Smolikas
2,631 m
Greece
Also known as Смолика, Σμόλικας, +4Also known as
Смолика · Σμόλικας · Smólikas · ემოლიკასი · Змоликас · Smolcu
- Elevation
- 2,631 m
- Prominence
- 1,736 m
- Difficulty
- 3/10
- Mountain hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 2
Routes
2The classic and easiest line: from the Smolikas refuge (1,750 m), reachable by dirt road from Palioseli, a waymarked path climbs through Bosnian pine forest onto open ridges, passes the Drakolimni (dragon lake, about 2,150 m) and zigzags up the summit cone. About 4 hours up, 14 km and roughly 1,070 m of cumulative ascent for the round trip.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 6.2 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +986 m
- −72 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 2,632 m
- Time Up
- 4h 13m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 59m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Palioseli (about 1,080 m) is reached by paved road from Konitsa, Vrysochori or the Vasilitsa ski centre. From the village a dirt road of about 7 km, passable with care in an ordinary (not low-slung) car, climbs to the Smolikas refuge at La Nane (1,750 m); a waymarked footpath on the O3 national trail covers the same ground in about 3 hours for those walking from the village. A cold, permanent spring lies about 100 m beyond the refuge: fill up here. The path starts just below the refuge and climbs steeply out of a gully through dense forest of Bosnian pine (rombola) onto the ridge, the most tiring part of the day. The forest thins into alpine pasture around Mougkourida (about 2,050–2,080 m), after which the gradient eases. About 1.5 km before the lake the path from Pades joins from the right. The Drakolimni, a small heart-shaped tarn with alpine newts, is reached in about 2 hours from the refuge; just beyond it the O3 path from Agia Paraskevi comes in from the north. From the lake the summit cone looks steep, but the path traverses it in switchbacks over stony ground; allow 1¾–2 hours. A second spring about 500 m below the summit often dries up after spring. The ascent is non-technical but long and fully exposed to sun, wind and summer thunderstorms. Descend the same way (about 3 hours to the refuge), or traverse north to Agia Paraskevi or east to Samarina if transport has been arranged.
Start
Ορειβατικό Καταφύγιο Σμόλικα1,716 m
- None practical to the refuge. KTEL buses run from Ioannina to Konitsa; from there a taxi or own car is needed to Palioseli and up the dirt road.
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ορειβατικό Καταφύγιο Σμόλικα → Σμόλικας | 6.2 | 986 | 72 | 4h 13m |
Waypoints
- Hut: Ορειβατικό Καταφύγιο Σμόλικα1,716 m
Smolikas refuge at La Nane; road end, about 7 km of dirt road from Palioseli
- Shoulder: Μουγκουρίδα2,087 m
Mougkourida; end of the steep forest section
- Feature: Δρακόλιμνη2,153 m
Drakolimni (dragon lake); junction with the O3 path from Agia Paraskevi just beyond
- Summit: Σμόλικας2,631 m
Key Passages
- Steep climb through the forest out of the gully above the refuge
- Drakolimni (dragon lake)
- Switchbacks up the stony summit cone
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 70%Overview
The highest summit of the Pindus (2,631 m) and Greece's second-highest mountain, a broad ophiolite massif above Konitsa in Epirus. A long but non-technical hike leads from forests of Bosnian pine past a heart-shaped alpine lake, the Drakolimni, to a stony summit cone.
Smolikas rises in the far north-west of Greece, between the Aoos (Vjosa) valley and the Sarantaporos, about 15 km north-east of Konitsa. It is the highest mountain of the Pindus and second in Greece only to Olympus. The Hellenic Military Geographical Service gives 2,631 m; older maps and many hiking sources still quote 2,637 m. The massif is built of dark ophiolite rock, a fragment of ancient ocean floor, and its northern and eastern cirques held glaciers in the Pleistocene. The whole mountain lies in Konitsa municipality, within the Northern Pindos National Park and the Vikos–Aoos UNESCO Global Geopark.
The lower slopes carry large forests of beech, oak and Bosnian pine (rombola); above about 2,000 m these give way to grassland and stony ridges. Just west of the summit cone lies the Drakolimni (dragon lake), a small heart-shaped tarn at about 2,150 m that is home to alpine newts and one of the best-known sights of the Pindus. Villages ring the mountain: Palioseli, Pades and Armata to the south, Agia Paraskevi (Kerasovo) to the north and the Vlach village of Samarina to the east.
In summer the ascent is a long hike with no technical difficulty: about 900 m from the refuge above Palioseli, or about 1,700 m from Agia Paraskevi. The appeal is the scale and emptiness of the landscape, the lake and the wide views over Tymfi, Grammos and into Albania. In winter it becomes a serious snow mountain, remote and exposed to wind.
Climbing Notes
Fitness for a 6–8 hour day with 900–1,700 m of ascent is the main requirement; the paths are waymarked but sometimes faint, so carry a GPS track. Altitude is not an issue. The usual plan is to drive to the Smolikas refuge (1,750 m) on the dirt road from Palioseli, sleep there, and climb to the summit via the Drakolimni next morning, returning the same way (6–7 hours round trip). A popular variant is the traverse from the refuge over the summit and down the O3 trail to Agia Paraskevi, which needs a car shuttle or taxi.
Water: fill up at the springs by the refuge and in the forest; the spring below the summit is unreliable after early summer. Start early, as afternoon thunderstorms are common and there is no shelter above the treeline. Fog can make the open ridges confusing. Brown bears and wolves live in the national park, and shepherds' guard dogs are common on summer pastures: give flocks a wide berth. Snow lingers on the summit cone into June; from November to April the mountain is a winter objective for experienced parties with crampons, ice axe and avalanche awareness, or for ski-mountaineers.
History
No record of a first ascent is known; the mountain has long been grazed by Vlach (Aromanian) and Greek shepherds, and Samarina, one of the highest villages in Greece, lies on its eastern flank. Water-powered sawmills once worked in the forests around Armata.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Possible
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Possible
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; deep snow, refuge closed, roads may be blocked
- Feb
- Winter; for experienced winter mountaineers and ski-tourers only
- Mar
- Winter conditions; avalanche risk on steep slopes
- Apr
- Spring ski touring for experienced parties
- May
- Refuge opens; substantial snow remains high up
- Jun
- Snow patches on the summit cone early in the month; flowers around the lake
- Jul
- Best season; start early to avoid afternoon storms
- Aug
- Best season; upper spring may be dry
- Sep
- Stable weather, clear views, shorter days
- Oct
- Cooler; early snow possible later in the month
- Nov
- Refuge open until November if there is no snow; first winter storms
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Smolikas refuge (24 places, meals served, open roughly May to November when snow-free): book by phone (+30 698 983 7704) or via its Facebook page.
- Fees
- Refuge overnight and meals paid at the Smolikas refuge
- Rules
- Northern Pindos National Park: stay on paths, respect grazing livestock and wildlife; swimming in the alpine lakes is prohibited to protect the newts
- Getting There
Konitsa
Ioannina (IOA)
- Car: Ioannina–Konitsa on the national road (about 1 hour), then paved road to Palioseli and about 7 km of dirt road to the Smolikas refuge (passable with care in an ordinary car)
- Agia Paraskevi (Kerasovo) lies on the Konitsa–Kozani national road (EO20)
- Public transport: KTEL buses from Ioannina to Konitsa; onward to the villages by taxi
Hazards
- Weather
- Remoteness
Huts & Shelters
1- 1,750 m
Ορειβατικό Καταφύγιο ΣμόλικαRefugeStaffedBooking required
24 beds · May to November when free of snow