Gorillas
1,658 m
Greece
Also known as Γκορίλας, GkorilasAlso known as
Γκορίλας · Gkorilas
- Elevation
- 1,658 m
- Prominence
- 1,097 m
- Difficulty
- 3/10
- Mountain hike
- Best Season
- Apr–May
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1The standard club route: from the mountain village of Eleftherochori (about 700 m) on a dirt road and a steep path through pine and mixed forest, then over upland meadows to the summit ridge and the 1,658 m top, with views down to Lake Chotkova and out to the Ionian Sea. About 10 km and 1,000–1,250 m of ascent as a round trip, 5–6 hours.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 6.2 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +969 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 1,658 m
- Time Up
- 4h 01m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 44m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Eleftherochori lies north of the summit in the Paramythia mountains, reached by road from Paramythia. Clubs meet at the parking area by the central square. A rough dirt road leads a little higher; from its end a wide path climbs very steeply and steadily through forest, where dead trees stand among living ones, for about an hour. Above the trees the route crosses meadows with wide views north to Tymfi and the Pindus. The path is not always clear: parties report losing it in the upper wooded section, so route-finding skills or a GPS track are needed. A last hard climb leads onto the ridge, from where the summit is easy. Descend the same way, or make a loop back to Eleftherochori. Club grades put the round trip at grade 2 (Igoumenitsa club, 5 hours) or B (Ioannina club, 10 km, 1,250 m ascent, 6 hours). In bad weather or with snow the route becomes considerably harder.
Start
Ελευθεροχώρι693 m
- KTEL buses serve Paramythia from Igoumenitsa and Ioannina; no service to Eleftherochori was found, so a taxi or own car is needed for the last stretch.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ελευθεροχώρι → Γκορίλας | 6.2 | 969 | 6 | 4h 01m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Ελευθεροχώρι693 m
Village square and parking; elevation from EU-DEM, approximate
- Summit: Γκορίλας1,658 m
Key Passages
- Very steep forest path above the dirt-road end
- Upland meadows below the summit ridge
- Final steep climb to the ridge
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 55%Overview
Gorillas (Gkorilas, 1,658 m) is the high point of the Paramythia mountains in Thesprotia, Epirus, rising steeply above the town of Paramythia. A steep forest and meadow hike from Eleftherochori leads to a summit with views over Lake Chotkova and out to the Ionian Sea.
The Paramythia mountains form a limestone ridge running north–south on the mainland of Epirus, between the town of Paramythia at their western foot and the Souli region to the south. Gorillas (Greek Γκορίλας, also spelled Gkorilas) is the highest summit and one of the highest points of Thesprotia; Chionistra (about 1,643 m) lies about 5 km to the north-north-west. Despite the name, it has nothing to do with gorillas: local writers derive it from the Slavic root gor-, 'mountain'.
The western flank above Paramythia is steep and craggy, with the cave chapel of Agios Arsenios set in the cliffs at about 1,200 m. The northern side is gentler, with pine and mixed forest giving way to upland meadows. From the top you look down on Lake Chotkova, a seasonally flooded Natura 2000 wetland near Krystallopigi, west to the Ionian Sea, and north to Mourgana, Tymfi and the Pindus.
The mountain sees few visitors apart from local club outings, mostly in spring and autumn. It is a demanding day hike rather than a climb: steep, sometimes pathless, but with no technical ground on the normal route.
Climbing Notes
Expect 1,000–1,250 m of ascent and 5–6 hours for the round trip from Eleftherochori, mostly on steep ground; good fitness and comfort on rough terrain are needed. Waymarking is incomplete and the path is easily lost in the upper forest, so carry a GPS track and map. The ridge traverse from ancient Elea via Stavros is rougher (graded 3+ by the Corfu club, about 8 hours) and should only be attempted by experienced hikers. Snow covers the upper slopes in winter, when crampons, an ice axe and winter experience are needed; spring and autumn are the usual seasons. Carry all your water, start early in summer, and give shepherds' dogs a wide berth on the meadows.
Season
Best Apr–May- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Best (best window)
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Good
- July: Possible
- August: Possible
- September: Good
- October: Best
- November: Good
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Snow on the upper slopes; winter experience and equipment needed
- Feb
- Snow on the upper slopes
- Mar
- Lingering snow high up
- Apr
- Popular month for club outings; possible snow patches
- Jun
- Warm; start early
- Jul
- Hot on the lower slopes; afternoon storms possible
- Aug
- Hot and dry
- Oct
- Stable autumn weather
- Nov
- Shorter days; first snow possible
- Dec
- Early winter conditions possible
Access & Permits
- Getting There
Paramythia
Preveza-Aktion (PVK) or Ioannina (IOA); Corfu (CFU) via the Igoumenitsa ferry
- Car: by road from Igoumenitsa or Ioannina to Paramythia, then on to Eleftherochori; parking by the village square
- Bus: KTEL buses serve Paramythia from Igoumenitsa and Ioannina; onward by taxi
- Ferry: from Corfu or Italy to Igoumenitsa, then by road or bus to Paramythia
Hazards
- Weather
- Remoteness