Our Climb Up To The Dragon Caves And Beyond
This winter as part of the Zakynthos walking group we have done plenty of walking, and there have been a few of us who have enjoyed doing more challenging midweek walks. The climb up to the Dragon caves had originally been planned as a mid week walk a couple of months back, but it had to be cancelled due to bad climbing conditions.
Unfortunately when it came to rescheduling the walk/climb only a few of us were available to do it, but it’s one earmarked to do again next winter, when the walking group will resume again after the crazy summer season.
During the climb I managed to take over three hundred photos, I think it’s safe to say that it’s not only sugar that is my addiction! I managed to whittle it down to one hundred photos and further whittled it down to twenty eight photos for this post.
This is one of those posts when I let the photos tell the story…
Our Walk To The Dragon Caves And Beyond
Firstly I’d like to thank Jason, who took the time to take us up to the Dragon Caves, without him we would never have known they were there. I highly recommend you check him out on Instagram at pandazante?
The climb up and back down was roughly six kilometres in distance and took us five hours. It was challenging, it hurt and my scratches have only just healed (that was through heavy trousers)… And there wasn’t a dragon in sight!…
The view from our house of the mini mountains where the Dragon Caves are situated. From here you’d never know they were there.
We were warned that it was a hard climb, but I had no idea just how hard. My thighs screamed all the way up and all the way down.
This was just a little warm up cave, we still had a way to go before we would reach the Dragon Caves.
What have we let ourselves in for? You mean we have more climbing to do?… Don’t want to miss a photo opportunity…
So off we set in the direction of the Dragon Caves.
It was hard going, but slowly and surely we clambered in the direction of the Dragon Caves.
Oh no! They were right here, honest!
And finally we reach the Dragon Caves… And guess what?
You guessed it, there was not a Dragon in sight!
Even with minimum light we could see the inside of the cave was quite amazing. There was fresh water dripping through the top of the cave, that had over many, many years created formations within the cave. Isn’t it wonderful what Mother nature can create?
After our snoop around the Dragon Caves we decided to brave it to the top of the mini mountains; in for a penny, in for a pound!
The view at the top was really something. We had a three hundred and sixty degree view of the island. And who knew there was a tennis court and off road track hidden between the mini mountain? It was just a shame it was rather hazy as the photos aren’t as clear as I would have liked (but it was a blessing in disguise in some ways).
The compulsory pose at the top of the climb. What we’d like to know is how on earth did that pillar get there? It’s one of the highest points on the island and not easy to get to!
This is one of the lone trees we can see from our house at the bottom. I never thought I’d be stood beside it.
From our house it looks like this is one tree, but now we know it is in fact two trees. You can see the photos I took of the trees silhouetted by the sun here.
You reacon it’s that way down?
It was slow going down as we had to watch our footing all the way. The concentration hurt my head almost as much as the climb hurt my legs.
There was no easy way down.
And then we found a third cave, that even Jason was unaware of. This cave was obviously used by goats at some point, as the floor was very bouncy with poop and someone had built a sheltering wall out of rocks.
An area of the cave had been walled off at some point, probably to serve as protection against the elements for goats.
Did you hear that? Could be the Dragon… How right they were!
Looking back at where we just climbed down; can’t believe we were up the very top! It was so overgrown that you can’t see Neal or Gregs and they were close behind me.
The plod back to the car was a slow one. The climb up to the Dragon Caves and beyond had taken it out of us, but will we be doing it again? You can bet we will; next winter, with the rest of the Intrepid Explorers, as it should have been that day.
We have lived at the bottom of those mini mountains for thirteen years now and had no idea that there were caves up there. Have you been living near to something amazing that you never knew was there?
© 2016 – 2019, Debbie. All rights reserved.
Tagged In...
Greece • Greek Island • my photographs • wildlife and nature • Zakynthos
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