Loutro - kalyves (sea to summits to sea, coast to coast)

Another coast to coast crossing lefka ori from south to north.
I started this time from the seaside village loutro. After an aprox. 600m uphill there is anopoli village. After anopoli I followed the road that goes to lago where the path to patches starts.
At this point friends from anopoli left there water supplies.
After lago there is a dirt road that goes to amoutsera. I followed the road for a couple of hundred meters and then I started climbing to dohi summit.
It was really windy so I was not sure if it is possible to do what I planned or return back to loutro...
From dohi I continue going north to kakovoli peak where the wind was really strong and I could move with difficulty.ihad the choice to traverse the summits and not to be at the windy summits or go back, but at that moment I knew I was at the highest point so there the wind was stronger.
After kakovoli I climbed goniasmata peak I lefk pavlias on the left a d I had to choose between grias soros peak askyfou soros peak or traverse o e of them.
I forgot to mention that is was night that time and the moon was bright 4 days after the full moon. So bright that my headlamp was off when I was climbing uphill.
So the plan was to go to grias soros but as I saw the landscape (I could see far away the mountains because of the moon light) and there was a lot of time since my last time to askyfou soros I finally chose askyfou soros peak.
At that time there was windy but not as strong as 2-3hours before, as the weather prediction.
After askyfou soros I downhill until the E4 path which connects askyfou and omalos plateau.
I followed the E4 path going west until sideroporti where I left the path to climb siderokefalo and agio pnevma peak.
The plan was to be at agio pnevma when it was the time for sunrise but I left there earlier. I ate at the chapel on the summit but it was cold to wait for about half an hour or more so I started downhill to gournes.
After a magical sunrise and almost 1000m downhill not in a path I was at gournes where there is a dirt road.
I was safe and fast...on the dirt road that goes to kares village. From kares village in asfault road I went to maheroi where I stopped to refill water and after a couple of km I met with my friends where all together we finished the run at kiliaris river, kyani akti beach...

Crete is amazing, it combines breathtaking landscapes at sea level and on the mountains.

There is no water source until gournes. At gournes there is water source but it is no close to the road and you have to know the location to find it.
I had enough water at that time so I didn't go to the water source.
Lefka ori are wild dry stone mountains difficult for a person that goes there for the first time. Don't try to go there alone or without a guide! Lefka ori are extremely isolated mountains!

Antonis plymakis who wrote many books about lefka ori and old time cretans who where sheperds at lefka ori is my inspiration for those coast to coast runs.

This is my tribute to them!



Άλλες Coast to Coast - Sea to Summit to Sea διαδρομές:

1. https://el.wikiloc.com/mountain-running-diadromes/kathete-diaskhise-tes-kretes-apo-ta-leuka-ore-se-1-emera-vertical-cross-of-the-white-mountains-in-1-27142034

2.
https://el.wikiloc.com/mountain-running-diadromes/ultra-run-from-libyan-sea-to-cretan-sea-coast-to-summit-to-coast-29403429

3.
https://el.wikiloc.com/treximo-diadromes/paleohora-kissamos-marathon-run-36383068

4.
https://el.wikiloc.com/mountain-running-diadromes/agia-roumeli-stalos-coast-to-summit-to-coast-ultra-run-38872241

5.
https://el.wikiloc.com/mountain-running-diadromes/loutro-kalyves-sea-to-summits-to-sea-coast-to-coast-58508366

6.
https://el.wikiloc.com/mountain-running-diadromes/lefka-ori-ultra-run-sphakia-pakhnes-agia-roumele-pselaphi-sougia-63109642

7.
https://el.wikiloc.com/mountain-running-diadromes/khania-kaloros-kai-piso-chania-town-to-kaloros-peak-and-back-70993675

8.
https://el.wikiloc.com/mountain-running-diadromes/sfakia-kalives-via-mavroi-lakkoi-coast-to-coast-sea-to-summit-to-sea-77539099

9.
https://el.wikiloc.com/mountain-running-diadromes/giorgioupoli-sfakia-and-back-coast-to-coast-sea-to-summits-to-sea-77835055

10.
https://el.wikiloc.com/mountain-running-diadromes/sfakia-kalives-2-via-kaka-kastelia-coast-to-coast-sea-to-summit-to-sea-79590339

11.
https://el.wikiloc.com/mountain-running-diadromes/kiani-akti-beach-grias-soros-peak-and-back-sea-to-summit-to-sea-104451413

12.
https://el.wikiloc.com/oreibasia-diadromes/lefka-ori-full-moon-sea-to-summit-marathon-run-hike-105585883

13.
https://el.wikiloc.com/mountain-running-diadromes/lefka-ori-grand-tour-o-megalos-kuklos-ton-leukon-oreon-108269484

14.
https://el.wikiloc.com/mountain-running-diadromes/pharos-khanion-koruphe-spathi-agia-roumele-137310179

15.
https://el.wikiloc.com/mountain-running-diadromes/chania-light-house-agia-roumeli-and-back-ultra100k-coast-to-coast-sea-to-summit-to-sea-138411966