The unknown Greece - mini travel guides
Hephaestus in the canyons of the mountain as described
by Homer in Iliad rapsody eleven:
“Τhe gods in peace their golden mansions fill
Ranged in bright order on the Olympian hill”.
this is a place for eagles not people”, that was his first
answer, but later Kakalos became the first official
“Olympus tour guide”.
Frederic Boissonnas when describing his second attempt
to climb Olympus in 1919 mentions the fear of local
carriers “In 1919, on our second ascend we didn't have
Kakalos with us and we had to climb the slopes and the
highest peak without the help of a single carrier. They
denied to follow us...Trembling with anxiety remained
kneeling parying in virgin Mary, during our climb to the
steep slopes...That was, at the time, the approach and
mentality of the Greek people towards climbing”.
Under these tough circumstances the following explorers
tried but did not manage to “conquer” the high peaks of
Olympus, in an attempt to investigate the amazing
beauties and legends of the mountain. Among them were
travellers, herbalists, archaeologists, engineers and and
mountaineers:
OLYMPUS: History of tours and
Exporations (15301911)
The mount of Gods and Muses attracted the attention of
lots of foreign explorers and scientists. Yet, in the past it
wasn't easy for a foreign traveler to visit Olympus since
the Greeks were in awe of the “holly mountain”, there
were no special experience or equipment and it was a
bandits shelter for years. There's an indicative answer
that Christos Kakalos – wild goats hunter gave to the
Swiss photographer Frederic Boissonnas, when the latter
asked him to guide him on Myticas the highest peak of
the mountain in 1913 “ Climbing on Myticas? No, no,
Published by: Nature Friends Greece | www.nfgr.org
August 2, 1913. Fred Boissonnas at
Olympus summit Mytikas.
Vasilis Ithakisios in front of the "Asylum of
the Muses" cave 1928
Nine Muses, goddesses of inspiration of literature,
science and art lived in the ravines and springs of
Olympus and were: Euterpe (music), Erato (lyric poetry),
Calliope (epic poetry), Melpomene (tragedy),
Polyhymnia (hymns), Terpsichore (dance), Thalia
(comedy), Urania (astronomy), Clio (history). The painter
Vasilis Ithakisios named on purpose the cave “Asylum of
the Muses”. He stayed in that cave occassionally from
19281940 and painted Olympus.
1. 1530 St Dionysius – Founder of the Monastery of
Agios Dionysios
2. 1780 Ch. Sonnini – French officer
3. 1808 W. Leake – English officer who travelled all
around Greece and gave detailed descriptions indicating
distances in yards
4. 1810 Fr. Pougueville – French traveller
5. 1830 D. Urquhart – English diplomat
6. 1836 R. Aucher Eloy – French herbalist
7. 1840 C. Eckenbrecher – German geographer
8. 1851 Th. Heldreich – German Herbalist
9. 1855 J. Ussing – Dane professor
10. 1855 L. Heuzey – French archaeologist
11. 1857 Th. Orpanidis – Greek herbalist
The unknown Greece mini travell guides, Issue 1
Olympus the mountain of Gods and Muses
2