We had prepared ourselves for a week in the mountains, looking forward to days of hiking and, more importantly, some rock climbing. Alas, the weather gods had other plans. Instead of climbing, we got a full week of non-stop rain and even the first snow of the season (I assume). Still, a ray of light appeared on Thursday morning in the village of Eptalofos, on the northern flanks of Mt Parnassus. We held onto that ray of hope and cherished it. We decided to spend our one and only hikeable day at the fairy cave.
Just before arriving at the village of Variani, you see a sign describing it as a ‘Valuable Settlement’. Indeed, the well-kept stone houses and the preserved traditional architecture are certainly impressive. The village was completely empty on a random weekday morning in autumn. The tavern and coffee shop on the square were shut. This is clearly a village that wakes up during weekends. However, if you look up, you can clearly see the cave that you are about to reach. You can even get an idea of the weather conditions up there, whether there is snow or mist.
In order to reach the cave, you basically have to just go up. Up, up, up, approximately 450 metres of elevation gain over 1.5 km. There is very little room for a gradual warm-up. Fortunately, at this first part, there are clear signs like N1, N2, guiding your way, along with a couple of red and yellow marks. The occasional ribbons help as well. Eventually, you will reach a plateau. Look across, and the slopes of Mt Giona appear in all their glory. From there, you have to pay attention and keep to the right, descending a bit in order to reach the cave. We almost missed our turn because we focused on the guiding ribbons more than we should have.
That last part of the approach to the cave is what prompts many to describe the route as ‘difficult’, especially if you have a fear of exposed crossings. There are fixed ropes to secure the slippery trail, although I would not trust them with my life. Since I am not sure who put them up or who maintains them, I decided to depend mostly on my grip and footwork.
Ok, I will not attempt to hide my feelings, when I saw the cave, I gasped. It is located at around 1400m and is surprisingly large. Indeed, it looks like a secret hideout, where nymphs and naiads would bathe and relax. According to numbers that I came up myself, the cave entrance was some 5 meters tall. Supposedly, the cave is estimated to be 100m deep and consists of two chambers, while inside there are about 10 basins with a depth of over 1 metre. In late October, the pool was full and we didn’t attempt to venture inside, as we lacked the necessary equipment. But had the weather been a bit warmer, a quick swim would have been much appreciated after all this sweaty ascent.
On the way back, the looping route is much kinder. We had to find our way here and there a couple of times, due to incomplete signage. Although the general route was visible, there were a couple of animal crossings that could easily misguide you. I thank the fairies for the GPS trail recording that led us without a hitch. There are two more excellent sightseeing spots on the way back: a nice balcony overlooking the mountains to the west and a wide waterfall with multiple levels. At some point, we came across a single sign marking the international E4 trail and decided to take it as a nice shortcut instead of following the (more boring) dirt road.
Most of the route is covered with thick foliage, as it is below the alpine limit. During autumn, a variety of mushrooms appear after the rain. We had attended a mushroom hunting session on the previous day, but I am still not so confident about my picking skills. So instead of picking mushrooms, we repaired a few damaged cairns.
We returned much earlier than we had estimated. Back in the village, the square was still empty. A friendly dog greeted us with a few paw taps, probably a ploy to get a bite of that sandwich. You can have the sandwich, doggo. I am on a hunt for a beer.
Not quite the mountain holiday we had planned, but certainly not a wasted week. You can follow the route on alltrails, preferably in late spring or early autumn.
