The course is part of the international path E6 and is marked out by a white square sign which at its center has a yellow rhombus with the code E6. It is the main path that passes through the area. The part between Vovousa and Milia is 23 Km long, at heights from 1000m. At the beginning, 1700m at the middle distance and 1140 m. at the end. The course has a duration of 12 hours. From the "REFUGE VALIA CALDA" up to the center of the forestry the course is 4 hours.

The path P5 starts from the point where the river Aoos meets Arkoudorema at the western limits of the Forestry. Its total length is 12 Km and the heights along the path range from 1000 m to 1350 m and ends after 4 hours at the dam "Aoos springs". Through this path, Vovousa and Metsovo used to communicate.

The path starts from the forest road and leads to the Mavrovounio refuge. The forest road from the outer road of the lake of Aoos springs. From the beginning of the forest road up to the refuge the course takes 1 hour. From there we follow the P1 signs reaching the top of Flegga in 1.5 hours. We then descend to the lakes of Flegga and from there we follow the uphill and western direction right up to the P6 path which then goes down to Arkoudorema. From there we follow the E6 path in a westerly direction and we reach the area called Smiksomata (meeting of Aoos - Arkoudorema) in 4 hours. Passing the river we follow the forest road having on our right the river and after half an hour we reach the refuge.

From Milia the path goes upwards towards the direction of the international path E6 up to the "Salatoura" pass where the south eastern entrance to the Forestry lies. From there it follows a south westerly direction towards Mavrovouni following the P7 signs, it passes westerly by the "Tria sinora" peak and goes towards the west passing the whole of Mavrovouni till it reaches the P1 path and pass the Flegga peak (2159m) and ends at the Aftia peak (2081m) The route has a length of 15 Km, passes through the center and right up to the peak takes 5 hours. Just before the Aftia peak following the northerly downward direction we reach Arkoudorema and follow the above route.

The path begins at Vovousa, follows an uphill easterly direction till it reaches Vrisi Toska from where it turns to a southerly direction right up to the Avgo peak where the abandoned fort lies. It has a length of 6 Km and duration of around 3.5 hours. The starting point is not marked.

The course starts at the refuge of Vovousa follows the road for 45 minutes to the village where the signs start with red square signs with yellow rims. From there it follows the dirt road for 1500 meters till it reaches Perivoli where it abandons the road and follows to the left the forest road for 2.5 Km. Following the E6 signs you descend down to the the stream passes by the location "Paliomonastiro" and ends at a dead end. Five hundred meters before the dead end you turn left to the path that leads to the "Stathi" stream, and after the stream you follow the path that leads to Distrato. After Distrato following the signs you reach Vasilitsa after 3 hours. The route lasts 8 hours and you have to follow the signs so as to not get lost within the interconnecting forest roads.

Map - Text: Vasilis Hristou, Climbing trainer
Photographs: X. Papaioanou, Biologist

 
Valia Calda Refuge
K. Giannoulis - I. Vrazitoulis
Vovousa of Zagori Ioannina
Tel. Ioannina: +30 2651 029445, 022226
Tel. Vovousa: +30 2656 022200
E-mail: info@katafigiovaliacalda.com