Went up a hill and came down

Vihren Vrh in the Bulgarian Pirin mountains

Vihren - pronounced as Vick-ren - is the highest mountain in the delightful and rugged Pirin range.

Kerkini/Radomir - where Bulgaria and Greece meet.

Republika Bulgaria

Kerkini (Greek name)/ Radomir (Bulgarian name) helps form the border between the two countries and there is plenty of evidence that it it was once heavily guarded. Even now, whilst sleeping at the trailhead we were asked to show our passports by the Greek border police. Finding the trailhead in the first place was fun. It involved driving along various unpaved roads before finally discovering the correct one.

Rules are for breaking.

Radomir - the summit is the one at the back - the military road runs the full length

Greek look-out tower

Bulgarian route signs

Looking back from the summit along the ridge towards Kongur

And then there was the difficulty of following the odd but straightforward instruction to walk about thirty metres through some overgrown scrubland from one unpaved road to discover another one running parallel. After that it was a matter of remembering three things - 1. follow the track for seven kilometres 2. ignore any tracks that come up from the right/from Bulgaria 3. look out for a yellow sign for Radomir and head left up on to the ridge. Somehow, Charles ended up only bagging a a false summit called Kongur about two kilometres up the track.

Olympian heights

Olympus Όλυμπος Greece country top

ΌΛΥΜΠΟΣ sign

Kissavos or Ossa Орос Ошша /Кисавос

Орос Ошша /Кисавос Oros Ossa/Kissavos

Giona end up stormy

Trailhead parking

Start of the path

Oros Giona 2510m Greece
Yet another mountain where the drive-up was dramatic and awkward. The picture showing where I parked looks so innocuous, however believe me that lower track from the left is rougher than any unadopted road you're likely to come across. Nevertheless, I was joined later by a couple in a small two-wheel drive, obviously, hired car.
From the trailhead at N**** there is a marked trail that zigzags up the steep rocky slopes through the ubiquitous pine trees.