–Careful, rocks!, I shout loudly. As I climb up, a large rock breaks away and takes the downhill path. Along with it, it drags other smaller ones. Thirty feet below, Michael remains motionless, clinging to the cliff. Two or three seconds of supreme agony intervene. The rocks roll past him with deafening noise and terrible speed. My friend is literally saved at the last moment. And I am spared the guilt of a lifetime.

This was happening 30 years ago in the terrible sara of one of the eastern peaks of Mount Saos in Samothrace. A few minutes after the -almost fatal- landslide, the climb was coming to an end. Sitting in agony and effort, we reached the highlands of Saos and the peak of ‘Feggari’ (eng. trans.: Moon). Immediately afterwards a long, steep and tiring return awaited us.

-There’s no way I’m going to climb that mountain again. My unfinished business with the Moon is over.

That’s what I was saying back then, in the early ’80s. No one, however, can predict the future with certainty. It was to be proven almost 30 years later.

BACK TO SAMOTHRACE

“You sought the woman“, the French would say. “And the full moon,” I would add. An irresistible combination, solely responsible for my surprise return to Samothrace this year. But let’s take things from the beginning. As August “fills up” and with it the Moon, the Greeks seem to have been taken over by a group lunar eclipse. Archaeological sites, parks and squares, outdoor concerts, beaches and mountains are among the choices of our compatriots to gaze at the pale charm of the August moon. The Greeks surprise me. I didn’t know they were so sensitive, so romantic.

–Where are we going to see the moon? Anna asks me.

–Wherever you want, I reply spontaneously.

-Anywhere I want, right? Very good.

I look at her suspiciously. But it’s already too late. You have to be careful when promising to women and children.

-Well, I found you the most ideal place in Greece to see the moon, remote, inaccessible and deserted. No crowds. The very name of the place brings the moon to your mind.

-You don’t mean what I suspect, do you?

–Yes, that’s what I mean, Anna tells me cheerfully. And we’re very lucky, too. On that day, members of the Samothrace Mountaineering Association will also be climbing, with the President Savvas Papagiannakis.

-But we don’t have time, the issue is already at the printers.

-Don’t worry, with a little effort everything will be done. And I will finally fulfill a wish I’ve had for so many years. To climb the Moon of Samothrace. And with the August moon!

August 24, Tuesday. We start from Thessaloniki almost at night. At 9 am we relax with a coffee over the port facilities of the capital of Evros. Opposite us, in the haze of the morning pelagic horizon, the outline of Saos is outlined. It is this formidable mountain range, the highest in the Aegean after the towering Cretan mountains, which rises with extremely steep slopes from the coast and dominates the maximum area of the island.

At 10:10′ SAOS II leaves the port. The ship is full. I wonder if everyone goes to see the moon from the moon.

–There are also famous archaeological sites in Samothrace, Anna reminds me, and with much easier access.

Some other passengers, airborne ones, are travelling with us. They are the seagulls, friendly and cute, who traditionally accompany the ships to Samothrace. Two hours later we enter the port of Kamariotissa. Here we meet Savvas Papagiannakis, who takes us with his farm truck to Therma, the starting point of our ascent.

GOING UP TO SAOS

It’s midday now, it’s hot. The hikers are slowly gathering around the gazebo of the square of Thermae. We become a motley group of 40 people, men, women, old people and children, Greeks and foreigners.

-We will now try to fit in the farm, says the President.

That will gain us 300 metres of elevation gain and an hour of uncomfortable dirt road. A quarter of an hour later we stop after the mobile phone antennas. My altimeter shows 300m, definitely a significant saving of effort and time.

14:45′. We start the trail heading southwest. It is uphill and rough, among heather trees and wild acorns, with their characteristic smooth trunks.

14:50′. First short one-minute stop for a few breaths in the shade of a large plane tree. Nailed to the trunk is the familiar yellow E6 sign for the famous climbing trail. A strong scent of oregano wafts through the atmosphere. The place is literally covered by this wonderful aromatic herb, which covers Samothrace from end to end.

15:15′. A short stop under the shade of a century-old oak tree. The altitude is 485m; in half an hour we have gained an altitude difference of 185 metres. We are still at the beginning. Five minutes later we enter the territory of the amazing oak forest. Magnificent trees, several of them centuries old. The heather and heather thins out and is soon completely displaced. The climb, meanwhile, continues unrelenting, relentless. Nowhere are there even a few metres of flat ground. It’s one of those unforgiving, unrelenting, unrelenting, unrelenting, unrelenting, unrelenting, unrelenting, unrelenting, unrelenting, unrelenting. But at least we walk in the shade.

16:00′. Another few minutes stop under a large oak tree. Some try to quench their thirst by drinking water. With such marching conditions, the thirst is practically unquenched, temporarily subsiding and returning after a few minutes. Moreover, drinking water is not a good ally on the climb.

17:10′. Even this endless uphill climb comes to an end. And with it comes the end of the magnificent oak forest. For the first time we descend gently for a few dozen metres and reach the bed of a gentle gully. From a distance it looks dry, which, on 24 August, would be quite normal. But the land of Samothrace is generous. It has reserved for thirsty and thirsty travellers its most precious commodity. Water, cold and clear, but very scarce. One by one, with patience, they bend to the imperceptible flow, replenish their supplies and drink as much water as they can. They are no longer in danger of an uphill climb. We are already at an altitude of 1,050 meters, very close to our original destination.

The stop at the well is satisfying, it doesn’t make us want to continue. Fortunately, in 10 minutes our suffering is over. We reach a neck, the only flat ground so far, at an altitude of 1,130 metres. The time is 17:45′, a total of three hours after our departure, with stops not exceeding half an hour.

The ground is covered with dense, low ferns, oregano and thyme with white microflowers.

–Here we call it “thrimi“, says Christos Yaramanis, vice president of the association. We find it at high altitudes while at low altitudes there is thyme with purple flowers.

The ground in the neck, although flat, is not velvety. Many stones are hidden under the ferns. At night they will not be at all pleasant for those who will have the misfortune to lay their sleeping-bags upon them. One by one, therefore, they all begin to prepare their “beds”. They remove the stones, cut off as many ferns as they can with souvenirs or with their hands and lay them on the ground. In a short time, nature’s orthopedic mattresses are ready. At night they will welcome the tired bodies of the travellers.

The sun lowers, the shadows lengthen, the temperature drops quickly and pleasantly, but the evening humidity begins. High across from us in the SW, the rocky crags of the formidable Saos peaks begin to darken. Somewhere further back, unseen and expensive, is the highest peak, the Moon, which will be our destination tomorrow. From the opposite ridges come the sweet-sounding bells of goats. It’s a beautiful hour and it gets even more beautiful a few minutes before 8 o’clock. That’s when the August moon makes its appearance from the E-NE. Its color is a faint orange, barely standing out against the pale horizon.

Cameras large and small, mobile phones, all are used to capture the image of the moon. I’m looking for Anna. Nowhere. She appears after 10 minutes, greets us hurriedly and climbs up towards the peaks. At the foothills she stops, sets up her gear and waits for the moon to get where she wants it. I don’t go near her. I leave her alone with the moon; the moments are their own.

A WALK ON THE… MOON

It was a night of low temperature and high humidity. A night of complete peace, interrupted only by a few violent gusts of wind. A night filled with the scents of oregano and thyme, layered with ferns.

Early in the morning the first noises, the first voices are heard. The sleeping bags open, people come out, trying to stretch their legs.

–Move to the top while it’s cool, the President urges us.

06:20′. We start at 1,130 meters of the neck. A 5-minute later we encounter the last stand of century-old oaks at 1,170 metres. High above our heads, the steep, rocky contours of the ridge are outlined. Unfortunately, we have to get there. Rough and rickety, the trail climbs up steep gradients and repeated manoeuvres through thymes, low cedars and ferns.

06:35′. From the clouds of the east the sun is coming out. As the minutes pass the temperature rises.

06:50′. At 1,300m the trail ends. All that’s ahead now are steep slopes, strewn with rocks, a hostile, endless swath. It is the worst possible terrain, hostile and dangerous, unforgiving of mistakes. Now and then the walk turns into a climb. Dimitris Tilkerides, the young son of our good friend Rena, climbs unabashedly with me. My son Dimitris is leading the way with Anna. The pace of the march has dropped hopelessly. The climb is very tiring.

07:45′. In 1 hour and 25 minutes we reach 1,550 meters, having covered an altitude difference of only 420 meters. Low to the W, Kamariotissa and the lowlands of Samothrace loom. It is blowing hard. One would think that at this altitude, approaching the 1,611 metres of the opposite peak, his suffering would be over. But not so in Saos. Between here and the Moon is a ridge full of dangerous passes and cliffs, requiring 35 more painful minutes.

08:20′. Two hours after our departure we arrive at the Moon. My altimeter reads 1,600 meters, Anna’s GPS reads 1,617. To the S-SE, Imvros stands out above the clouds of the Aegean, while very faintly to the SW the low landmasses of Limnos can be seen. All around are ravines and steep slopes. A grey landscape, completely bare. Down low, the blue embrace of Paxia Ammos looms attractively. Who wouldn’t want to take a dip in those lovely waters!

–Welcome, says the President and shakes our hands. Come on, and next year we’ll be strong.

–No, President, I am not coming back to Feggari, I say to myself. But immediately afterwards I think: Who can be sure in this life?

EPILOGUE

-If you speed up a bit, you can catch the ship that leaves at 13:15, says the President.

We are going downhill at a rapid pace. Shortly afterwards the strain on the legs begins. We clench our teeth. On our stamina depends a precious six hours’ time until the next sailing.

12:30 we enter the bus of Christos Yaramanis and at 13:00 we get our tickets at the port of Kamariotissa.

-It was a real raid, says Anna. It exceeded my expectations. I am happy!

THANKS TO

–Savvas Papagiannakis and Christos Yiaramanis, President and Vice President of the Samothrace Mountaineering Association, whose help made it possible for us to see the August moon from Samothrace’s Feggari.

BRIEF ROUTE DETAILS

Starting Altitude: 300m.

Finishing Altitude: 1,611m.

Altitude Difference: 1,311 metres

Duration (without stops): a good hiker needs 4-5 hours.

Route: Constantly uphill and tiring. Trail loose or steep in places. In the last section difficult passages with unclear signage. Not recommended for those with a fear of heights.

Labeling: Generally reliable. The last rocky section needs support.

Sightseeing: Magnificent original forest of heather and wild heather. Then oak forest with unique over-aged oaks. From the top stunning views to various points of the horizon.

Remarks: It would be very important for nature lovers and mountaineers to create a climbing shelter on the neck, at an altitude of 1,130 meters.