Report of the 8th Maintenance Hike 2023 – Panahrantou Monastery – Zagora
Text: Pantelis Siabanos, Katerina Pantazi
Photos: Pantelis Siabanos, Kristen Mann, Antonis Sassalos, Katerina Pantazi, Sophia Stalboudzi
Translation to English: Violandi Vratsanou
A great participation in the 8th Andros Routes maintenance hike. A total of 43 people from Greece, Belgium, Italy, Israel, China, the Netherlands and Australia as well as two little four-legged friends! Special mention should be made to Mr. Kostas from Messaria who at the age of 77 years old sets an example to all of us!
Monastery of Panahrantou – Koureli – Sasa – Aladou – Agia Triada – Zagora 30 September 2023
A great participation in the 8th Andros Routes maintenance hike. A total of 43 people from Greece, Belgium, Italy, Israel, China, the Netherlands and Australia as well as two little four-legged friends! Special mention should be made to Mr. Kostas from Messaria who at the age of 77 years old sets an example to all of us!
At 10: 30 am we started by bus from the meeting point at the chapel of Agia Triada near Stavropeda to the Monastery of Panachrantou. We arrived there and, after the usual introduction session, we started at 11:40 am our downhill walk to Sasa, with a spectacular view over the Livadia valley. The weather was slightly cloudy, cool, and very suitable for walking. At our rest stop in Sasa we tasted plenty of fresh almonds fallen on the ground. We then moved horizontally till the next descent on a trail that has been heavily decayed by the ravages of time. The rest of the trail to the Agia Triada was on easy terrain. But the sun and the heat were testing for the stamina of some of the hikers who decided not to continue till Zagora. But most of us managed to complete the route and the best part of the day was indeed there: a visit to the archaeological site of Zagora and a guided tour by archaeologist and Route Angel of the path Kristen Mann. It’s a flat hill on a peninsula above the sea with spectacular views all around and a 3000 year old settlement from the Geometric Period. We were privileged to be guided by Kristen, who has been involved in the excavations and has studied the site for 15 years; we thank her very much. She even offered to repeat the visit to Zagora next spring.
Many thanks to the participants who actively contributed to the removal of vegetation and litter from the path as well as for minor repairs to stone walls. Signs were also placed where needed. We returned to our cars in Agia Triada at 5:15 pm.
See you on the next maintenance hike!
More information about Zagora can be found here
