Our hike of Saturday 17 January 2015 takes place on Madari mountain and covers a good part of the Grand Circle scheduled for later on this season. This hike is rated 2+ (medium difficulty to difficult), 11.2 km long, and is expected to take up about 3 ½ hours. The hike involves significant elevation changes; we start at 1335 m (at Doxa si o Theos), walk down to 1150 m (at Moutti tis Horas), and then we climb to 1260 m (at Selladi Karamanli). We follow the same path back.

To compensate for the effort, the hike offers plenty of delights: dense forest of golden oak (endemic species), strawberry trees (antrouklia), pine trees, junipers, cedars and other conifers, rich variety of bushes and wild flowers; unforgettable views and so on.

Madari is located east of Troodos, in the Pitsilia area. The most prominent of the Pitsilia group of villages are Agros and Kyperounda. The walk starts at 11:30 am. Xenophon is leading this walk, which will go ahead even in light rain; if you need to, call 97613720. The starting point for this walk is the Doxa si o Theos location, a few km drive up from Kyperounda village, on the road to Spilia village.

At the end of the walk we shall sit down for lunch at a taverna in the vicinity. We shall drive there in a convoy.

You have the choice of meeting the group at the walk start, if you are very familiar with the place, or meet at the designated meeting point in Nicosia, from which we shall drive in a convoy. Meeting in Nicosia offers two important advantages: we drive in full cars, leaving some cars behind; thus, we save in fuel and enjoy the trip in good company. The meeting point in Nicosia is the very large church named tis Theou Sophias (also referred to as Agia Sophia) in Strovolos, which offers ample parking space on its side street. The car trip starts at 10:15 am. Please ensure you observe start times, for the benefit of the group.

How to get to the walk start:

From Nicosia take the A9 motorway towards Troodos. The A9 smoothly becomes the B9 highway towards Troodos, when the motorway ends, near Kokkinotrimithia. On the B9 you drive past the villages of Akaki, then Peristerona and then you reach the village of Astromeritis. At the Astromeritis traffic lights, where most cars turn left towards Troodos, zero your odometer and turn left. Drive along the main road. After 25 km you pass the village of Kakopetria. Continue to drive along the main road, in the direction of Troodos. At the 33 km reading, you reach a crossroads (no traffic lights), named Karvounas. Do not go straight, downhill. Do not turn right (this takes you to Troodos square). Turn left and drive to Kyperounda, the first village on your way. At the 36.4 km reading you notice a road sign indicating a left turn, leading uphill to the village of Spilia. Turn left here; at the 38.2 km reading you observe the usual wooden sign on your right, marking the start of the hike at Doxa si o Theos. Park on the side of the road.

How to get to the meeting point for the car trip:

From Nicosia get to the junction between Cineplex and Apolloneion Hospital. At the traffic lights where you have the Cineplex on your left hand side and Apolloneion Hospital on your right hand side, zero your odometer and turn left. At the 0.3 km reading you see Lidl supermarket on your right. At the 0.8 km reading you reach traffic lights. Turn left. Immediately after you observe the very large church of tis Theou Sophias on your right. Just past the church (1.0 km reading) take the first turning to the right. This side street offers ample parking space. Park here.

Google Maps: Here is a map taking you from the junction between Cineplex and Apolloneion Hospital to the church of tis Theou Sophias http://tinyurl.com/ll9fefj

Google Maps: Here is a map taking you from the Presidential Palace (point E on the map) to the church of tis Theou Sophias (point B), via points D, then C, then A: http://tinyurl.com/ndnr6uo

Google Maps: Here is a map taking you from the principal road at Kakopetria to the walk start http://tinyurl.com/os4kn3x

About Pitsilia: The region east of Mount Olympos (Troodos) is known as the Pitsilia area and includes about 30 villages. Its tallest peaks are Madari (1612 metres) and Papoutsa (1554 metres). The picturesque villages nestle on the mountainside amid vineyards, or are hidden in valleys, maintaining much of their traditional charm. The surrounding hills and valleys are full of vines, as well as almond, hazelnut, walnut and other fruit trees. The area is also known for its traditional products such as aromatic rosewater, ‘hiromeri’ (smoked ham), ‘loukanika’ (smoked sausages) and ‘lountza’ (smoked pork loin).

Disclaimer: If you attend a Cyprus Strollers walk you do so entirely at your own risk. The Cyprus Strollers is a social club and neither the organizers nor the leader of the walk are responsible for the health and safety of those taking part.