Mount Athos Pilgrimage Hike
June 1-6, 2008
Photographs by G.R. Davis
The Icon Painter's Terrace, Agia Anna
Monk waiting on the dock at Agia Anna
Evening at Agia Anna
Butterfly on wildflower
Trail from Vatopediou to Iviron
Waiting
Dock at Agia Anna
Agias Annas from above
Peter Schmunk anticipating
the ascent of Mt. Athos along the trail
through the "desert" from
Magistis Lavras to Kerasia
Donkey train descending from the 6600 ft summit
of Mount Athos
View to the northeast
from the Summit,
Mount Athos
Looking down the switchback trail on Mount Athos
The blue beyond the clouds is the Mediterranean
Sea!
GR at the Summit, Mount Athos
Photo by Peter Schmunk
Flowers sheltered like cenobitic monks in a
crevice
at the summit of Mt. Athos
Trail to Agias Anna from
Summit of Athos
Fountain at the Monastery of Iviron
Dome of the Fountain at Iviron
Catholicon at Monastery of Iviron
Font along interior wall by gate of Iviron
Window through a window,
Monastery of Iviron
Dome and Walls, Monastery of Iviron
Font at entry to trapeza (dining hall)
at Iviron
Courtyard at Iviron
Gateway from the Courtyard at Iviron
Doing God's work at Magistis Lavras
Porch Light
Monastery of Magistis Lavras
At the Port of Magistis Lavras
Port at Magistis Lavras # 2
Stavronikita Monastery (lower left) and Mount
Athos
View of Mount Athos from the North
Pantocrator monastery
Hiking partner Peter Schmunk along shore.
Olive and cypress trees from guest house balcony
at Kerasia
Domes and roofs at Kerasia
Port and Monastery of Simonas Petras
View to the Northwest from the balcony of Simonas
Petras
Stone masonry at Vatopediou Monastery
Stavronikita Monastery
Disparate Origins, Common Destiny.
Skiti Agia Andrea
From disparate origins to a common destination.
G.R. Davis (far left), Peter Schmunk (center),
and Dave Whisnant (khaki pants)
with Orthodox pilgrims George and Dmitri at Vatopediou Monastery.
Hiking distances based on Dusty Dave's pedometer
calibrated against known distances from Friends of Mt Athos web
site:
Day 1: Karyes to Vatopediou = 7 miles
Day 2: Vatopediou to Iviron 12 miles (Should have been less but
Dave and I lost the trail at Kalaigra and had to follow the road.)
Day 3: No long-distance hiking; the three of us rode the bus from
Iviron 17 miles to Magistis Lavras.
Day 4: Magistis Lavras through "the desert" to Kerasia = 7 miles
Day 5: Kerasia to Mount Athos summit to Agias Anna = 8 miles
Day 6: No long-distance hiking for GR & Dave who took the
ferry from Agias Annas to Simonaspetras. Peter hiked that segment
alone.
Day 7: Simonapetras to Dafni = 5 miles
Total for GR and Dave: 40 miles
Estimated total for Peter who hiked the segment from Agias Annas
to Simonapetras on Day 6: 47 miles
I used a Nikon D70 body with two Nikon lenses; a
20 mm and a 28-105 mm.
Because we hiked with backpacks about 40 miles over mountainous
terrain, I didn't bring a tripod. I wish I had, but my shoulders
are glad I didn't.