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  • Skiing with a view to the seaSkiing with a view to the sea
Crete as we Live it

Crossing Lefka Ori. With skis!

Ski resort? No, thanks...

Cretazine Tips

  • Ski mountaineering is not for everybody, obviously. Experience and professional skills are needed, good knowledge of the mountain, and the proper equipment. 
  • Only experienced skiers may attempt to 'slide' on the Cretan mountains and only after contacting the local mountaineering associations in Chania, Heraklion(tel. +30 2810 227609) and the Kallergi Mountain Refuge.
  • Even if you are experienced, it is not recommended that you ski alone in Lefka Ori or anywhere else in Crete. Take some local 'experts' with you, and beware of the snowdrifts!
  • Stephane Brosse, one of the two French skiers appearing in the video and three times World Champion, unfortunately lost his life on the 17th of June 2012 in Mont Blanc when a snow cornice collapsed under him.
Published in  Crete in action
//  Written by by Christos Paterakis

 

 

Lefka Ori (White Mountains) are really majestic. They have 57 summits with an altitude of more than 2.000 meters and 54 summits reaching 2.000 meters. Thus, they could be the perfect place to construct a ski resort, but fortunately for those of us who are crazy about ski mountaineering, this has not happened. And I say fortunately because in this way the Cretan mountains remain pristine, mystical, inaccessible to hordes of people and therefore more and more attractive to the lovers of this type of skiing. Ski mountaineering is not very 'fashionable' today and it has never been. It is more like a transportation method for hikers, as it allows you to move very fast on a snowy landscape. At the same time, it gives you great pleasure because you know you are the first one to slide and 'scar' the snowy slopes!

The vast mountain chain of Lefka Ori impressed even the 'hardcore' French alpinists, who 'passed by' the island to cross it from one edge to the other in just 6 hours... 

Two French and two Greek alpinists, from Omalos to the plateau of Askyfou: 40km of hiking, sliding, enjoying breathtaking views to the sea from both sides, and at the end - raki drinking! Watch the short film of Christos Tsoutsias and feel the adrenaline!

*The video is in French and Greek but the images speak for themselves (you can also start watching it from 08.30')!