On the second Sunday of the year (January 12, 2025), the Mountaineering Club of Agios Nikolaos embarked on a pleasant and enjoyable hike across the Lassithi Plateau. The members shared their experience:
"With favorable weather conditions and, above all, in high spirits thanks to our friends from the Lassithi Mountaineering Club, we set off from Agios Charalambos (formerly Gerontomouri), perched at an altitude of 860 meters. This is not only the highest village in Lassithi but possibly in all of Crete.

At first, we walked through thorny shrubs that required some extra attention. We gradually moved away from the village, stealing glances at the beautiful and lush green plain of the plateau. Alternating between paths and wide dirt roads, we reached Tsouli’s Grave, where tradition dictates we each add a stone to the pile over his burial site.

According to local lore, Tsouli-agas, a brutal Janissary infamous for exploiting the local population, was executed here by a group of villagers. Such was the hatred for him that everyone who passed by added a stone to the growing mound above his grave.

From our vantage point, we could see the under-construction Kastelli Airport, expected to transform the island's air travel, and the Aposelemi Dam. Unfortunately, the dam’s low water levels painted a bleak picture. However, as Christos, our nature-reading expert, reassured us, 'Winter still lies ahead.'

We then followed the Minoan trail connecting Kastamonitsa to the plateau, a path that remains well-preserved in many sections. Along the way, we visited Chonos, a sinkhole on the northern edge of the plateau. During the Venetian era, water from the plain was channeled here as part of drainage projects that cleverly utilized the natural terrain. Today, these waters flow into the Aposelemi Dam, serving the water needs of Heraklion.

Our hike concluded with a return to Agios Charalambos, circling the foothills of Skopa Mountain. The views were astonishingly diverse: from the snow-capped peaks of Mount Dikti to fields of vegetables and flocks of sheep. It felt as though we were in the 'land of the gods,' a sentiment echoed by mythology, which designates the Dikteon Cave as the birthplace of Zeus.

With these thoughts in mind, we completed our 11.5-kilometer journey, covering an elevation difference of about 400 meters. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Lassithi Mountaineering Club and especially to their president, Mr. Kostis Vlastos, for guiding and hosting us in their region! Here’s to a great mountaineering year for both clubs!"

For more details, photos, videos, and a route map, visit the club's blog: Mountaineering Club of Agios Nikolaos.