Metsovo

May 28, 2018

While we were eating breakfast at our hotel this morning, a young woman in cycling clothes walked in to say goodbye to the staff. She’s the first real touring cyclist we’ve seen in Greece, so I held her up for a minute to snoop into her life. She (Anna) and her partner Romain started from their home near Bordeaux several months ago on a round the world tour, which they’re documenting on their blog, Via2roues. From here, they’ll cross Greece, and then circle north through Turkey and Russia before flying to New York and heading south to Patagonia. I was happy to have them give a good report of their ride through Albania.

On the way out of town this morning, we spotted this stork nesting on top of the dome of Kalambaka’s largest church. I was watching for it, because we saw it last night on the way back to the room. It was too dim then though for a decent shot.

In Kalambaka. She’s just about to take flight.

Today ‘s ride to Metsovo promises to be one of the hardest of the tour, taking us over Katara Pass. Topping 5,500’, it is one of the highest paved roads in Greece. It is a two part climb - starting from Kalabaka at elevation 800’, we have an 1,800’ climb in xx miles to a saddle at 2,600’ before dropping to 2,100’ at Panagia. This is a fairly easy climb, at a very steady 4-5% grade. It’s a significant highway though, the main route between Thessaly and the coast. It takes enough traffic that Rachael found it uncomfortable and was happy to see the end of it. It’s a beautiful ride though, following the Pineios River deep into the Pindus Range.

Our climb begins by gradually rising away from the Pinaeos River

On our tour of Meteora yesterday, Vassily pointed out this church, tiny in the distance, as the route to Metsovo.

In the foothills of the Pindus Range. We’re starting to see small patches of snow on the highest peaks.

A nice, modest climb, and generally quiet like this. It got busier toward the end though, with progressively more truck traffic.

We stopped near the top of the first climb at this bar in Trigona. I promised the woman there that we would send her a postcard from America when we got home.

At Panagia, we leave the main highway, which turns into a national expressway/toll road, not open to bicycles. It is the new route west, shortening the old highway significantly by tunneling through ridges rather than crossing them. For bicyclists, this is wonderful - the old road, which goes over Katara Pass, is no longer maintained and semibarricaded to discourage traffic. In short, a perfect route for a bicycle. I think we saw at most ten cars over the next few hours, all driving slowly and cautiously.

Perfect if you don’t mind a bit of a climb, that is. It’s 13 miles and a 3,500’ climb to the pass. We have a perfect day for it though - partly cloudy, coolish, with a bit of a tailwind. This one too is a gradual climb, but a bit steeper - perhaps 6% on average. It’s not too scenic though, as mostly we’re biking through a green pine forest with few views but the trees and the road. Before we know it (translation: two hours later), we’re at the top.

As usual, Rachael was there waiting when I arrived. She’s impatient for me to arrive, because she’s exhausted her water supply, is a bit dehydrated, and needs to raid mine. She got briefly excited a few miles back when she saw a sign for a cafe ahead, with ice cream; bu arrived to see that it is a ruin, with all its windows broken out. I’m sure that all life along this road died out overnight once the new highway opened.

At the turnoff to the old highway, Rachael is immediately harassed by five large sheepdogs (2 near the road but in the trees still, the others charging across the meadow). She just plowed on through.

More effective if it crossed both lanes, but it does make a point.

Far below of us lies the new expressway.

At the top. The summit of the Pindus Range is the boundary between Thessaly and Epirus.

The scenery here is spectacular in all directions - it feels like we’re cycling through a huge parkland. Green everywhere, wonderful.

Over the top, it’s a nine mile, 1,500’ drop to Metsovo. It’s an amazing descent - after a mile the terrain opens up and Metsovo lies beneath us, rimmed by mountains. We can see the whole course of the remaining ride as it loops down the circumference of what looks like a giant cirque.

We arrive in Metsovo at about five, at the beautiful, traditional Astera Metsovo Hotel. After washing up, we step out to see the town, and the town astonishes us. There’s enough to show and tell though that I’ll talk about it in a separate post though, after I sleep on it.

A first look at Epirus; it feels like one vast parkland.

Our first view of Metsovo was breathtaking.

The road surface is more worn in spots on the west side, but never worse than this.

We’re on the right side of the mountains for now, but thunderclouds are building up. They’ll rumble through town this evening after we’re safe and dry.

The arrow points to the buried treasure.

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Ride stats today: 45 miles, 5,800’

Today's ride: 45 miles (72 km)
Total: 1,046 miles (1,683 km)

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