Paliovouna
1,748 m
Greece
Also known as Παλιοβούνα, Mount Helicon (Elikonas)Also known as
Παλιοβούνα · Mount Helicon (Elikonas)
- Elevation
- 1,748 m
- Prominence
- 1,285 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Apr–May
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: 2+ (Greek club grading) (AXOL Voiotias, 2023)
The classic ascent of Helicon's highest summit: from the village of Agia Anna (about 700 m) by a well-made, waymarked path up the east spur through fir forest, past mining spoil and an old mine track to a saddle below Paliovouna, then up a rocky slope to the summit (1,748 m). About 12 km and 1,000 m of ascent there and back, roughly 6 hours.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 5.5 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,046 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 1,748 m
- Time Up
- 4h 11m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 47m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start from the shaded square of Agia Anna (Koukoura), with tavernas, guesthouses and a fountain. Climb through the lanes to the top of the village, then follow a rough forest track to the meadow of Megali Lakka, where the path begins. It is well waymarked, well graded and maintained by local volunteers. It passes the hollow of Lakka Korombilia and the shepherds' lair of Mamali, then traverses below the crags of Dyo Tsoumbes to a large flat area, a natural doline levelled with spoil from bauxite mining. From here an old mining track leads to a saddle beneath the summit mass of Paliovouna. Climb the rocky slope on a nearly vanished track and then a decent path to the summit, on the rim of a large many-lobed doline. Despite 1,000 m of height gain the gradient is steady and moderate. The old waymarks are being renewed with the markings of the national trail O22. Descend the same way, or traverse north-west to the Arvanitsa meadow (fir forest, café-restaurant, usually no water at the fountain) on the marked path that serves as the alternative ascent from that side.
Start
Agia Anna703 m
- No public transport to Agia Anna was confirmed; the nearest town is Livadeia.
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Agia Anna703 m
- Summit: Paliovouna1,748 m
Key Passages
- Traverse below the Dyo Tsoumbes crags
- Rocky slope from the saddle to the summit
Equipment
0/5 packedDownloads
Route confidence 65%Overview
Paliovouna (1,748 m) is the highest summit of Mount Helicon in Boeotia, the mountain of the Muses. A steady, waymarked path climbs 1,000 m from the village of Agia Anna through fir forest to a stony top with views over the Gulf of Corinth and the Boeotian plain.
Helicon (Elikonas) is one of the mountains closest to Athens and one of the least known, a long massif in the shadow of Parnassos between the Boeotian plain and the Gulf of Corinth. It runs about 40 km from north-north-west to south-south-east, 10–25 km wide, with some 20 summits above 1,000 m in four groups: Helicon proper, whose high point is Paliovouna, the Kollièdes, Megali Loutsa and Zagaras. It forms a natural link between Parnassos and the mountains of Attica.
The mountain has been scarred by bauxite mining and wind farms, and mining tracks and spoil reach high up on Paliovouna itself. It still has fine fir forest, meadows such as Arvanitsa and Megali Lakka, large karst dolines and wide views. The classic ascent from Agia Anna (Koukoura) on the east side is a long but gentle day; a shorter path climbs from the Arvanitsa meadow on the north-west.
Its cultural landscape is rich: the Valley of the Muses, about ten ancient acropolises, medieval towers and the monasteries of Hosios Loukas (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and Hosios Meletios on its fringes.
Climbing Notes
In summer and autumn the climb from Agia Anna needs only general fitness for a 6-hour, 12 km round trip with about 1,000 m of ascent; the path is well made and the gradient steady. Carry water from the village. Mining tracks cross the upper slopes, so a map or GPS track helps in mist. Local clubs organise ascents, and the old waymarks are being replaced with those of the national trail O22.
There is no staffed refuge on the route; Agia Anna has guesthouses and tavernas, and camping is possible at the Arvanitsa meadow if it is left clean. Snow can cover the upper mountain in winter, when the summit slope may need crampons.
History
In Greek myth Helicon was the home of the Muses; their sacred springs Aganippe and Hippocrene, the latter struck from the rock by the hoof of Pegasus, were on the mountain. Hesiod, from nearby Ascra, opens the Theogony with the Heliconian Muses, who met him while he tended sheep and gave him a laurel staff. In the Valley of the Muses near Thespiai a sanctuary with statues of gods and poets was still seen by Pausanias in the 2nd century AD. A myth contrasts the gentle Helicon with its rugged brother Kithairon, who threw Helicon off a cliff before the gods turned both into mountains.
Season
Best Apr–May- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Good
- April: Best (best window)
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Good
- July: Good
- August: Good
- September: Best
- October: Best
- November: Good
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Snow possible on the upper mountain
- Feb
- Snow possible on the upper mountain
- Mar
- Late snow patches
- Apr
- Good conditions; spring flowers
- May
- Good conditions
- Jun
- Warm; start early
- Jul
- Hot; start early
- Aug
- Hot; start early
- Sep
- Good conditions; club events
- Oct
- Good conditions; autumn mist in the forest
- Nov
- Shorter days
- Dec
- Winter conditions possible
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- No staffed refuge on the route. Accommodation in Agia Anna.
- Getting There
Livadeia; the village of Agia Anna (Koukoura) is the trailhead
Athens International (ATH)
- Drive from Livadeia to Agia Anna (Koukoura) on the north-east side of Helicon
- No public transport to Agia Anna was confirmed
Hazards
- Weather