Yesterday I did my best to clear the calderimi from the top of Anania hill down to the asphalt road, Pirgos. It was jungle and I got extremely scratched. However, it is now at least passable.
This morning I visited the town hall to ask for help. I can see that if this route doesn’t get some heavy, serious clearing, it will go the same way as the route from Ag Reginos church, Pirgos down the Elios. Baby Pefkia trees get seeded and start growing between the stones and then they can’t be removed easily as the roots take hold. The route then closes totally. I spoke to a new guy, Iannis Anastasiou, and he agreed to help. I can’t believe this is actually going to happen. When I spoke to the Mayor earlier this month, he said that nothing would be happening regarding path clearing. I told him that I’d thought about getting volunteers via the Workaway website. I don’t mind who helps – I’m not fussy! Watch this space.
joelwinkin@skynet.be
Dear Heather,
It’s always a pleasure to read your website and be informed about your efforts to keep Skopeliot trails alive. On behalf of all those who love Skopelos nature , congratulations and thanks a million !
Have you published a more recent version of your guidebook, including the kalderimia or footpaths that you have recently cleared ( or the recent stone-built ones ) ?
The valley running down to Glysteri is always a mystery to me . From the crossroad on the ridge ( where the asphalt road arrives from town ), it’s easy to walk down a footpath to the valley floor and meet the Glysteri road again at a hairpin. But from there I was a bit confused with trail directions ( it was about 2 years ago ). Northward is a kalderimi walking up to the rubbish tip ( a bit disgusting by the end, we did it some years ago ).;But the Anavasi map ( of a few years ago , I didn’t check more recent editions , if any ) shows a southbound trail upstream in the direction of the Djilali spring . And this we could never find.What we found is a new stone built kalderimi from the above-mentioned crossroad on the ridge gently descending to the Djilali spring , across a deer-growing enclosure.
I hope your project to re-open a trail from that area to Karya will materialize ! And also Pyrgos to Platanakia, avoiding the car road. I’m also intrigued by Anania to Pyrgos. What we regularly do is , a bit above Diakopi, taking on the left hand a steep rocky trail , with fantastic views on Alonissos , up to a church, and from there , a narrow path was recently re-opened going up to a track on the highest ridge ( sea view on both sides ). This jeep-track , which we think is a dead-end , leads to the asphalt road just before Pyrgos. So perhaps the newly cleared trail you mention is in that area ?
We’re longing to be again in Skopelos for a few days at the end of this month, where we’ll perhaps meet you on the trails …
Kind regards ,
Joël
I
Heather Parsons
Guidebook will be updated for the autumn. More news on Facebook page Skopelos Trails. We’ve been clearing ag ianni skleri to Moutero these days. Also Polimistria Pirgos down to Kambos.
Heather Parsons
Thanks Joel. If you contact me I can show you. Hotmail closed as hacked. Now hevskop1985@gmail.com