Voutsikaki ascent "One mountain, two worlds" & kayak on Stefaniada Lake

Saturday:

10:00-13:00 Arrival-check-in at the hostel.

Meeting at the oasis of Agrafa for disconnection and recovery. Today the day has the option of absolute relaxation, where soul and body will harmonize with the serenity of the lake.

14:30 we will meet at Lake Stefaniada where we will do a boat trip different from the others. I will leave the secret of the lake to you to discover where the colors of autumn will have been worn. When we reach the private beach we will have a snack and then there are two options, either diving and relaxation or for the more restless spirits a short hike along the riverbanks through the plane tree forest to the hidden waterfall.

Hiking distance: ~1.5km

Positive elevation: ~0m

Duration: ~1h

Difficulty: Easy

17:30 return to the hostel and free time

*Optional hiking to the Souda tou Mai waterfall or Drosatos waterfall or a walk through the traditional settlements of Argithea.

Sunday:

We depart from the guesthouse for Voutsikaki 2,154m.

8:30 One of the most impressive crossings of the Thessalian Agrafa where we will climb a ridge between two worlds. On one side, the Thessalian plain with the mundane and on the other, the Greek Himalayas, the vastness of the countless peaks and steep slopes of the Agrafa. As we climb down, another jewel unfolds at our feet, Lake Plastira… reaching the top we have time to decide which world we want to continue walking in. The Agrafa is a journey into the past, into a simple, pure and unadulterated life that has within it all the meaning of life. There are two categories of people, those who leave with tears in their eyes and return again and again because the Agrafa cannot be satisfied, and those who return to stay permanently, having it as a refuge and starting point for all the other journeys of their lives. Then, we descend from the west to the historic village of Petrilo and we will learn about its history, which is dominated by two periods. One is marked by the heroic action of the captains and klephtarmatoles of the Agrafa armatoliko during the Turkish occupation. Petrilo in the National Uprising against the Turks was the headquarters of the most important armatoliko of Agrafa. The other period is that of the epic of the National Resistance against the Italians and Germans (1940 – 1944). During this period, Petrilo was the headquarters of the Political Committee of National Liberation, also known to us as PEEA or Government of Free Greece.

Kilometric distance: ~12km

Positive elevation: ~1,100m

Negative elevation: ~950m

Duration: ~8h

Difficulty: Difficult (There is no technical difficulty on the route, but it requires very good physical condition, good shoes and no fear of heights/acrophobia)

Around 16:30 departure and return to the city.