Answer

By Anonymous

Mountain: Mt Olympus

Height: 2918m/9,573ft

Location: The north-east coast of mainland Greece

Difficulty: Anyone can bag this peak in summer, but the distance involved makes it a Herculean feat of endurance

Terrain: Excellent paths from the sea shore to an awesome wooded gorge and then up the alpine-esque slopes to the bare rock summit

Faff factor: Absolutely none: get there, get up, get down, get home and tell the tale

Fear factor minimal: Until you get to the summit area. One small, but exciting, leap over open air is about the worst of it, though it’s probably best you don’t look down as you traverse the Kaki Skala if you’re afraid of heights

Gloat factor: Titanic! How many other people will have climbed to the Seat of Gods this weekend?

Maps: Get the 1:25,000 scale Mt Olympus map, sheet 6.11 by Anavasi. It is a WGS 84 grid map, so it’s compatible with GPS, and it’s waterproof. It’s also the only decent map available: avoid the ‘Road Editions’ version, which is only just better than having no map at all. The Anavasi map covers the walk from Litohoro to the top, while to get from the sea at Gritsa to Litohoro, all you will need is a pair of eyes – you can’t miss it. The Anavasi map (£6.25) is available from Stanfords – tel (020) 7836 1321; www.stanfords.co.uk

PACKING: This ascent is best tackled in summer. In the height of summer, you will be in a T-shirt and shorts, but come September you’ll want to have a couple of layers in your pack to put on at the top. The weather near the summit is notoriously fickle so take a waterproof jacket. Sun protection is essential, as is a 2 litre hydration bladder. In winter, the top is completely off-limits without a rope and crampons.

FLIGHTS: EasyJet has flights to Athens from as little as £60 return, though this will involve 3 hours’ driving up to Litohoro – www.easyjet.com. For a shorter drive, fly into Thessaloniki, an hour’s journey from Litohoro. Czech Airlines flies in to Thessaloniki from Stansted for £140 return – www.czechairlines.com; and Olympic Airways has return fares from around £200 – www.olympicairlines.com. Four-day car hire in Thessaloniki from www.easycar.com will cost around £119.

ACCOMMODATION: Litohoro has plenty of hotels but a better option is Camping Mitikas by the sea in Gritsa. Here you can either camp, or stay in a hotel or bungalow. A bungalow costs C  =20 pppn (10 per cent discount for online bookings – www.campingmitikas.com). Gritsa is very easy to find: turn off the motorway at Litohoro and follow the signs for Gritsa for about 2km.

PERMITS: At present you don’t require a permit to enter the Olympus National Park. At the refuge you will be signed into a logbook recording your intended destination.

REFUGE: The Spilios Agapitos refuge (also known as ‘Refuge A’) is an incredible place with an amazing view out over the Aegean and back through the Mavrolongos gorge. You can buy food here too –  C  =50 will cover all you need to eat, drink and sleep for a one-night stay at the refuge. There are 110 beds in the dormitories, which are comfy and spotlessly clean. It’s always best to call ahead – tel.  (00 30) 23520 81800 to book, although it only really gets busy at weekends in the height of summer. There are other refuges on the mountain but none is as good as Refuge A. Camping is not permitted in Olympus National Park (bar at the refuge) but consider taking a sl