From Sougia to Sougia - a round trip (via Agia Irini Gorge, Omalos, Achladha and Koustogherako)
Sougia – Agia Eirini Gorge – Fugou Gorge – parking place beside the road to Omalos – Achladhies–Achladha Valley (Olysma) – Koustogherako – Livadas – Sougia
September - October 2010
1st day Upwards from Sougia, thus from the sea, through a pebbly river-bed. At the beginning along a quite good track which lately changes just into a pebbly way packed by cars. After some time the pebbly track disappears and it is necessary to use either an animal path on one from flat river banks or through the river bed only. At the spot where a small concrete road crosses the river bed, I left the bed and turn to the left by this concrete road slightly upward as far as the main tarmac road Sougia – Chania. Following this road for maximum of 200 meters and then turned to the right and down towards the river bed again. But just at the beginning, there is a pathway to the left, parallel with the bitumen road and running under it. This way which is marked by red dots ends on the branch of the bitumen road (running to the villages of Lívadas and Koustogherako). Along this road as far as to the bridge. Just before bridge another track branches to the left but unfortunately a fence across the way appears soon. The fence is possible to detour but only for a short distance and then one has to follow the river bed only. Because this bed gets worse and worse and after some distance the way is impassable, it is needful to climb up on the asphalt road above the river bed. This whole way from the spot next to the bridge as far as to here is not quite a pleasure, so I think the better would be to cross the bridge along the road and beyond the bridge to turn left. Now, the road is going always slightly up as far as to “Oasis” taverna near the lower end of the gorge of Agia Eirini. It could be about 5 km from Sougia to here. The entrance into the gorge is just under the taverna. First, the path runs above the river bed but then gets down on the bed on which it goes on through the whole gorge (only with several exceptions when the footpath climbs upward on the slope). Beside the route, there are some fountains with water taps but unfortunately, there is no water in the several first ones. As late as in the first rest-point (with tables, benches and WC), there is the tap with running water. Further upwards is only one similar spot with WC and running water as well. After about 6 km throughout the gorge (overall about 11 km from Sougia) there is a spot with a big stone water reservoir and approx. 100 – 200 behind it a footpath branches to the right and up. Besides it, a board with some legend is standing but the text is totally unreadable. Whole this way is, generally, going through the side-gorge (called Fugou). At first, the pathway goes through a forest as far as a small stone house, goes on around it and continues always upward. A signpost appearing here not to respect, it points to a small cave where the path ends. Anyway, the right pathway is very good, well built, winding upward the rather steep slope – it is a surprisingly nice track, not often trodden, with many views down into the main Ag. Eirini gorge. Near to the upper end of the gorge the path levels off and passes by really beautiful country, with sparsely scattered conifers and other lower trees. On the small plain, to where this route comes finally, it joins the old track linking the upper end of the Ag. Eirini gorge and the Omalos plain. Besides the fork, there is the signpost with the name of this side-gorge (Fugou) pointing down into it. Not so far from this (to the left) there is also a stone building – either a mitato or the water reservoir. Here (on the fork) I turned right keeping the footpath which turns after some distance into the very old kalderimi. It is, in some places, very well-preserved until the present time. The way continues winding up the slope with many stone supporting walls and then slightly levels off and roughly contours under the main tarmac road towards Omalos. At some places, the kalderimi is also a little bit destroyed but always passable. It ends in a car park beside the main road. To here, it is overall about 15 – 16 km from Sougia. Not so far from the parking-site, the small shepherd’s road with a new bitumen cover branches to the right and runs upward the slope. I followed it and don't respect some red marks and numbers on the road bank on the left – these marks probably have remained after enhancing this road. The track goes on upwards in an easy gradient. After about 1.5 km the road comes at a flat place with a goats' shed and enclosures around it. There is also a short branch here to the left, which finishes under several cypresses. It is a very good place for overnight. The altitude of 1135 km, the distance from Sougia about 18 km.
2nd day Continuing from that flat place to the left along the tarmac road. After several minutes there is the branch (to right) toward a mast (maybe mobile phone operator?). Not to go this way, go on by the “main” road which starts declining to the small flat spot where it sharply turns and starts slightly rises again. Then down again on the other plain, now with animals' pens and the water reservoir. This place, called Achladhiés (in the sharp turning of the road again) is very important because here one must leave the road and veer to the left into the terrain. The branch is well marked by a cairn and frequent red dots on stones, and as well by the E4 signpost. My trek run up the slope among the stones and it is not well distinct – one must follow just the dots. After a while, the pathway levels off and all the way on the slope it rather contouring and generally slightly descending; ascends and descends are neither long nor steep or often. At some places, the path occurs to be well visible due to its different colour: the trodden places are brown. Always good marks, now also the yellow ones. This route is beautiful here, not too hard, and it is the shady (because under sparse forest) footpath with excellent views down into the country above and beyond Ag. Eirini gorge at some places. The highest altitude of the whole track is at 1180 m. The pathway mouths into the Achladha valley, at the place called Olysma on the ANAVASI map, near to ruins of a small stone building. Descent down the gorge is very pleasing and easy, now already along the E4 signposts. After several turnings E4 leaves the gorge up the slope to the left (E4 signpost on a pole). In the beginning, there are some timbered stairs which disappear after some distance and the path goes keeping the old, well-preserved kalderimi always up, as far as the flat ridge from which it starts declining through the sparse pine forest. The kalderimi ends on the rubble shepherd’s road coming from the village of Koustogherako - it finishes here. Here, there is also a newly built (probably) resting point – with a circled shelter, a small stone chapel, benches, an (empty) water trough and with next buildings of unclear designation. E4 from this place runs on down from the beginning of the dirt road as a short cut, crosses the road and runs down again to get on the road at the spot at which it is very wide.The last short cut is about 150 m far from here, to the right through the cypresses forest. As soon as the path comes on the road again, one must follow the road as far as to the village of Koustogherako. Before approaching the village, there is just next to the road an old public laundry, of course not in use now, but the important thing is that there is also a tap in the stone wall with very good freshwater. Just at the beginning of the village, on the left side of the road, there are perhaps two houses from which the second one is having a wide dooryard with three small tables and chairs - it is an occasional taverna. Not so far from this taverna, there is a small village square with a dry park and a big gun and also with a statue and some inscriptions on board (the village was one from more resistance centres against Germans during 2ww). Just beside the tavern (on the left hand if you are facing it) there is the beginning of the ancient linking footpath between villages of Koustogherako and Lívadas. At present, it is sporadically in use, however, it is well distinct and rather well passable. There is possible to find near to it also a good camp-site for overnight (even with a shower – over the footpath, above one’s head, not so far from this spot a water pipe with a small hole from which the water drips is stretched). The footpath finishes on the asphalt road just at the beginning of the village of Lívadas, beside a lower wall and a small rock. This spot is marked by the cairn and a red dot. The village is mostly under the road therefore it is not well visible, except the church. The road behind the village makes two sharp bends and in the second one, it is necessary to veer (to the left) and go on along the raising rubble road southward. Following this road, one gets to Sougia.
(Note: This trek from Sougia to Sougia can be done probably in one day only. If it is done during long days and when just very short breaks are done during it and if one set out from Sougia very early, still before the noon it would be possible to get somewhere in proximity of parking site beside the main road to Omalos and during the afternoon it would be possible to manage the second part as far as to the village of Lívadas, perhaps by come to light; behind the village the way runs only along the roads (of different surface quality) and it could be possible to walk along it using a forehead light. However, I consider this possibility to be unavailing to zoom across such beautiful trek!!! A possible alternative could be using a morning bus from Sougia (at 7:00). After getting out near the upper end of the Ag. Eirini gorge, to set off down from the road along the old mule-track (E4 marks, the E4 signpost) and continue as far as the spot where comes the path from the gorge of Fugou The next trek is the same like in description above. But thereby one makes oneself poorer for passage through both the Ag. Eirini and perhaps the most beautiful Fugou gorge. In the case, if the trek is arranged like two-days it is, of course, well possible to overnight also at other sites: e.g. near the spot, where the footpath through the Fugou gorge joins the way from upper Ag. Eirini, or on the small plain where is the footpath branches from the bitumen road into the terrain and last good possibility is somewhere around the end of the road from the village of Koustrogherako.
Preview of picture in folder Therisso-Pighadaki-Poria-Samaria-Ag.Irini-Omalos-Koustogherako-Sougia-Paleohora
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