By Markus Stehböck
After one of those cold runs down the Saalach River in Lofer, Austria, we all got to dreaming of warm fingers, when one of my friends suggested a kayak road trip to Greece.
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www.alpinundoutdoor.de
Greek paddle paradise – Hellas
Thinking more about Greece and what comes to mind are all those idyllic beaches, Ouzo, Tzatziki, olive oil, sun and islands – all perfect for sea kayaking! Well, that’s all true but Greece has a whole lot more to offer, as we would discover a few months later in April.
For the last 15 years now, I’ve been spending at least a month a year in Greece with my whitewater school, offering kayak and SUP trips plus lessons.
The Greek geography offers a huge amount of mountain ranges over 2,000 metres with considerable snowpack, so in spring especially, you have an excellent chance of finding a good flow, while paddling in short sleeves in the sun. Apart from Class III, there are quite a few more demanding and extremely beautiful runs like Aoös and its remote feeder, Arcoudorema, in the Valiacalda, which means ’warm valley’. I guess the name is ironic, even if you are definitely warm when you reach the put in of the Arcoudorema, as you will have hiked in for several hours.
In the laid back mountain villages, the support of the extremely hospitable locals makes it easy to manage the sometimes long and rowdy shuttle rides.
In the breathtaking scenery of the Tzoumerka Mountains, over the years, a friendship developed with Marina and Nikos from www.vianataura.gr. At the Arachthos River, which reminds me of the Soca River maybe 25 years ago, they are running a hotel, a raft company and a kayak camp. You’ll find them always with a smile, shuttling, sharing historical and cultural informations about the area or serving you drinks or a BBQ as soon you step out off the river. Their support and friendliness simply makes you feel like home as soon as you get there. Enjoy the outdoor camp life, or stay in the hotel, both options are available there.
It’s the perfect place to stay for a week and discover the four sections of the Arachthos River and two sections of the Kalaritikos River. Furthermore, Acheron, Acheelos, Voidomatis, Langafzas, can be reached within 90 minutes. It’s easy to reach from the airports in Thessaloniki, Athens, Preveza or Korfu, which are offering cheap flights all around Europe.
If you are up to longer and more venturesome holidays, it’s also possible to make a road trip and discover many other rivers of Greece. Among them you find some river gods such as the Aoös, 75km of Class III-V in three sections, making its way down through amazing gorges with some serious creeking and waterfalls at the beginning, with classic whitewater in the middle sections. As soon as the Aoös River reaches Albania, it simply changes its name to Vjosa and continues to offer open Class II-III playful whitewater.
When you paddle back to Greece you can find the next river and landscape highlight only 20km south: the Voidomatis River, which is known for its crystal clear waters. A 40-minute portage brings you down to a put in of almost surreal beauty in one of the deepest canyons in Europe. It offers Class III-IV whitewater in the upper section and still very beautiful Class I-II whitewater in the lower section.
The area is a famous honeymoon destination in Greece, so you will find many restaurants, bars and hotels in the traditionally built Zagochoria villages. If you want to go for a hike to the Dragon Lake you’ll have a perfect view over the area.
The eastern part of the Smolikas mountain range, offers three main rivers and ski resorts – so during easter holidays you’ll have to choose between skiing or paddling.
The Perivoliotis River is a small creek, whose course provides some tricky steps and Class IV-V in its upper part. The lower part with its picturesque black canyons, is a perfect shortcut for the Mileapotamos River, mostly Class III with a couple of Class IV-V sections. Whilst there at various times, we have had contact with otter, bear, boar and chamois. After a unrunable and almost unscoutable box canyon, the Mileapotamos changes its name to Venetikos, which offers perfect schooling and training whitewater for another 20km until the confluence with the Aliakmonas River, where you can find one of the best wild camps.
Many other paddling opportunities
It’s only a 45-minute drive to the monasteries of Meteora (James Bond – ’For Your Eyes Only’), which is definitely worth a visit. Beside the cultural aspects, it also offers many climbing opportunities.
Of course, there’s much more to paddle in Greece. The Peloponnese Peninsula is also an option for the winter months and offers several rivers in all grades such as the famous Erymanthos.
Central Greece can be reached quite easily from Meteora and classic runs like the Krikelopotamos with its glorious geology and entertaining Class III-IV+ whitewater are waiting for you there.
The less known area for paddlers you’ll find is in the north east in the Rhodope mountain range at the Bulgarian border, which offers some of the hardest runs in Greece such as the Diavolorema and Arcoudorema rivers. Both are Class IV-V and easy to scout from the road, where the granite riverbed offers demanding slides, waterfalls but requires also some portages. We still have some research projects in this area, where some of this rivers still do not even have a name.
Playful runs
If you’re less interested in hard whitewater, you can also find some nice and playful runs on the Nestos River with its Class II-III whitewater, where you’ll also find rafting close by.
If you decide to come to Greece by car, it will of course take some time to get there, on the other hand the whole balkan offers many rivers, stunning natural scenery and the friendliest of people. The easiest way is to take the plane and book your equipment, guiding and transfers from the airports. This way you’ll get the maximum experience and a good idea of what is so special about paddling in Greece.
We are offering our trips from the end of March through to the end of April, where you can expect the best water levels. We have camps for beginners, intermediate or road trips. For experienced stand up paddlers, we also offer trips as well. There are still some first descents to make, like we did on the Arachthos River two years ago.
For more informations contact us via www.alpinundoutdoor.de
