseli: three troughs of clear, cold water - the only water I ever saw in the Cretan mountains. Above, some rough zigzags leads to a pronounced, and very windy col between Gigilos and Strifomadhi. Ahead, the remote gorge of Tripiti drops down to the south coast near Sougia. A shepherd was just below, issuing the weird shouts to his flock that were to become quite familiar over the next few days. To the left, the broad summit ridge of Gigilos, a few hundred feet of slabby rock - giving some scrambling if taken direct. I stuck to solid rock where possible and found some nice variations up to the 'summit' - a giant cairn. I suspect this is where most walkers finish, but it is obviously not the high point. That is some way east, and an interesting ridge led to it, through chaotic boulders and limestone troughs. Some more scrambling and lots of weaving to the real summit, with views straight down the gorge and across to Omalos. Griffon vultures wheeled overhead as I had a snack. It had only taken an hour at a brisk but sustainable pace, not running, and the day had barely begun. Across a rough gap lay Volakias, clearly the dominant peak despite Gigilos's shapeliness from below. I traversed across untravelled limestone slabs to a broad hollow between the two peaks then picked my own way up trackless terrain left of the main 'ridge'. This gave some good scrambling but also some tough terrain - thick maquis and boulders, all very wild until I finally picked up a tenuous but cairned path much higher up. This took a weaving but comfortable line through the little crags to the summit. Again, however, I was not convinced this was the real summit. A narrow ridge with two or three gendarmes was poised above Samaria with another summit beyond. I had time, and was thoroughly enjoying myself, so embarked on the traverse. It was remarkably untravelled, almost no signs of human traffic although there were sheep and goat tracks in places. It was fairly shattered and quite narrow on the crest, although never too steep - I generally avoided difficulties on the right-hand side (opposite to Samaria) and it was all quite complex in terms of route-finding. I saw one 'human' cairn half-way after a broad chimney descent used by sheep, then avoided a gendarme by taking another steepish chimney to regain the crest not too far from the second summit. This was marked by a small cairn and I spent some time deciding whether it was higher or not! It definitely is, and this was confirmed by views from the other side of the gorge later on. Whatever, it is a fine and dominant peak - and looked superb a week later when we approached Ayia Roumeli by boat as it towers above the left side of Samaria. The ridge continues for miles right down to the sea: this would be a serious undertaking, completely pathless and devoid of water. Instead, I reversed the ridge - still quite involved but a bit simpler with prior knowledge - back to the first summit. Then an easier descent following the small cairns before contouring Gigilos back to the col and Linoseli, where I had a break drinking from the spring and enjoying the incredible view across Samaria to Pachnes and Melidaou. I was still getting used to the incredible Cretan light, taking far too many pictures, but finally descended back to Xyloscala and the famous restaurant, which styles itself as having the 'best view in Europe'. Not sure about that, but it was pretty stunning around 2pm as I ordered mountain tea with thyme honey and drank it on the wooden balcony poised above the Samaria gorge. I packed a few more things at the car, had some pitta with taromasalata for a Greek (but certainly not Cretan) lunch, and then started the walk-in to Kallergi. This takes a diagonal line through dwarf forest to a track, and then an indistinct short-cut up a shallow gully to eventually gain a forepeak with superb views back to Gigilos and Volakias. Across a gap, Kallergi, the only real hut in Crete. I'd booked a place, and checked in after a chat with the warden. It occupies a superb position on a small plateau: directly below is the Samaria gorge with the Libyan Sea shimmering distantly below. Even further out, Gavros - Europe's most southerly outpost. To the west, this morning's peaks - Gigilos and Volakias, with the latter clearly dominant and the ridge I'd traversed quite impressive. To the east, tomorrow's target of Psari and the ridge to Melidaou: beyond, Pachnes, probably too distant for me to reach. Nobody was in the hut, apart from one Flandrian having a drink while she waited for her friend to return from Melidaou. I spent a wonderful few hours dozing in the sunshine, until it dropped and the bitterly cold northerly sent me inside (but not before I used the famous wooden toilet, which is suspended above the top of the gorge with freefall waste products). A spectacular sunset as I dined alone in the hut on bean soup and pasta - with a dorm room to myself that night. Not the first time I have been the only guest in a mountain hut, but it always makes for a particularly memorable experience.