Agion Pneuma (Avrakondes) - Spathi (Crete)

Access to starting point:
The starting point on the Greek island of Crete is located above the well-known and attractive Lasithi Plateau (Οροπέδιο Λασιθίου in Greek; Oropedio Lasithiou). On this vast plateau, a unique natural wonder that lies entirely 800 meters above sea level, in the village of Avrakondes (Αβρακόντες in Greek), stop at a very small square (as shown in the picture) and from here follow a 5-kilometer long narrow road with a concrete surface. The road is steep in places (most likely manageable only in first gear by a rented car) and has some long sections where passing is not possible. The road crosses a saddle, offering a view of Mount Spathi, and then descends 50 meters to some mountain farms. Park in the vicinity of the crossroads of cart tracks near the chapel of the Holy Spirit (Άγιον Πνεύμα in Greek; Agion Pneuma). The parking spot is shown in the picture.

Path description:
From the parking spot, continue straight towards Mount Spathi. The mountain, which at this point the hiker sees ahead, will be completely circled on the right side slopes. First, continue along a cart track with lots of debris and stones, and near the large torrent bed, the path begins, running on the left side of the torrent bed which is turning away from the mountain. The path can be very easy to lose sight of, but even in this case, alternative routes are indicated by numerous cairns. On this bed, Spathi is still visible, but later you will lose sight of it for a long time. Eventually, the path turns right from the bed to steeper terrain, where the ascent and crossings towards the beautiful plateau begin, over which the path then runs in a SW direction. The path then slowly turns left towards the south and in the ascent transitions to a flatter section with beautiful views of the neighboring mountain Afentis Christos (Αφέντης Χριστός in Greek; Holy Jesus in translation), which at 2141 meters is only slightly lower than Spathi. When the flatter section ends, after a short ascent at around 1800 m above sea level, the path to Afentis Christos also branches off to the right, while the path to Spathi leads left (or straight), ascending slightly through a beautiful but scorching plateau in the summer months, heading east.

The path then descends and directs to the SW ridge of Mount Spathi. The ascent is indicated by cairns and red dots. The summit slope is crossed on the south and east sides, and then the peak is reached.

Description and pictures are from June 5, 2024 (on the return at 15:00 it was 30°C, with the temperature slightly dropping with altitude, there was no wind except for a breeze from 1800 m above sea level onwards; protect yourself from the sun with a wide-brimmed hat and sunscreen).