Mount Taygetus

Taygetus is the highest range in the Peloponnese, running about a hundred kilometres north to south and culminating at 2,404 metres in the peak of Profitis Ilias, which carries a small chapel and a summer festival on 20 July. Seen from Sparta the mountain is a sheer grey wall; from the west it breaks into ridges of black pine and fir cut by deep gorges. The standard ascent starts from the Vasiliki refuge at about 1,550 metres and takes three to four hours to the top, on marked but rocky ground, with an enormous view over both gulfs and, on the clearest days, as far as Crete's mountains. Lower down, the Lagada pass road links Sparta and Kalamata through spectacular country, and the Rindomo and Viros gorges cut deep into the western flank.

History

The name is among the oldest recorded in Europe, appearing in the Odyssey, and in myth it came from the nymph Taygete; from Byzantine times to the 19th century the range was also called Pentadaktylos, "five-fingered". Its slopes have been inhabited at least since Mycenaean times, with three beehive tombs still unexplored at Arkina near Arna, and it was one of Sparta's natural defences; the Spartans threw criminals into a chasm called Ceadas, and remains found by the University of Athens suggest it served mainly for criminals, traitors and captives (Wikipedia, Taygetus).

The landscape

• Profitis Ilias - the summit chapel at 2,404 metres and its panorama.
• The Vasiliki refuge - the mountain hut and the main ascent route.
• The Lagada pass - the dramatic road crossing between Sparta and Kalamata.
• The gorges - Rindomo and Viros cutting into the western slopes.

When to go

Late May to October for the summit, once the snow has gone; the mountain holds serious snow and demands winter equipment from November to April. Summer afternoons build cloud, so start early.

Practical notes

The summit day is a long, steep hike on loose rock with no water above the refuge, and weather changes fast. Marking is adequate but not lavish; take a map. The refuge has limited beds and should be arranged in advance.

Nearby

Mystras and Sparta lie on the eastern side; Kardamyli and the Mani coast are west.

Key facts