Saturday 28 December 2013

A wild and wintery walk...with your dog


Sage on the Atalante Trail
Honestly, this hike is probably more enjoyable at almost any other time of year... but we walked it recently and loved it. The Atalante Trail circles Chionistra (Mount Olympus) on a similar route to the Artemis Trail (see previous post:   http://bit.ly/1h1wdRV), but at a lower altitude (1700-1750m). This circular trail starts just outside the large car park at Troodos Square and winds its way around the  mountain for 14km. The trail is flat and easy to walk, rated 2 out of 3 for difficulty.
Start of trail
After 3-4km, the Atalante passes a disused chromium mine, as well as dense woodland of black pine and juniper.

At certain points around the Artemis Trail there are fantastic views down towards the coast at Lemessos. I imagine views from the Atalante are also great, but when we did this hike a couple of weeks ago, there was so much fog that we couldn't see much past the edge of the path.

It was also bitterly cold and drizzling, so we didn't really stop to enjoy the scenery. In fact, we were almost running the trail, and finished in under 3 hours.

I'm probably not selling this, but it was a great place to let Sage have a long run around through the woods. The fog and drizzle added to the atmosphere, and gave us a taste of winter that we had all been missing all summer.

This walk would also be manageable during summer, due to the dense woodland. Carry water for yourselves and your dog. If you are planning a winter walk, wear good shoes for muddy paths, lots of layers, and a waterproof coat. Some dog biscuits for energy along the way, and an old towel to dry off wet dogs when you get back to Troodos Square are also advisable.

Have a look here for the description by the Department of Forests, Cyprus:  http://bit.ly/19t3Slk


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2 comments:

  1. Impressed that you managed such an arduous trek so soon after getting back from Blightly. Old Leigh not nearly as cold!

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