Trekking in Mount Olympus

Mount Olympus was the home of the Greek gods, and standing on Mytikas — its highest point at 2,918 metres — feels suitably lofty: the Aegean glitters far below, and the summit rocks fall away in every direction.

It is Greece's highest mountain and one of the most rewarding treks in the Mediterranean, rising almost from sea level through deep forest and alpine meadow to a bare, cathedral-like summit massif.

The standard two-day trek up from Prionia to the mountain refuge and on to the top is within reach of any fit hillwalker until the very end, when the final push to Mytikas becomes an exposed hands-on scramble that quickens the pulse.

Myth, altitude and a genuine sting in the tail make it a mountain that lives up to its legend.

A classic hut-to-summit trek: a long forested climb on day one to Refuge A (Spilios Agapitos) at around 2,100 m, a night in the dormitory, then an alpine start for the summit.

The upper mountain is open and rocky, and the last section to Mytikas is a genuine scramble — exposed Grade-3 moving over loose rock with real drops, where a slip has serious consequences. Below that, the walking is steep but non-technical.

Weather can change fast at altitude, with cold, cloud and afternoon storms, and the summit block is no place to be caught out. Fit trekkers comfortable using their hands on exposed rock will relish it; anyone uneasy with heights can stop at the neighbouring, walkable Skala or Skolio summits.

Trek from June to early October, when the refuge is open and the summit is usually snow-free; outside that window it becomes a mountaineering objective. Start from Prionia, book a bunk at Refuge A in advance, and travel light with warm layers, headtorch and plenty of water.

Reserve the summit push for early morning to beat the afternoon storms that build over the massif.

If you are not confident on exposed scrambling, be honest with yourself — the walk to Skala at 2,866 m gives almost the same reward without the crux, or hire a local guide for the Mytikas section. Good footwear with grip is essential on the loose summit rock.

Check the forecast and don't push into deteriorating weather.