Mount Parnassus
2,457 m
Greece
Also known as Парнас, Parnas, +8Also known as
Парнас · Parnas · Parnass · Λιάκουρα · Parnaso · mont Parnasse · Παρνασσός · პარნასი · Parnassos · Muntele Parnas
- Elevation
- 2,457 m
- Prominence
- 1,590 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Sep–Oct
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: 3 (demanding) (Hiking Greece club grading)
The usual summer ascent of Liakoura, Parnassus's highest summit: about 800 m of ascent from the Kelaria ski-centre car park, up the ski slopes to the Profitis Ilias chapel, through the Portes saddle and across a karst field of sinkholes to the summit's west slope. Unmarked in places but without technical difficulty.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 11.3 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +857 m
- −158 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 2,457 m
- Time Up
- 4h 35m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 3h 57m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Drive from Arachova on asphalt to the large car park of the Parnassos ski centre at Kelaria (about 1,750 m). In summer the lifts do not run for walkers, so climb the ski slopes, following the lift pylons, to the small Profitis Ilias chapel at the top station of the Vakchos chairlift on the main ridge. There are no waymarks on this part, but the line is obvious in clear weather. From Profitis Ilias head south-east to Portes, a saddle with two openings (either can be used; in snow choose by conditions). Beyond it the route weaves south-east and then east between dolines and small gullies on a bare limestone plateau to the foot of Liakoura's west slope, which leads easily to the summit with its trig point. Tsarkos (2,415 m) and Gerontovrachos (about 2,390 m) can be added as side summits. Descend the same way; avoid crossing the doline field directly, which is slow and tiring, and do not drive down the ski runs. A fast party needs about 2¾ hours up and 2¼ hours down for roughly 11 km and 820 m of ascent; club groups allow 5–7 hours for the round trip. In winter and spring the route is a ski tour or snowshoe ascent with avalanche terrain on the steeper slopes.
Start
Kelaria ski centre1,758 m
- Buses run from Athens (Liosion terminal) to Arachova; no regular summer bus to Kelaria was found, so a car or taxi is needed for the last stretch.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kelaria ski centre → Liakoura | 11.3 | 857 | 158 | 4h 35m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Kelaria ski centre1,758 m
- Summit: Liakoura2,457 m
Key Passages
- Ski slopes to Profitis Ilias
- Portes saddle
- Doline field
- West slope of Liakoura
Equipment
0/5 packedDownloads
Route confidence 70%Overview
The limestone massif above Delphi, sacred to Apollo and the Muses, whose highest summit Liakoura (2,455 m) is an easy half-day walk from the Kelaria ski centre in summer and a classic ski-mountaineering objective in winter.
Parnassus is a large limestone massif in central Greece, mostly in Phocis, between the Amfissa valley and the Boeotian Kephissos valley, with Delphi on its southern slopes and the mountain town of Arachova as its base. The eastern half of the massif is higher, barer and more rugged; its highest summits, Liakoura, Tsarkos (2,415 m) and Gerontovrachos, rise from a high karst plateau pitted with sinkholes. Fir forests of the Parnassos National Park cover the lower western slopes.
The summer ascent is short because roads climb high: from the car park of Greece's largest ski centre at Kelaria (about 1,750 m) it is about 800 m of ascent on unmarked but straightforward ground, through a landscape partly scarred by ski lifts and bauxite mining. The summit gives wide views over the Gulf of Corinth, Giona, Oiti and Velouchi, and on clear days across to the Peloponnese.
In winter Parnassus becomes a serious snow mountain with avalanche terrain and cold, windy conditions; the Velitsa gorge descent towards Tithorea is regarded as the most classic ski-mountaineering route in Greece. For hikers the better-known long route is the 2,000 m climb from Ano Tithorea through the Velitsa gorge.
Climbing Notes
In summer and early autumn Liakoura is a straightforward day hike for anyone with basic mountain fitness: 5–7 hours return from Kelaria with about 800 m of ascent. The main difficulty is navigation: there are few waymarks, and the doline field between Portes and the summit is confusing in cloud, so carry a GPS track. Take water and sun protection; there is none on the plateau.
Arachova is the usual base, with plenty of accommodation; Delphi is a half-hour drive. Combine the summit with Tsarkos or Gerontovrachos for a longer day.
From roughly November to May the mountain is under snow: ski touring or snowshoeing with avalanche kit, or crampons and ice axe, are needed, and the ski centre's rules on uphill travel on the pistes apply when lifts are running. The long Velitsa gorge route from Ano Tithorea (about 2,000 m of ascent, 11–14 hours return) is only for experienced, fit parties.
History
In Greek myth Parnassus was sacred to Apollo and Dionysus and home of the Muses and the Castalian spring; in some versions Deucalion's ark came to rest here after the flood. The Corycian Cave on its slopes was sacred to Pan and the nymphs, and the oracle of Delphi lies at its southern foot. The Parnassos National Park was established in 1938, though the highest summits lie outside it. The mountain sheltered partisans during the Second World War and the Civil War. Systematic bauxite mining began in the late 1930s, and the ski centre at Fterolaka and Kelaria was built from 1975, with Kelaria opening in 1981. No record of a first ascent is known; the summit has been visited since antiquity.
Season
Best Sep–Oct- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Good
- June: Best
- July: Good
- August: Good
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Best (best window)
- November: Possible
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Winter; ski touring and snowshoeing with avalanche kit
- Feb
- Winter; ski touring
- Mar
- Best month for ski mountaineering; avalanche risk
- Apr
- Spring snow; Velitsa gorge often in condition
- May
- Snow patches; crocus meadows
- Jun
- Snow-free; mild temperatures
- Jul
- Hot; start early
- Aug
- Hot; start early
- Sep
- Stable weather, cooler
- Oct
- Clear days; first snow possible late in the month
- Nov
- Early winter; snow possible
- Dec
- Winter; ski centre opens when snow allows
Access & Permits
- Rules
- Parnassos National Park and Natura 2000 site (GR2410002): stay on paths, no fires; the summits themselves lie outside the national park core
- When the ski centre is operating, follow its rules for uphill travel and stay off groomed runs in use
- Getting There
Arachova
Athens International (ATH), about 2.5 hours by road
- By car from Athens to Arachova (about 180 km), then the mountain road to the Kelaria ski centre car park
- KTEL buses run from Athens (Liosion terminal) to Arachova and Delphi; no regular bus to Kelaria outside the ski season was found
Hazards
- Weather
- Avalanche