Revamping refuges at the home of the gods

The first operation to Mount Olympus took place earlier this month and it involved airlifting photovoltaic panels, prefabricated roofing sections, and bags of sand and bricks to the Giosos Apostolidis and Christos Kakalos refuges, at altitudes of 2,710 meters and 2,660 meters respectively. More materials followed the day after: Mattresses, blankets and pillows headed up 2,050 m to the Spilios Agapitos Refuge, as debris and old mattresses were brought down to basecamp at Litochoro. The helicopter's back-and-forth journeys lasted nine hours on the first day and six on the second, and continued for a week.

This challenging operation on the "Mountain of the Gods" in northern Greece is being organized by the Hellenic Federation of Mountaineering & Climbing (EOOA) and concerns two of its own refuges (the Kakalos and Agapitos) and a third (the Apostolidis) owned by the Thessaloniki...