Ákra Vátalos

Ok so early start, nice long drive to Omalos in taxi costing €130 (ouch) very nice mountains up there. Then a ham and cheese sandwich at the top of the walk before setting off. Going was tough as the first section is a big staircase, path is very rocky and not the easiest to descend. Also the heat was unbearable. We paced ourselves and took regular breaks. The path got worse in sections and the heat got hotter. Soon a combination of me being unfit, overweight and sunburned to hell got the better of me forcing me into stops every couple of hundred yards or so. After 8 hours or so we had only made 10k and the park was soon to close. The warden came along with his Mule "Adrianna" and didn't take long to convince me to ride her to the exit. Can't remember when i last was on a horse or donkey, probably as a toddler. The ride was a unique experience and I was very grateful as i don't think i could have made it to the end. Marie was a trooper and followed us down the trail at a blistering pace she did fantastic. The Mule was amazing and navigated some scary terrain all with the weight of me on her back. I was so gratefull to see the end of the park as was regretting the day massively. Our hotel very kindly came and picked us up in a pickup truck i did the ride of shame in the back. The hotel owner had been emailing us thinking we were a no show when they got the call. After a shower and change of clothes we had a nice dinner but I had no appetite. Feeling really sore and sorry for myself now.Read more