Closing Thoughts
The Menalon Trail is not easy. It’s very well marked, so navigation isn’t the problem. But the terrain is rugged, and the ascents and descents seem harder than the absolute numbers would suggest. Distances feel longer than one expects them to.
More importantly, there are not many outs. Unlike Switzerland, there are no cablecars to accelerate the ups and downs, or buses for the sections you just don’t feel like walking. If you hurt yourself, it might be a challenge to get to a road.
You can’t count on finding provisions along the way. Chris and I don’t usually eat on the trail anyway, but sometimes a break is a good idea. Sometimes a little indulgence can make all the difference in morale.
Trekking Hellas’ arrangements were, as always, spot-on. Every hotel was extremely comfortable and hospitable. The route guides were great, even if they were often unnecessary on this well-blazed trail.
I find that I struggle to describe this particular hike. It was beautiful, it was well-maintained, and I would highly recommend it to serious walkers, but overall it was a mountain walk.
What I can say is that this is the week of this long trip in which I felt most immersed in Greece, and in a Greece that could’ve existed a century ago. Though I say the Arcadian towns are set up for tourists, they’ve got nothing on the really touristed parts of the country. The sense of isolation is real, and we spent most of most days alone. That sometimes caused discomfort, as when we couldn’t find a place to eat or a ride to someplace else, but mostly it was a delight. So if you want to “discover Greece,” whatever that means, the Menalon Trail is one good way to do it.
