Stepping down six inches back onto the broad path, it occurred to me that with only a little licence and the right choice of words it would be easy to make Mt. Olympus sound like a hunting ground for only the most intrepid botanist.And that would perhaps deter many from enjoying the delights of botanising on a mountain which is, apart from the very peaks, easily accessible and well within the capabilities of most good, fit walkers. It is not the impression I gained from reading previous articles on Mt. Olympus but perhaps I was guilty of adding layers of hardship in my own mind because reward and effort are inexorably linked and the rewards here can be in excess of 500 species in a single holiday. The flora of this mountain has generally been well described so it is not the intention here to provide yet a further catalogue but to give a different perspective, to look at some of the more practical aspects and focus on the flowers in terms of altitude and flowering time.

Sparkling Litohoro at the foot of the mountain inspires comparison with an alpine village rather than a typical Greek village. It is an ideal base and convenient for the easiest and most frequently used route up the mountain. Its clean, flower decked streets house equally clean hotels and Hotel Myrto is where we chose to stay. The view from the balcony was of a mass of grey limestone thrusting upwards to terminate in the snow-capped peaks of Olympus of which the highest is Mytikas, at 2917m. Although the peaks may hint at irresistible alpines, there are an awful lot of species to be found, in fact the vast majority, without venturing anywhere near them. Not unusually, there are many more species at the bottom of the mountain than there are at the top. According to Polunin (Flowers of Greece and the Balkans, Oxford University Press 1987), 900 of the 1500 species to be found on the mountain occur below 1200m and roughly 1250 species below 2000m. Happily for us wimps, the law of diminishing returns operates. The harder you toil and sweat up the mountain, the less there is to find! Of course, true alpine enthusiasts can hardly wait now to deliver the crunch line.... the only really interesting species are those found at the top. In the case of Mt. Olympus, this is not entirely true. There is a very important factor operating in favour of reluctant walkers. Forming just below the summit peaks is a valley which rapidly cuts deeper as it descends to form the Mavrolongos Gorge. The influence of this gorge is very significant on the plant life. The frost, the snow and the cold winter air tumbling down from the peaks is funnelled very effectively down the gorge. Alpine conditions are brought downwards by this and recreated at much lower altitudes, down as low as 1000m. Very conveniently, the main ascent route up the mountain broadly follows the line of the gorge so walkers can start to enjoy alpines from a relatively low altitude and even wimps who prefer wheels to legs can drive this far and expect to see treasures like the already mentioned Jankaea heldreichii and Saxifraga sempervivum.
 

This little diversion, on June 4th, unearthed an abundance of species including mouth-watering treasures like Aquilegia amaliae, Pinguicula hirtiflora flourishing in the damp places, Geranium macrorrhizum, Centaurea pindicola, the common twayblade, Listera ovata, Pyrola chlorantha, Helleborus cyclophyllus,and two surprises already mentioned, Jankaea heldreichii and Saxifraga sempervivum. Surprising because the altitude here is less than 1100m (3,600ft) although it must be said that the Saxifraga sempervivum was seen in much better form with tighter cushions at much higher altitudes. Jankaea heldreichii grows on rock ledges, mostly in shady sites, but we were lucky to find some almost within reach. Even when they are not in flower, their rosettes of felted grey leaves are distinctive and easily recognised. It was not in flower at higher altitudes at this time although it was spotted on high rocky ledges.

From the refuge to the peaks is the third and final stage but this is for the fitter, stronger and mentally tough. Although it is not too difficult to go a little higher, the peaks are both difficult and dangerous. It has been the intention to make light of the walk as far as the refuge but a word of caution is appropriate; high mountains, and this is no exception, are prone to rapid changes of weather and particularly to thunderstorms in the afternoon. Never go without taking sensible precautions which includes suitable waterproof clothing and carrying drinking water, especially from Prionia to the refuge, for the effect of the Mediterranean sun and altitude can quickly lead to dehydration.