Afentis Stavromenos
  • Afentis Stavromenos
  • 1476 m
  • Primary factor 1350 m
  • East Crete, Greece.
  • Location: North 35:04.808, East 025:52.521 (GPS at the summit)
  • Key saddle: N35:03.835, E025:47.910, elevation 126 meter.
  • Difficulty: YDS class 1 (road).
  • Climbed September 16, 2006.

Information:

How to get there: A possible starting point is the city of Heraklio, drive east on E-75 to Agios Nikolaos, a distance of about 60 kilometer. Continue along the main road in direction of Sitia and travel 19.5 kilometer from the second (and last) traffic light that you cross near Agios Nikolaos. You are then in Pachia Ammos, just beyond this village, make a right towards Lerapetra. Measure from this point. Drive 6.9 kilometer and make a left at a traffic light (the light may not operate). The sign says Kato Chorio. At kilometer 7.3, make a left where a sign reads "Thripti 12". Shortly thereafter, at kilometer 8.0, make a right at a sign reading "Thripti 11". At kilometer 8.5, stay right, passing another sign saying "Thripti 11". Continue along a narrow, but paved road as it climbs the hillside. At kilometer 14.9, the pavement ends, but the road continues as a very well kept dirt road. At kilometer 19.0 you are in Thripti, stay right as the road becomes even more narrow while passing through the village. The road is one-way here, on the return drive you will drive slightly more into the small village. The road has patches of pavement in the village. Continue along what is most natural, ignoring various smaller side roads. At kilometer 20.2, the dirt road resumes, perhaps slightly more rough, but perfectly ok for ordinary cars driven carefully. Finally, at kilometer 22.2 shortly after a saddle, you arrive at an intersection where the road going right climbs the mountain. There are two signs here pointing in opposite directions. This is the trailhead, location N35:05.599, E025:53.159, elevation 980 meter. There is ample parking.
The road heading up the mountain is in pretty good shape initially, then gets a bit rougher higher up. It is an easy drive for a 4WD, normal cars may also manage. However, it is strongly recommended to walk this section in order to put in "minimal effort".
Route description: Follow the road as it zig-zags to the very summit. There is an antenna tower, a generator, a small white church and a summit marker. One can easily see the rest of Crete to the east, from this viewpoint.
Comments: I woke up early and decided to make a short hike before the program of the conference. I started hiking at 0550, arrived at the summit at 0650. It was not a very nice place, noise from some sort of generator (for the antenna?), a small white church and a summit marker. Unfortunately, there was haze in the air and the sunrise got hidden in low clouds. I spent 15 minutes on the top, then headed back down to the car in 45 minutes, arriving there at 0750.
My GPS reported excellent accuracy, but only 1466 meter. I stopped at the obvious key saddle on my way back and measured it to 116 meter. The trailhead elevation reported above has been set 8 meter higher than the actual GPS reading.
The trip continued with Dikti the following day.

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