Mount Smolikas

Smolikas rises to 2,637 metres in the northern Pindus, second only to Olympus, and is built of serpentine rock that gives its upper slopes a bare, greenish look quite unlike the limestone ranges nearby. Below the summit lies Drakolimni of Smolikas at about 2,200 metres, a small alpine lake holding populations of alpine newts; local legend has the newts as the remnants of a dragon that fought its counterpart on Tymfi, hurling boulders across the valley. The mountain carries some of the oldest trees in Greece, Bosnian pines that have been dated to over a thousand years, standing gnarled and half-dead near the treeline. Routes climb from Pades or from the Nikolitsa road, taking three to five hours to the lake and more to the summit.

What you actually see

• Drakolimni - the alpine dragon lake with its newts below the summit.
• The summit ridge - bare serpentine slopes at 2,637 metres.
• The ancient pines - millennium-old Bosnian pines near the treeline.
• The Pindus panorama - Tymfi, Grammos and the Albanian ranges beyond.

When to go

June to October, once snow has cleared from the upper slopes; snow can persist into July in gullies. Afternoon storms build in summer, so start early. Winter ascents are a serious mountaineering undertaking.

Honest expectations

Access roads are rough and the trailheads remote; the walk to the lake alone is three to five hours each way with significant ascent. There is a basic refuge but it is often unstaffed. Weather changes quickly and there is no phone coverage on much of the mountain.

Nearby

Konitsa and the Aoos lie south; the Valia Calda park is east across the Pindus.