The Wolves of Asprorema - Travelling Slow

Leondito to Epiniana

“Only wolves live in Asprorema now,” warned the hunters as we climbed up towards the Delidhimi pass at nearly 2000 metres. Beyond the peak, the path down to the tiny hamlet of Asprorema was shown as “faint” on the map. Did that mean non-existent? From there it followed a precipitous path down the stream to Epiniana. Would we get lost, and would it be dangerous to camp out? Yet as we finally slithered down to Asporema, the first thing we saw was a line of pigs. We wondered how they survived the wolves….

The next day we met the owner of the pigs, and joined him and his mother for breakfast, before heading down the Asprorema stream, clambering over boulders and through pools, our valuables carefully stashed in waterproof bags. Then there followed the scariest part of this section, a path hewn out of the cliff by men with ropes and harnesses, with a steep drop below. Terrifying if you don’t like heights.

Route: Leondito, Delidhimi, Asprorema, Epiniana.

Hiker on rough track from Leondito through remote country to the foot of Delidhimi. — **Track to foot of Delidhimi**

Epiniana 360 73, Greece

Saddle over bare grassy mountains with Delidhimi peak above — **The** **Delidhimi pass**

Simple tin shepherd's hut, with small sheep corral below and wooded moumtainsides — **Shepherd’s hut and a welcome invitation to coffee**

Faint track along steep Delidhimi mountainside with hiker just visble in the foreground. Down towards Asprorema. — **You can just pick out the path along the mountainside – so long as it’s good weather.**

View of peaks from the Delidhimi saddle - grassy with rock higher up. — **View from the pass**

Hiker on trail with free range pigs at Asprorema — ***The free range pigs of Asprorema – no wolves!***

Maria in simple summer kitchen with calor gas bottle, food hanging up in plastic bags, at Asprorema — **Maria, summer resident in Asprorema**

Faint trail along the Asprorema valley with steep wooded slopes. Hiker in foreground — **Path along the Asprorema stream**

Route finding with unusual waymarks: red checked Bonne Maman jamjar lid on mossy trunk — **Loved the inventive waymarks!**

The trail follows the Asprorema stream flowing though a steep sided gorge, with boulders and trees. — **And then the path led down the stream bed – quite a scramble.**

From Asprorema to Epiniana: narrow path hewn out of the cliff face with a precipitous drop below — ***Mule track hewn out of the cliff, scary if you hate heights.***

Easy level track to Epinana with low trees arching over — ***Glad to be past the precipitous bit and on an easy track again.***

Pink cyclamen on the path to Epiniana — ***Wild cyclamen***

Wooded steep Asprorema valley, with a stone shrine in foreground. Looking back from Epiniana, — ***Looking back towards Delidhimi from Epiniana***

Steep rocky peaks of Delidhimi , with the scattered houses of Epiniana and pine forest in the foreground — ***Epiniana and Delidhimi peaks***

Route from Epiniana: traditional stone bridge over Agrafiotis tributary, with small pools of water and trees — **Stone bridge over Agrafiotis tributary. Perfect spot for a picnic.**

Large orange toadstool pushing up through the rough path from Epiniana — **Fungi pushing up everywhere after the autumn rains**