The Club’s History

The Founding

The Hellenic Mountaineering Club of Heraklion is a member of the Hellenic Federation of Mountaineering and Climbing (H.F.M.C.). It was founded in 1932 by 23 nature-loving residents of Heraklion under the name “Hellenic Mountaineering Association – Heraklion Branch.”

On July 19, 1933, the first Administrative Board was elected:

  • President: Ioannis Mourelos

  • Vice President: Ioannis Sakellaridis

  • General Secretary: Nikolaos Dandaris

  • Special Secretary: Lambros Lambrinos

  • Treasurer: Pantelis Foundoulakis

  • Equipment Manager: Phevos Perdikogiannis

Board Members:

  • Meletios Kokkinakis

  • Georgios Galenianos

  • Konstantinos Lasithiotakis

  • Ioannis Mitsotakis

On September 25 of the same year, the central committee of the Hellenic Mountaineering Association in Athens registered our Club as one of its members. By the end of 1935, the Club had 139 members.

The German occupation suspended the Club’s activities for five years. It was reactivated after the liberation. (The first post-war general assembly was held on September 26, 1945.)

In October 1977, the Club was renamed to “Heraklion Mountaineering and Skiing Club” (S.O.X. Heraklion), and in 1981, the Club’s climbing activity began. Since 1999, after a change in its statute, it has been officially named “Hellenic Mountaineering Club of Heraklion” (E.O.S. Heraklion).

Club Premises

Initially, the Association was housed in a small room at the corner of Vlaston and Psaromilingon Streets. In 1962, it moved to a building on Eleftherias Square. In the summer of 1967, it moved to its current premises at 53 Dikaiosynis Street, which it acquired ownership of in December 1990.

The 8th Panhellenic Mountaineering Event

In July 1948, the Club organized the 8th Panhellenic Mountaineering Meeting on Mount Psiloritis and Afentis Christos of the Dikti mountain range. Mountaineers from across Greece hiked the mountains of Crete from July 17 to 27, 1948.

THE 8th PANHELLENIC MOUNTAINEERING MEETING
MOUNTAINEERS FROM ALL OVER GREECE ON THE HIGH MOUNTAINS OF CRETE
Among the July snows at altitudes of 2,456 and 2,148 meters..

The hikes

The hikes took place in a natural environment untouched by pollution. Most were exploratory, as there were no marked trails. One had to truly love the mountain and nature to embark on such adventures. Noteworthy is the strong participation of women in the Club’s activities. Nature-loving photographers also began to timidly appear at the Club.

Climbing Mount Psiloritis

At that time, reaching the summit of Psiloritis was considered a major accomplishment. Those who succeeded in reaching its highest peak, Timios Stavros (2,456m), were awarded a diploma and a medal. The climb usually began from the village of Kouroutes, via the Pardí location, and descent was made through the Nida Plateau to Anogeia, along a path that passed through Zominthos, since there was no Anogeia–Nida road. The mountaineering equipment (which bore no resemblance to today’s gear) was transported by mule due to the long duration of the trek (three days).

The First Winter Ascent of Psiloritis

The first winter ascent of Psiloritis took place on January 6–8, 1967. The participants were Manolis Kornaros, Andreas Christodoulakis, Theofilos Chatzidakis, Nikos Panagoulopoulos, and Giorgos Fragkiadakis. After careful preparation, the team of five brave mountaineers set out for the difficult and dangerous climb. They traveled by taxi from Heraklion to Kouroutes in Amari. After a three-hour trek, they reached the Foulakas area, where they spent the night in a shepherd’s hut. The next morning, they began the ascent in thick fog, using a compass and the help of their faithful dog, Togo. The snow was soft at first, reaching up to their knees, but further up it became hard and unbreakable; they had to break through it using pickaxes. Togo saved them from falling into a ravine. They battled bitter cold and fierce winds for hours and eventually managed to approach the chapel of Timios Stavros. They celebrated their achievement with raki, figs, and raisins, and then returned to the hut, following their own tracks. From there, they fired flares to signal their success to the villagers of Kouroutes. The next day, they descended via Kollita, Skaronero, and Kamares. They returned to Heraklion proud of their success.

Excerpts from Manolis Kornaros’ account of the winter conquest of Psiloritis in “Allagi”

Some called it sheer madness, others a reckless and dangerous leap, and the more conservative deemed it impossible. We shut our ears to all of that, without underestimating the dangers and storms we were about to face…

…In the morning the fog was denser, visibility was reduced to 2–5 meters. We stood undecided. I looked carefully into everyone’s faces and eyes. I saw no fear in any of them — just a mix of hesitation, some doubt, and a deep yearning. We set off…

…Andreas led the way with his proud stride and inexhaustible physical and mental endurance, breaking the ice and opening the path. We silently followed in his steps. I asked him to dig the snow as deeply as possible because those tracks would guide us back. If we lost them… we’d be doomed…

…The images we witnessed, the emotions we felt, the magic of the snow-covered landscape, and the dangers we overcame will remain forever etched in our souls — guiding us to new conquests.

Since then, much water has flowed under the bridge. E.O.S. Heraklion has grown, gained experience and knowledge.

Today, it has more than 3,000 members, organizes excursions throughout Greece and abroad, and offers mountaineering, climbing, and canyoning training courses.

It is a registered athletic association with the General Secretariat of Sports, with athletes in competition climbing, ski mountaineering, and rock climbing.

Today, in a changing world, the Mountaineering Club of Heraklion, fully aware of its responsibility, continues to inspire a love for the mountains and nature. It is a respected part of Heraklion’s community and is proud to welcome new members to its activities.

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