It 's since 2009 that we added canoeing to our activities΄ plan.We felt that ,living by the sea ,it was a shame not to spend more time in/on it.We also needed the exercise.With the hot Greek summer getting hotter by the years ,walking ,bicycle rides or mountain hikes got impossible during the midsummer period.Beaches ,on the other hand ,got all crowded ,and the few "secrets" of the Loutraki district are long revealed.So we had to travel for a decent swim or seek an alternative.
The canoe is a very easy-to-handle type of boat ,with the ability to cover wide stretches on water with little effort.For us ,it was the ticket away from the crowd ,opening a whole new range of possibilities like off coast swimming or reef snorkeling ,or fishing ,or even camping and long distance water trekking.We decided that the inflatable type would be ideal to start with due to easy storage and portability.A Stearns Backcountry canoe was our choice.Affordable ,fully rugged ,compact and with a traditional indian canoe look.Rather slow but with good tracking ,very stable and roomy ,it can carry enough gear for a day trip and still be manouverable and relatively comfortable.
By coincidence or according to some vast universal plan ,my childhood buddy ,Stefanos ,and his wife Katerina had the same thoughts and moved rapidly to aquiring equipment and knowledge about sea and lake canoeing.
Based at Dallas Hotel in Kato Myrtia ,we had easy access to the water so on the second day ,starting early ,we managed to paddle along a large part of the NE shore ,which is less covered with reeds .
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| photo by S&K |
A late September 2009 coastal trip in Loutraki area was all it took for us to bond as a team and set up our potentials pattern.
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photo by S&K |
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| photo by S&K |
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photo by S&K
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| photo by S&K |
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A 3-day trip to Trichonida lake was our first real expedition.
All photos but the dated ones are shot by Stefanos or Katerina.
All photos but the dated ones are shot by Stefanos or Katerina.
This is the biggest lake in Greece ,being the remnant of a much greater prehistoric lake system that covered all the land west of the mountains ,to the sea.
Arriving in the area we decided to explore the SE corner of the lake ,but an afternoon flurry coming from NW made us hurry ashore chased by sea-high waves.We had the time though to roughly outline the land : Farms up to the waterline ,little barns among the poplar trees ,wooden docking rambs for the traditional fishing boats ,all screened by the reeds and accessible by water only through winding canals alive with elusive waterfoul.All suggesting a peaceful corner of the world but for the seaseless shooting that marked the last day of the hunting season and made us feel like commandos (or ducks) operating under heavy fire.
I know ,it seems really calm ,but the wind rose in seconds and the waves arrived shortly afterwards.Since no mounting equipment for the cameras was available and all hands took to paddling ,there's no document of the event...
The mountains around the lake offer varius opportunities for outdoor activities ,so we took the chance to trek around and discover a blissful countryside ,with rushing waters and waterfalls in hidden treeclad dells.
Numerous mills ,laundry houses ,stone canals and well contrived paths intrigue the mind to travel beyond time ,and picture the well ordered communities of old that prospered here ,between the rivers and the lake ages upon ages.
Beautiful land ,rich in natural resourses ,nice and open people ,great food ,great sleeps.Although we had to drive back home on the third day afternoon ,it took us weeks to really return ...thankfuly.
We didn't have the chance to do more than training for almost a year, improving our skills and equipment and ,thinking Big and Far. S&K on the other hand have been more active and maybe we 'll be lucky to host some report of their doings.
Time came though for us to join forces again and conquer another gifted corner of the Greek land.
This time we set off for a short visit to river Ladona's Dam and Lake ,placed in the lap of Afrodision mt , between Menalon and Helmos mts ,in the area called Gortynia ,in Central-Northern Peloponnese.
Filling a wide valley at 650m above the sea ,Ladona's lake promised dreamy views of the surrounding mountains and intriguing paddling along wooded shores...
Driving a big round we met the guys at the far side of the lake and after consuming a resonable quantity of liquor we drove to the Dam to conclude the first day of our expedition.
Time came though for us to join forces again and conquer another gifted corner of the Greek land.
This time we set off for a short visit to river Ladona's Dam and Lake ,placed in the lap of Afrodision mt , between Menalon and Helmos mts ,in the area called Gortynia ,in Central-Northern Peloponnese.
We made our reservations at "Dimitra" Hotel in Dafne ,the closest possible accomodation to the lake ,we gathered information (hardly enough) and equipment (more than enough)
and started West on a mid February Saturday morning.Filling a wide valley at 650m above the sea ,Ladona's lake promised dreamy views of the surrounding mountains and intriguing paddling along wooded shores...
...which was not the case...
...given that the aged Dam cannot safely withstand the pressure of a sudden flood any more ,so the water level is kept low during the winter months.This meant we should visit the lake in the summer ,if we wanted to experience more than butter-thick mud and bare stony shores.
All this we did not realise arriving there due to the thick sheet of fog that covered the valley until noon.Fighting off disappointment we rapidly sought a two-hour alternative to paddling blindly in the traitorous fog.
An enjoyble ride on soaking wet saddles of sqeaking and overpriced rent bikes gave us the opportunity to explore the countryside around Ladonas river.Narrow muddy roads between thorny hedges led through corn and clover fields ,while streams lined with deciduous trees ran back to the river .
The river itself ran swiftly in its well-ordered bed and the rushing waters extinguished our impulsive idea of canoeing down the river to the lake.
Crossing the river for more photos also remained a mental venture ,since ...
time was pressing.
As the sun climbed high the fog lifted along with our spirits and off we went for some canoeing.
Ignoring the uninspiring sight of the withdrawn lake we got our boats ready
and ,after grabbing a bite,
we started for the water.
And then ,disaster struck hard!! Our Stearns' left air chamber lost pressure just before launching the boats.We re-inflated it and ,hoping for some miracle ,we started paddling along the shore.Fifteen minutes later we realized that the miracle did not occur...
We were losing pressure fast and after inflating for a third time we retraced our way to the van leaving the task of taming the lake to S&K.
And this is what we missed
Driving a big round we met the guys at the far side of the lake and after consuming a resonable quantity of liquor we drove to the Dam to conclude the first day of our expedition.
The second day found us pondering last night's experience of table and bed.Both well fed and soundly slept we might be as pleased as any traveller away from home, but for the sour taste of knowing we blew our budget away.Costly for the quality level of services provided would be a rather mild expression to describe a weekend at that rural corner of Greece.
Putting all aside and bereft of our floating chariot we decided to walk the country adout.
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WORKING