eleventh July 2024 | James Cove, Greece.
PlanetSKI is presently in Greece for some summer season actions. Plus researching a ski journey for subsequent winter in a rustic extra identified for its sand than its snow. It has 25 ski areas and a few quite first rate snowboarding. NEW
Now we have already posted on our present journey to Greece, however primarily concerning the summer season actions and the way they’ve greater than a passing resemblance to the experiences on snow within the winter months:
Now we glance intimately on the snowboarding on provide within the winter in Greece.
Greece provides snow in addition to sand.
There are 25 ski areas in Greece with 117 ski lifts that give entry to 190 kms of marked slopes.
The principle ones are:
ParnassosKalavritaKatafygio-OitiVelouchiHelmosVasilitsa MainaloZiriaVelouchiPertouli
They cowl a lot of the mainland.
Picture c/o Snowreport.gr
Snowboarding began for the primary time in Greece within the 1920’s with primitive lifts and runs, however has had slowly rising numbers ever since.
“Though Greece is a rustic the place the solar shines many of the yr, it will possibly additionally boast some excellent snowboarding resorts with extremely trendy amenities that may fulfill even probably the most demanding skiers, providing an unforgettable expertise down spectacular ski runs the place the fantastic thing about the alpine panorama is assured to take your breath away,” says snowreport.gr.
“Take pleasure in a ski run in among the finest identified snowboarding resorts of the nation, and feast your eyes on the fantastic thing about snow-clad mountaintops as you expertise an amazing feeling of freedom.”
Greece is now very a lot on our record of locations to ski.
It borders Turkey the place we had a superb and engaging time snowboarding final winter.
Right here at PlanetSKI we love the world’s extra uncommon ski areas, they’re usually richer and extra rewarding.
So, lets appears to be like in some extra element about snowsports in Greece and the primary areas.
Snowboarding in Greece.Picture © PlanetSKI
Parnassos
It’s Greece’s hottest ski heart and is about two hours from Athens.
The mountain space has two peaks:
Kellaria, 1,750mFterolakas, 1,950m
There are 13 lifts, 19 ski runs, 7 ski routes, 10 trails and three newbie runs.
There are two cafe-chalets and a restaurant within the heart, ski and snowboard faculties, particular shops for ski and snowboard tools rental and a playground for kids.
Parnassos Ski Heart operates from December till the start of Might, and is the most well-liked ski heart in Greece.
It’s positioned about 24 kms from Arachova the place lots of the motels and eating places are.
Kalavrita Ski Heart
The subsequent closest ski resort to Athens is on 2,340m Mount Helmos on the Kalavrita Ski Heart within the Peloponessos.
It’s about two and a half hours drive from Athens.
That is the second largest ski resort in Greece and has 12 slopes: 2 tough, 2 intermediate, 6 straightforward and a pair of very straightforward.
There are particular areas for snowboarding.
The resort has snack bars, cafes, eating places, outlets for renting or shopping for ski tools and a ski faculty.
Most individuals keep within the city of Kalavrita which is an attractive city and is legendary for the small practice that climbs the mountain from the seaside city of Diakofto by the Vouraikós Gorge to the railway station in Kalavrita.
Typically in early and late season it’s doable ski and go for a swim the identical day.
Close by is the Agia Lavra Monastery and the Cave of the Lakes.
Kalavrita is stuffed with cozy eating places, cafes, outlets and motels and visitor homes.
Mount Olympus Elatochori Ski Heart
After all when you had to decide on one mountain to ski in Greece it could in all probability be on 2,917m Mount Olympus.
The Elatochori Ski Heart is on the northern slopes of Greece’s most well-known mountain and has six slopes and two lifts in addition to a snowboarding and a sled run.
There are two ski faculties, a store for renting tools, in addition to a chalet and there may be lodging within the numerous cities and villages close by.
Mount Olympus is a few 4-hour drive from Athens and the closest village is Elatohori which has eating places, cafes and motels.
Vasilitsa Ski Centre
It’s positioned about 45 kilometers from the city of Grevena about 100 miles west of Thessalonika at an altitude of 2113m within the Pindos Mountains.
The space is taken into account the most effective snowboard locations in south-east Europe.
The ski heart has 16 ski runs of various ranges of issue and several types of terrain with 2 lifts near the summit.
There are some spectacular views, together with of Mount Olympus over 200 kilometers away.
The world has two chalets which provide lodging and meals, plus there’s a cafe bar, tools rental store and a snowboard store.
Snowboarding in Greece.Picture © PlanetSKI
See right here for additional particulars on many different Greek ski areas: Greek Journey
When PlanetSKI visits subsequent winter it is not going to be the primary time we’ve reported from Greece.
One among our reporters, Konstantinos Valtadros, lined issues in Greece for us a decade or so in the past earlier than he moved to the alpine areas.
Greece’s most well-known skier is ‘AJ’ Ginnis who, although born in Greece, races for the USA.
Alexandros Ioannis ‘AJ’ Ginnis was born in Athens and learnt to ski at Mt Parnassos.
His dad and mom then moved to the USA when he was 15-years outdated and he was chosen for the US workforce in 2012.
He made his World Cup debut in 2014.
In January 2021 Ginnis turned the primary Greek alpine racer to register World Cup factors when he completed eleventh within the slalom at Flachau in Austria.
Ginnis achieved his first World Cup podium in February 2023 because the runner-up in a slalom at Chamonix.
Ginnis turned the primary Greek skier in historical past to safe a podium place in a World Cup alpine ski race.
PlanetSKI was on the race in Chamonix.
Chamonix World Cup slalom race, February 2023. Picture © PlanetSKI
We watched ‘AJ’ Ginnis and ran into the US ski legend, Glen Plake.
“It’s nice to a US skier on the rostrum, however he’s Greek actually,” stated Glen to us.
“However what the hell, we’ll take it!”
Chamonix World Cup slalom race, February 2023. Picture © PlanetSKI
Ginnis then gained a silver medal within the slalom on the 2023 World Championships a number of weeks later.
So, all in all, there may be extra of a ski snowboarding presence in Greece than many might imagine.
Right here at PlanetSKI we’re wanting ahead to returning subsequent winter and reporting from a few of its resorts.
Proper, again to the seashore…
Assos, Kefalonia. Picture © PlanetSKI
