Station – “K. Karakitsios – D. Kostopoulos”
IRAIOS ATHLOS CP1-4.2 km
DIRFYS TRAILS CP1-4.2 km
The first feed station at 15km/30km is dedicated to two young air force officers who lost their lives on the highest peak of Evia in 2002.
It is characteristic that the horrible noise of the Phantom’s fall was heard all over the Northern Sporades, early in the morning on June 26, 2002, shortly after take-off, shocking the local community and the whole of Greece, which mourned the loss of two young soldiers.
The two fallen operators
Two experienced aviators and young people lost their lives in the accident, squadron leader Kyriakos Karakitsios, 31 years old from Kozani, and lieutenant commander Dimitris Kostopoulos, 29 years old from Larissa.
Station – “Th. Anastasiadis”
KATZOU TRAIL CP1-1.1 km
The first fuel station on the 5km route is named after Thanasis Anastasiadis.
Thanasis was a man who loved the mountain, which gave him joy and strength. In recent years, he was more involved in climbing and helped a lot the mountaineering club of Chalkida.
He loved to offer his knowledge and help to new climbers. He would do the same in his last ascent to Olympus. He left where he loved so much.
We will always miss him.
Station – “Sevach”
IRAIOS ATHLOS CP2-5.8 km
DIRFYS PATHS CP2-5,8 km
On the occasion of the poisoning of our friend SEVACH in the shelter of EOS Chalkida, we decided to dedicate the second fuel station at 15km/30km to SEVACH!
So his friends will be waiting for you at the 2nd feeding station (6km) at the EOS Chalkida shelter.
A few words from the heart, from George, about his friend SEVACH, you can find in the video below.
Station – “Sideritis”
IRAIOS ATHLOS CP3-8,6 km / CP6-26.7 km
DIRFYS PATHS CP3-8.7 km
THE SIDERITIS ASSOCIATION FOR THE PROTECTION OF NATURE AND CULTURAL HERITAGE will man the third feed station on the 15km/30km route.
This is a relatively newly established association with an official establishment since 2019. It is active in issues such as the protection of Nature and Cultural heritage, environmental education, the recording of fauna and flora, the organization of related events, and excursions to nature and cultural sites. Of interest, solidarity actions, etc.
The association already participates in environmental protection actions concerning Evia but also more widely. There is also a concern with promoting and protecting cultural heritage monuments.
He has been organizing the Socrates Mountain Road for the last two years.
You can find more information on the club’s website, www.sideritis.eu
Station – “Antonis Sykaris”
IRAIOS ATHLOS CP4 – 14.5 km
Today, just one day after the joy of conquering the Dhaulagiri 8,167m peak, the dedications to Nikos Papandreou and his family, Babis Tsoupras and his family and Ermis-Theofanis Theocharopoulos and his family, but also to all Greeks, to all climbers and his little Iris, his granddaughter, the top Greek climber Antonis Sykaris, lost his life. The brief statement said: “At an altitude of 7,400 m, very close to camp3, at 4:00 a.m. Nepalese time, after enormous physical and mental effort and lack of supplemental oxygen, he breathed his last on Mt.
The wishes of all of us for a safe descent yesterday turned today into mourning and deep sadness.
Antonis left chasing his high goal and the highest peaks of the world. He left doing something he loved, something high, something elusive. He will always be in our hearts and minds as a shining example and inspiration in pursuing lofty goals and the tireless effort needed to achieve them.
Antonis yesterday sent us his joy and his dedication and made us all proud:
“Today, April 11, 2022, at 12:50 Nepal time, I am on the summit of Dhaulagiri, 8,167 meters.
I want to dedicate this top:
To Nikos Papandreou and his family.
To Babis Tsoupra and his family.
And to Hermes – Theofanis Theocharopoulos.
I still want to dedicate this peak to all Greeks, to all mountaineers and to my little Iris, my granddaughter. My Iris, I’m at the top!!!
‘Pa’ is on top!!!
I thank all my friends and my friends who, through social media, supported me and helped me reach the top!
Thanks to them I made it!!!
I love you all!!!”
And we all love you, Antonis, and we wish you a good heaven up there! Heartfelt condolences to the wonderful family!
Who was Antonis Sykaris?
Born in May 1962, Sykaris was one of the most successful and experienced Greek climbers and the only Greek who has climbed 5 of the 14 “eight” peaks of the Earth, the top mountaineering project, Grand Slam, among which of Everest.
He had 32 years of mountaineering and rock climbing experience. 66 mountaineering expeditions worldwide, 615 mountaineering and climbing routes in Greece and abroad.
He was married to Calliope Koni. He had a daughter and a son, Violeta and Giannis, as well as a granddaughter, Iris.
What the top climber said in “Travels” in 2018 “What scares me the most is the risk of freezing and being helpless, as has happened to many climbers in previous years on Everest. Or, at best, lose some fingers or your nose to frostbite.” This is a piece from the “black box” of the mountaineer Antonis Sykaris, the diary that he kept on his iPhone during his expedition to Everest in 2017.
Antonis Sykaris has on his mountaineering “resume” three of the 14 mountains of the “Grand Slam” of mountaineering, the sacred “pyramid” with the highest peaks on the planet, over 8,000 meters. After 27 years of experience climbing lower, technically perhaps even more difficult, mountains, last year he managed to achieve his dream: to stand on top of the world, on Everest (8,848 m.), with Mike Eumorphidis as his rope companion. Then, last May he “conquered” Kangchenjunga (8,586 m) together with Fotis Theoharis and then, last September, Manaslou (8,163 m) with Giorgos Marinos.
Source:medlabgr.blogspot.com
Station – “The Five Heroes of Mystros”
ΗΡΑΙΟΣ ΑΘΛΟΣ CP5 – 22,8 km
Dedicated to the five heroes of Mystros.
Today, the children left defending the forest, that is, their home, their livelihood. Once upon a time there was a beautiful village in Evia, in central Evia, surrounded by mountains. Mountains that prevented “civilization” from invading the village. Mountains prevent invaders, they also become natural fortresses, natural borders and isolate areas.
This village, isolated in its beauty and in its world, had permanent inhabitants …children who considered the mountains that surrounded them their home. Children who considered it an obligation to preserve the forests. Of course, they lived on that, not even a word. Why: Either they were cattle breeders, or they were shepherds, or both.
August 2007. Master of Evia. Destruction, destruction. Tragedy. Mystro’s children are my subject. In August 2007, Mistros burned down. However, many times before they tried to burn him and failed. Because the “uncivilized” permanent residents, and especially the young, formed commando groups, suicide squads, with chainsaws, axes, pickaxes and shovels and managed to extinguish them. You will not burn our village – You will not be pitied. But they burned it. They burned it.
We are coming to Sunday 26-8-07. It is 3.30 pm. at the village. The young people were gathered to the north of Mistros, to stop the fire rising from the village of Setta. They turn their heads and to the south of the village, on Mount Olympus, and at an altitude of 1,000 meters, almost at the top of the mountain, a new outbreak of fire breaks out.
Without thinking they ride the cars, along with the compact cars, run and whatever they can. They run to save the mountain. The mountain they demonstrably consider their home. They consider it their duty to try. To risk, to risk. It’s not the first time, but could it be the last?
Σταματώ στη μια ομάδα, γιατί υπάρχουν μαρτυρίες επιζώντων. Τέσσερα παιδιά μπαίνουν μπροστά από τη φωτιά.
The children:
Dimitris, nicknamed “Liatos”, his age under 30 years. Shepherd and retsina.
Christos (Allarga’s son) under 30 years old. Shepherd and permanent resident of the village.
Vasilis the son of Panagiotis. About 30 years old, married with two children. He works in the factory, lives in Mistro.
And Dimitris, Beba’s son. Village merchant, bus owner and driver. That means cumbersome. And unlearned from a mountain.
The other 3 are “goats”, wild goats. In front of the fire, they cut trees with chainsaws to stop the blaze. Suddenly the landscape darkened, they blurred everything, the fire approached them with crazy speed. They looked at each other and chose the road, Deloros had to go in front, who knew the details, he also knew the stones, he made the route every day. A little higher, at a thousand meters, maybe less, was a large lake. There they had an infrastructure for themselves. They had feeders and watering cans. And the lacquer is big.
Liascos stayed behind, we said, unwieldy, uneducated and had gone to put out the fire with his slippers. The fire caught up with him and was burning. He was asking for help. All three looked at each other. Liatos spoke first, guys, Liascos can’t be carried, I’m leaving, because we’re going to burn. I’m leaving, he said, and he left… He went to the laka, dug a hole in a trough of water. The fire passed over him and he was saved, he waited for the evil to come.
Bouloulas came in a couple of hours with a Datsun, found him and they left.
What happened to the other three?
Liascos caught fire and soon Christos Deloros too. Vassilis (nicknamed “Panantonis”) grabbed Christos by the shoulder to save him. Liascos was beginning to melt and judged that he had no hope, as he did. So he took Christos who was thinner, but still alive. The burned man was in pain and begged him to put him down and go get help.
Leave me, she screamed. She left him and made her way down towards the fire. When we say fire, 100 meter high flames, hundreds of years old pines and firs were burning. This particular forest had never burned before. Behind the fire there were about fifty residents who were desperately searching to see what happened to the lost children.
Lost, dazed, they waited, including Thanasis. They were looking to find the children. Suddenly, through the flames, he describes: “I see a burning man coming.”
His flesh was bursting with fire, it was Basil.
He said to them: I left Christos above. Go get him. And he fell almost unconscious. The group of four initially had Dimitris dead, Christos severely injured, up to 70% burns, and Vassilis with up to 30% burns.
Other victims, 3 children were found dead: Giannis the son of Chrysostomos was found hugging Mitsos the son of Nikos, who lives in Theologos.
The two children, raised together in the same neighborhood, friends and seasonal forest firefighters, were consumed by the fire in a ravine and charred.
Nikolakis was also found a little further down. Monday 27-08-2007 the village buried four young men. Wailing, wailing, indescribable tragedy.
Moms are tired. The stones also cracked. Thousands of people, all crying. Black souls, pain endless. And let the fires burn in the mountains.
Airplanes pouring water on the fire, black clouds of smoke blackening the landscape. Mourning everywhere, death everywhere. Death, death…
Why, endless questions, why, why…
At the Hospital “G. Gennimatas” in Athens, the two wounded and burned, Christos and Vassilis, were transported. The doctors in Christos said that we are fighting with death.
I went and found Christos, outside, he seemed cool, but he gave the impression that he has not realized the situation.
Sunday 2/9/07, Christos died. The funeral took place at 18.30 in Mistro. The fifth child is also going. Five children from 19 to 33 years old.
We come to Vassilis, 31 years old, a factory worker. With two babies and his wife unemployed or rather underemployed. A few goats, a few olives, a few hens and you’re done. Today, 22/9/2007, Vassilis, 31 years old, burned and unable to work.
He will not be able to do the work he did as a worker again. His parents are day laborers and in pain.
They are lucky their child survived and are fighting. How long will Basil last, or rather, what will happen? Forgotten by everyone.
It is worth mentioning that at the children’s funeral, they handed out prizes to the dead in the midst of the chaos, a lot of people listened to them. They buried the boys and left.
Vassilis, however, the lucky – unlucky, everyone forgot him. One will say, and what to do with the award? Is it eaten? No, their children who will raise them? A lifetime invalid.
The doctors said that burnt and melted flesh of another man was sticking out of his back. Should this child, with this self-sacrifice, be left to his fate?
Source: Babis Tsokos
Station – “Lela Karagianni”
IRAIOS ATHLOS CP7-30,8 km
DIRFYS PATHS CP4-13,2 km
PATHS OF KATZOU CP2-3,6 km
Presentation of the feeding station “Lela Karagianni”
“It was with great pleasure that we accepted the particularly honorable invitation of the runner friends of the “Evia Runners” Association to staff the 4th feeding station of the Dirfy Trail Run race. The co-organizers had helped us unimaginably by staffing the 1st and 3rd feeding stations of our own race in memory of the heroine Lela Karagiannis in Limni, which suffered a lot from forest fires.
Our 2nd race, the Limni City Trail, especially for this year, was dedicated to the effort for the green regeneration of our fire-stricken area, as it passed through the burnt neighborhoods of our town. Good luck on the verdant slopes of Dirfys and on the technical paths that the indefatigable fellow-organizers took care of and cleaned with so much care!!!”