Tsouka Petsik
2,521 m
Greece, Albania
Also known as Τσούκα Πέτσικ, Peak 2520; Grammos (Gramos), +2Also known as
Τσούκα Πέτσικ · Peak 2520; Grammos (Gramos) · Gramosta · Maja e Çukapeçit
- Elevation
- 2,521 m
- Prominence
- 1,306 m
- Difficulty
- 3/10
- Mountain hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1The classic ascent of Grammos's highest summit, waymarked by the Municipality of Nestorio in 2021: from Gramos village (Gramosta) on shepherds' paths to the Lefka fork, past the alpine Lake Gistova (2,350 m) and south along the border ridge to the rocky north ridge of 'Peak 2520'. About 10 km and 1,400 m of ascent, roughly 5 hours up; return over the Fakou meadows in about 4 hours.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 8.9 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,232 m
- −107 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 2,521 m
- Time Up
- 5h 26m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 3h 56m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start in the village of Gramos (locally Gramosta), at the head of the Aliakmonas valley in the Kastoria regional unit. A sequence of shepherds' paths leads up to the Lefka area, where the farm road forks at a stone shrine at about 1,850 m (right to the Barouga saddle, left to the Fakou meadows); high-clearance cars can reach Lefka. Continue past the shrine onto a plateau of small alpine lakes, then drop slightly into the basin of Lake Gistova (2,350 m), the largest and deepest lake on Grammos. From Gistova follow the crest of the ridge along the Greek–Albanian border. The ground is varied: slopes, late snowfields, rocky edges and barren scree. Past the unnamed top of 2,414 m you reach the north ridge of Peak 2520 (Tsouka Petsik) and climb the rocky crest, with some easy scrambling on fairly dense red waymarks; an easier variant follows a path on the west face. The summit has Civil War fortifications and, near the trig point, the ruins of a small chapel of the Panagia. Descend the north ridge and follow the cattle path across the wide Fakou meadows to Leventiko (two small concrete huts and a large spring), then the long farm road back to Lefka and the village. The loop is 23.2 km: about 10.1 km and 1,400 m up (5 hours) and 12.1 km down (4 hours). Weather changes fast; carry gear for the season.
Start
Gramos1,397 m
- No public transport to Gramos village was found; drive via Nestorio.
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Gramos1,397 m
- Feature: Lake Gistova2,355 m
- Summit: Tsouka Petsik2,521 m
Key Passages
- Border ridge from Lake Gistova (snowfields, rocky edges, scree)
- Rocky north ridge of Peak 2520 with easy scrambling (easier path on the west face)
Equipment
0/6 packedDownloads
Route confidence 70%Overview
Tsouka Petsik, known to Greek walkers simply as 'Peak 2520', is the highest point of Grammos, on the Greek–Albanian border, and the fourth-highest mountain in Greece. A long day over alpine meadows and past Lake Gistova reaches a rocky summit still lined with Civil War trenches.
Grammos is one of the most extensive mountain groups in Greece, a ridge 85–90 km long forming the border with Albania from the Sarantaporos valley to the edge of the Florina region, and the easternmost arm of the Pindus. All its tops over 2,000 m lie in the central massif between the Epirus villages of Plikati and Aetomilitsa and the Nestorio area: Tsouka Petsik (2,520 m), Perifano (2,444 m), Kiafa (2,395 m), Pano Arena and others. The Albanian name of the summit is Maja e Çukapeçit; the mountain is Gramoz in Albanian and Gramosta in Aromanian.
Dense conifer and beech forests cover the lower slopes, and huge alpine meadows, partly created by overgrazing and Civil War fires, spread over the tops, dotted with glacial lakes such as Gistova (2,350 m), the largest and deepest. The Aliakmonas, the longest river rising in Greece, is born in the heart of the massif. Wildlife includes chamois, brown bear, wolf, roe deer and otter.
The summit pyramid stands in the middle of a great horseshoe of peaks in eastern Grammos and can be reached by at least four routes. The usual one starts from the village of Gramos (Gramosta) and makes a long, rewarding day through open, easy-to-navigate terrain in good visibility. It is remote, with few facilities, and the weather changes quickly.
Climbing Notes
Expect a 9-hour loop of about 23 km and 1,400 m of ascent from Gramos village: 5 hours up via Lake Gistova and the border ridge, 4 hours down over the Fakou meadows. The final north ridge involves a little easy scrambling on red waymarks, with an easier path on the west face. Water is scarce on the ridge; the reliable spring is at Leventiko on the descent, and streams are clean only before the flocks arrive in summer.
The best season is late June to early October; snowfields linger on the ridge into early summer, and winter is for experienced ski-mountaineers (Grammos has great ski-touring potential). There are no staffed huts on this side; stay in Nestorio or the surrounding villages, where a small group of professional mountain leaders works. The summit ridge is the state border: stay on the Greek side and carry identification.
History
Grammos was the main stronghold of the Democratic Army in the Greek Civil War, and the last major battles of the war were fought here in 1948 and August 1949. Lines of fortifications survive on the summit ridge of Peak 2520, and a small chapel of the Panagia that stood near the trig point has been moved to the summit of Gesos. In 2021 the Municipality of Nestorio waymarked five mountain routes on the eastern massif, including Gramos village–Lefka–Lake Gistova–Peak 2520.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Deep snow; remote; ski-touring only for experienced parties
- Feb
- Deep snow
- Mar
- Ski-touring for experienced parties
- Apr
- Spring snow; ski-touring
- May
- Large snowfields on the ridge and around Gistova
- Jun
- Snowfields linger; meadows in flower
- Jul
- Best season; afternoon thunderstorms possible
- Aug
- Best season; flocks on the meadows
- Sep
- Stable weather common
- Oct
- Shorter days; early snow possible
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- No staffed huts on the route; two small concrete shepherds' huts at Leventiko are not refuges. Accommodation in Nestorio and nearby villages.
- Rules
- The summit ridge follows the Greece–Albania border and there is no official crossing point on the mountain; stay on the Greek side and carry identification
- Grammos is part of the Natura 2000 network
- Getting There
Nestorio; Kastoria is the regional centre
Thessaloniki (SKG); Ioannina (IOA)
- Drive via Nestorio to Gramos village (Gramosta) at the head of the Aliakmonas valley; high-clearance vehicles can continue on farm roads to Lefka
- No public transport to Gramos village was found
Hazards
- Weather
- Remoteness
- Exposure
- Avalanche