The Tzilali/Karya Gorge

It has long been my ambition to get this abandoned but previously well-used route reopened. Being the main way to the kalivia of the Karya area, it was once in regular use. The mules would be loaded up and everyone had their last drink at the Tzilali spring before setting off.

Djelili spring

However, with the creation of the wide EU road, positioned directly above the gorge (made ostensibly for bringing the household refuge from Elios to Papou XTA) many landslides occurred during the road’s construction and by the laws of gravity, rubble and boulders tumbled downwards. Thus, the trail fell into disuse.

Fearing the worst, and believing what I was told, I didn’t even bother to check the trail out to see how bad the blockages were. Well not until recently that is and I was pleasantly surprised. It is obviously overgrown having been neglected for forty odd years but there are portions of beautiful man-made trail surviving, particularly near to the top end and of course, the semi-circular stone bridge is still intact.

Having cleared the trail from the kriavrissi end down to the bridge last year, we will soon be making a start to clear from the bridge down towards Tzilali junction.

The opening of this route will automatically create several long, circular hikes. The other connecting trails have already been reopened and were just waiting for the last piece of the jigsaw to be put into place.

USE IT OR LOSE IT

We have worked on the Kyperissi trail twice during 2024.

On our second visit, no evidence could be seen of it having been used at all; no tell-tail flattened grass down the middle for example. Why don’t you drive and walk if it’s too far from town. If you park at Pirgos, the circular is just 1.6km (walk clockwise, down to Kyperissi and back up via the beautiful calderimi).

From town, it is 8.22km ONE WAY and the trail from Diakopi to the top of Pirgos is very steep indeed although the views are spectacular.

It’s a pity this pretty trail is not being used, except by us when we go to clean it. At the moment, there are a couple of mules being kept near the spring. They are friendly enough but take care if you are walking with your dog as one of them is not tethered.

To Drink or Not to Drink, That is the Question!

posted in: water and springs | 0

With some 60 springs documented in my Walking Guide Book, most named after the land owner or area and many made visible by an attractive white painted stone arch, one can’t help wondering if the water is safe to drink. One regular summer visitor has actually been taking samples and testing the water. Her results conclude that in the majority of cases, it is indeed safe. Since the introduction of chlorine into our tap water, I’ve been collecting my drinking water from springs and I’m still alive. So if you’d like to follow suite, get yourself several large containers and get into the habit of driving to one the known safe springs, namely: Ag Marina, Kriavrissi Karia, Moutero, Platanakia Elios. Whilst hiking, if the water is running strongly, it will be OK to drink, eg. Ag Anna, E Mana tou Nero, Kozaniti Alikias, Neratrehumena Taxiarcon.

Happy New Year to all our followers and I look forward to our first hike of 2024 on Sunday 21 January.