9 Mountain Peaks in 18 Days by Bike and Ski
Get to know the adventurous duo, Manolis and Andreas through their "Wonderlust ski-bike journey" project.
An article from the "Chasing the Greek Adventure" series, as presented on the Redbull website, edited by WayOut Adventures.
Manolis Armoutakis left the capital city of Athens and has been living in beautiful Crete for the past 10 years. By profession he is a cinematographer specializing in filming and producing films and videos about extreme sports with an emphasis on downhill, alpine skiing and climbing. He is a rock climbing, mountain running, mountaineering and ice climbing, ski mountaineering and freeride mountain biking athlete. He is also a S.U.P. athlete and part of the Chania Surf Club team and open sea swimmer.
Andreas Grivas studied physical therapy and Chinese medicine (acupuncture) in Athens. From a very young age he started track running, but it wasn’t very long before cycling stole his heart. First mountain bike, then track biking, then road and finally downhill in his quest for more adrenaline. Alongside downhill, he also got into other outdoor activities such as winter climbing, mountain climbing, snowboarding, paragliding, rock climbing and multi-day cycling trips. After a serious car accident that nearly cost him his leg, he devoted himself to triathlon and successfully participated in one of the most demanding races in the world, the Ironman.
Whose idea was the Wonderlust ski-bike journey" project initially and how did you come up with this idea?
The story is a bit funny because we both wanted to go on such a venture but without knowing each other. While describing to a friend of mine what I had in mind, he told me that a friend of his, Andreas, wanted to do the same. So mutual acquaintances brought us in touch just before Christmas. After many days of hanging out on the mountain we decided to start the trip... The idea was simple; you go from mountain to mountain by your own strength alone. It’s something that’s happened abroad in the past but never in Greece.
What were the places and mountains you crossed on this 20-day trip? Which part did you enjoy the most and why?
We got on our bikes at Tithorea and went up from Fterolakka to Kelaria to the ski resort where we left the bikes. After a short walk we ended up at the M. Defner shelter. The next morning, in very bad weather, we went up to Liakoura for the first ascent, always with mountaineering skis on our feet, and returned to the shelter in the afternoon. The following day we left for Giona and the village of Kaloskopi. In the same pattern the next morning we started for the peak of Giona but failed to reach it due to bad weather. We returned to the village drenched from the rain, fell asleep in the tent that we had set up in the village square under a shed and the next morning we left for Vardousia and the village of Athanasios Diakos.
So, the journey continued from Vardousia to Velouhi, Agrafa, Tzoumerka, Tymfi, Smolikas and we ended up in Grammos and then in Kastoria where we loaded the bikes on the KTEL for Thessaloniki and then on the train to Athens. All the places we visited were incredibly beautiful and special. I don't think there was one place we preferred over the others.
What I am going to say though, is that as we got closer to the north, Smolikas - Grammos, the mountains became more and more wild, both in terrain and beauty.
Tell us about the most difficult - dangerous moment you experienced on this trip.
I think the most difficult moment, bike-wise, was the final climb to Velouchi. After 90km of cycling at 2500 meters of altitude and 80kg of total load on our feet, with snow reaching up to half a meter, we had to unexpectedly pause our 5km course before our scheduled stop. On the mountain the most difficult moment was perhaps in Smolikas where we managed to climb in a snowstorm, but we had difficulty finding the entry point on the way back to Vathylakkos, despite using GPS. The wind was blowing massively on the slope we wanted to enter and there was half a meter of snow on a rather large slope where, in combination with the dense fog (whiteout) and the heavy snowfall, made it impossible to descend with skates and a splitboard, resulting in us being forced to descend the entire steep slope on foot while the risk of an avalanche was looming.
How many "stars" were your accommodation on the mountain?
Our overnight stays were a million stars stay as the outdoors was our main "bed". Overall sleep was very enjoyable. With tents and sleeping bags we stayed under sheds, in shelters, in a hunting pavilion in Agrafa, under the pergola of a tavern in Piges of Arta, in schools in Athanasios Diakos and Voulgareli in Tzoumerka, in two meadows in Velouhi, in a wooden hut in Tymfi, up high right underneath the peaks, we made our bed wherever we found a place to set up or "get in". Perhaps the most special place was the hut in Tymfi and the 2nd meadow in Velouhi.
How many times did you face your limits but decided not to back down?
We came head on with our limits on a daily basis, since our schedule was very tiring. Skiing one day, cycling the next, going back and forth between the two. 9 mountains in 18 days, and the biggest challenge was our psychological endurance, especially in the first few days. We thought about turning around many times, but seeing the next mountain made us forget everything. After the first 5-6 days we just went on and didn't care, we knew what awaited us and the mere thought that the next day we would be skiing on a different mountain filled us with energy and the will to continue. Just to go see the view from the top.
They say that when you've reached the top of a mountain, it’s only then that you realize how low it was. What was your own feeling reaching 9 summits?
In general, both of us had previously climbed almost all the peaks we aimed for. This time, we did not climb all of them due to the bad weather conditions. However, the feeling of ascent with all the fatigue and effort it bore along with the descent and the absolute feeling of freedom that it generously offered, made us feel complete despite not managing to reach the peak. What was important was that we were part of nature, on the mountain, in the snow, in the fog, in the air. The summits are simply the path for the magic of the descent to begin.
Bike and mountain skiing! What was the real challenge after all?
What we did was very strenuous and tiring and required a lot of training and preparation, mainly because of the heavy load we had to carry (the bike with everything weighed 80kg). However, physical preparation is not enough. What really matters most is psychological endurance. It requires a lot of patience and tolerance for hardships. It takes faith, dedication, patience, will, composure and commitment to the goal. That's the only way you reach the top.
What is the next big project you have in mind?
Andreas: This was just a small test-run of the equipment and the whole thing in general. My dream project for years has been Alaska-Patagonia, by bike, but it takes about two years. Where there is snow, I’ll split board and in between go climbing and surfing.
Manolis: I don't know exactly... Maybe Patagonia, maybe towards Pakistan, maybe the Alps. What is certain is that the ski-bike motif is definitely part of the picture. The destination and the options are endless. This was but a start, an experiment that we wanted to do. And it worked... we had a great time and we’ve already started preparing for the next one.