ᐅ Summit nº23: Mount Olympus (Cyprus) | Top Summits of the World

SUMMITS

SUMMIT Nº 23: MOUNT OLYMPUS (CYPRUS)

CYPRUS

MOUNT OLYMPUS

19/04/2025

ALTITUDE

1.952 m

ÒSCAR SOLSONA AND ANDREU LÓPEZ

DIFFICULTY LEVEL

LOW

CHRONICLE

The curtain is rising on travel and summits for 2025, and it does so with a tranquil Mediterranean destination like the island of Cyprus. The year 2024 lies far behind us, with multiple adventures and trips around the world, such as those to Cameroon, Croatia, and Chile, as well as a fantastic week in the Alps that culminated with the ascents of Mont Blanc and Monte Rosa. It was also a complicated end to the year in terms of injuries, and the poor professional practice of a mountain guide, Ivan Moshnikov, has led to a few difficult months, during which I have been plagued by problems and pain in one knee. The calm of the Mediterranean and the relatively uneven terrain of Cyprus seemed like a perfect opportunity to regain my senses.

We left Barcelona with Miriam Humanes and Òscar Solsona, the latter a veteran of TSOW expeditions and, above all, a great friend of many years. The trip is quite long, as Cyprus is located south of Turkey and almost adjacent to Israel, Lebanon, and Syria. We stop in Athens, as Greece is one of the “godfathers” of Cyprus, along with Turkey. Further back in time lies the tutelage of the United Kingdom, from which it achieved independence in 1960, and from this, as in Malta, the influence of driving in the left lane remains. Fortunately, the person writing these lines has extensive experience driving on the left side of the road, thanks to previous trips to Scotland, Wales, and last year to Malta. This time, the adaptation to the wheel is almost instantaneous.

It takes us no more than 15 minutes to get from Larnaca Airport (Nicosia Airport is closed due to past conflicts and disputes between Greeks and Turks) to the hotel. It’s late, and there’s little we can do in Larnaca other than have dinner and watch Arsenal score three goals against Real Madrid during the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals, which help us sleep better on our first night in the country.

We get up early and have breakfast overlooking the beautiful Church of Saint Lazarus. From there, we take the car to the “Sea Caves,” a group of sea caves that emerge from the cliffs and have access to the sea and its crystal-clear waters.

The next stop of the day is near Paphos, one of the country’s main cities and home to the second-largest airport after Larnaca. We arrive at Aphrodite’s Rock, located by the sea. Legend has it that it is the birthplace of Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, love, and sensuality, and which will be omnipresent throughout our journey through Cypriot lands.

We make a quick stop for lunch in the coastal town of Paphos, but we soon resume our journey because in the afternoon we have the Avakas Gorge Trail. This is a short route of about 8-10 kilometers that runs through a narrow yet imposing gorge with vertical walls over 30 meters high. Our trail follows the course of the river, returning to altitude and enjoying the sea on the horizon and how the sun gradually fades, giving us a beautiful sunset. We close the day, like the sun, and sleep in the beautiful and highly recommended town of Poli Chrysochous.

We woke up without much delay because we had a new appointment with the omnipresent goddess Aphrodite, heading to the northwestern tip of the island to walk the “Aphrodite Loop Trail.” The route begins at the Baths of Aphrodite and is an 8-10 kilometer circular route offering great views of the Cypriot coastline and its crystal-clear waters.

The afternoon didn’t offer any overly ambitious tourist goals beyond arriving in Platres in time to witness the Holy Thursday procession and enjoy our “residential palace.” During our days planning our trip to Cyprus, we were particularly successful and made a very good choice of accommodation in this town, where we will spend the night the day before climbing Mount Olympus. No, that’s not a mistake. It’s said to be the highest point in the country, exactly like the one in Greece, which we reached, also with Oscar, in September 2021, which marked the first steps of the TSOW project (our fifth highest point in the world).

But we’re not anticipating tomorrow. In Platres, we enjoy a little bit of what is strictly a vacation and rest. In my case, I spend time reading the book I’ve been reading these days, “Slow Down or Die” (Timonthée Parrique), which explains that we can’t grow economically indefinitely, as the current capitalist model aims to do, in a world where natural and human resources are finite. While what I like most is reading crime and thriller novels, from time to time I enjoy other types of reading, like the one I’ve been reading these days.

It’s 8:00 PM, Holy Thursday, and we don’t want to miss the local procession. The Greek Cypriot side we’re in is Orthodox, and we can tell from the large congregation around the church that they’re very religious. We’re not very devout, but a little time is enough, so we take advantage of the crowding around the religious service to enjoy a quiet dinner in the restaurant without the presence of other diners. The “cook” (we referred to him that way because he occupies the kitchen, not because of his skills), who was also a waiter that day with a light workload, doesn’t seem too happy with our arrival. Cypriots (like their Greek neighbors) aren’t known for their kindness and hospitality.

Today is “summit” day, so we dress in our dress uniforms and put on our TSOW T-shirts, and we prepare and pack our flags (both the Cypriot one and the one corresponding to our project) in our backpacks. We only have a 15-minute drive to the start of the route at 1,600 meters, and we’re already starting at a fairly high altitude. The route that awaits us is a 16-kilometer circular route with 350 meters of elevation gain, concentrated in the final stretch of the climb to the summit. The route presents absolutely no technical difficulty and offers 360-degree views of the entire island.

The summit itself unfortunately features a military base, reminding us, now more than ever in these times of rising military spending relative to GDP, that the greatest threat to humanity is humanity itself (how much truth lies behind the phrase “Homo homini lupus est”). Regarding Cyprus, although it is an internationally recognized state, it only controls two-thirds of the island. The remaining one-third (the northern part of the country) was occupied by Turkey in 1974, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was established (only recognized by Türkiye).

We take some photos with Oscar at the top of the peak while chatting with an English adventurer who is crossing the island on foot, on a trek that will take him over 500 kilometers. Once he completes the trek, he plans to go to Scotland for a while, cross the Atlantic, and visit Yosemite National Park in the US, among other destinations. Not a bad plan for a six-month break.

Mount Olympus in Cyprus is my 23rd world peak, and even less challenging doesn’t make it any less exciting. Behind every peak and country lies a wealth of learning and experience that we pack into our “backpacks.”

In the afternoon, we arrive in the country’s capital, Nicosia, which is curiously “shared” by Greeks and Turks, with a border separating the two. At night, we visit the Greek side, which combines modern, avant-garde buildings with older, less attractive ones. We close the day with dinner at a Lebanese restaurant, and in my case, I enjoy a falafel I haven’t had in many years.

Our trip is coming to an end, although we can’t leave Nicosia without crossing the border, so we just get up, passport in hand, and head to the border checkpoint and enter Muslim territory. The cultural transition that occurs in a matter of meters is truly astonishing, so it’s highly recommended that you also have your passport with you on your visit to Cyprus.

After visiting the Greek and Turkish parts of the capital, we get in the car and head to Larnaca to spend the last few hours before catching our flight back to Catalonia. From Larnaca, we recommend taking a walk along the seafront, with or without swimming, as per your preference, as well as taking a boat and enjoying a peaceful sunset. And just as the sun bids farewell to the day, we bid farewell to this adventure, trusting that we’ll soon be able to share and tell you about others.