Category Archives: Summary of accomplishments

2022 – Year in review

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2022 saw a record number of views and visitors to this website: 33921 and 9824 respectively, exceeding the previous record figures in pre-covid-19 2019. Let us hope that there will be no other surge of covid-19 in the year dawning. As the Club commences its 18th season on 7 January 2023, we invite you to take pride in our hiking accomplishments, since start: in 253 events, we hiked for more than 800 hours, and covered over 2500 km. There are 20 activities in store over January-May 2023. We start at Pipis hills https://cyprus-strollers.org/activities-description/pipis-hills-saturday-7-jan-2023/ and continue with Lythrodontas https://cyprus-strollers.org/activities-description/lythrodontas-2-hikes-saturday-14-january-2023/, which will feature our Vasilopita feast. Best wishes to you and your loved ones for a Good New Year.  

How Odd, No photos to boast

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In these times of an almost manic pursuit of photos, to show one’s accomplishments (or agony), often shared on social media, here is a message to all Club members and friends, without a photo. It is prompted by an outing of Christos and Xenophon in the forest between Kakopetria and Prodromos, on 20 Dec., whose highlight was the very rare sighting of young mouflons! First, we saw a pair on the very dirt road we were using, some 25 m in front; minutes after we saw one on a slope to our left; and much later we saw another mouflon high up by a pine tree. It is impossible to have time to take a good photo, given that this rare species of wild sheep, endemic to Cyprus, does not like human presence. Nevertheless, the magic of the moments has been captured via the lenses of our eyes. This is just a tiny example of the splendid experiences The Cyprus Strollers offer their members.

We remain adherent to Government restrictions vis-à-vis the epidemic, yet optimistic we will be able to resume activities on 16 January. Visit https://cyprus-strollers.org/activities-schedule/ in a few days to read the full Schedule of events for January-May 2021. We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happier New Year.

Responsible Hiking

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Spoken under different circumstances, the thoughts that follow could be interpreted as ‘motherhood’. Indeed, over the past 5 summers, there was sparse reason for such talk. Suddenly this summer we observe a thirst for hiking in the heatwave. Why so?

It may have to do with the reality of the covid-19 disruption, which for The Cyprus Strollers resulted in the cancellation of 8 scheduled activities; a serious figure, in a January – May season of 20. Many of us have come out of the lockdown feeling numb, that we had been deprived of Spring and Easter.

When a partial lifting of home confinement was announced and enabled the hike of 23 May, the government had imposed a limit of 10 per group. The Cyprus Strollers, as well as one other hiking club, respected this limit on the day. Some members decided to stay home for some more time, puzzled as to what the near future would bring v-a-v covid-19. Other members chose to get out into nature in self-organised groups of 3 or 4. There have even been gentle members who, having been selected for the 23 May hike, they applied for the 30 May one that followed, stating that they appreciated that their places could/should have been offered to other applicants, who were not chosen for the first outing. Here is a thank you message to all of you, mentioned above.

Dire situations are, of course, a time for testing friendships and honouring relations. The covid-19 crisis was no exception. A couple of members decided to leave the club, in an ungracious manner, creating alternative outings to the scheduled 23 and 30 May events; they set up a new, splinter group, and campaigned fervently among members of The Cyprus Strollers to follow them in hiking in these 2 dates and through June and July. Hiking as a sport is experiencing steady growth since we started, and hikers now have one more choice.

We take this opportunity to reiterate a few key principles of this club.

  • The Cyprus Strollers will continue to respect government-imposed regulations. This applies to any restrictions from covid-19. We will apply such restrictions without dodgy interpretations
  • The Cyprus Strollers will continue to take the high temperatures of Cyprus summers very seriously. Measurements have proven that a hike at temperatures exceeding 21°C is putting your health at risk. The same goes for walking under the direct sun; a heat stroke, dehydration and exhaustion can strike anyone, other than young extreme athletes
  • The Cyprus Strollers is a social club built from the initiative of Xenophon, and led by him at significant cost, without any subsidy, grant, or donation from any direction; your attendance is free of charge.
  • Notwithstanding the above, we do ask of your contribution. Namely, your greeting as you meet up in the morning, your greeting as you depart in the afternoon, open communication, your thought of the day, a smile, a cheer, as well as your participation at the meals that follow the hikes; because as many will testify, hikes without the ensuing meals and their inspired conversations are half the fun.

This is the essence of the club, ‘Hiking made Pleasant’, as the club logo tells. Join us on 4 October for the start of season 13. Visit the website a few weeks earlier, for the new Schedule.

A Time to Reflect

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I will start with a few thoughts already expressed rather widely. This pandemic is wholly democratic, it strikes the rich as it does the poor. Perhaps there is no parallel in the entire world history, not because there have not been epidemics with a greater death toll, but because the overuse of the opportunity to fly at an affordable cost has contributed extensively to the rapid spread of the disease. It is impossible to see the ‘light at the end of the tunnel’, because masses of people have/are behaving carelessly.

Even when we, hopefully, reach a hiatus in the summer, there would be no guarantee that a mutant would not strike again in 2021. In whatever circumstances, nonetheless, the blow to the economy and family incomes will be disastrous (loss of employment, reduced salaries, shortage of goods, frugal consumption). At this point, the burden will be much heavier on the lower income families, and all talk of a democratic pandemic will cease.

So what can one do, today, as we stay locked inside? There are people who live in panic. The realization of death is a serious awakening. Could this be attributed to a belief that one would live endlessly? Or, rather, the conscience of a life conducted selfishly, with little regard for the other? Do we see in this crisis the need for greater sympathy, compassion, humble behaviour? Will man/woman carry on in the conceit that they are gods? Can covid-19 signal the start of a new approach to life, where we cherish every day, are thankful for the eternal pleasures of life, and express our gratitude for the gifts in one’s life?

The Cyprus Strollers is founded on the premise of giving and sharing. Possibly many of you feel a longing for all the goodness the club has offered you. The photo shows a tree bending in ‘modesty’. We wish every member and your loved ones a healthy sojourn through the pandemic. We hope to be able to resume normal operations soon. In the meantime, do take this opportunity at the space ‘leave a comment’ below this text, to express any short or longer thought, to share with all.

Happy New Year to Every Stroller

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The way you practiced over the holidays

Practice with your favourite club

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cyprus Strollers welcome the New Year and wish every Stroller and every follower health, peace and many pleasant hikes in 2020.

The club website has concluded 2019 with 9,064 visitors and 31,878 views.

The Cyprus Strollers concluded their 11th season of activities, over October – December 2019, with lots to smile about:

12 hikes, 135 km walked, for a total of 38 hours.

Cumulatively, over all 11 seasons, our accomplishment is as follows:

173 hikes, 1679 km walked, for a total of 542 hours of innumerable fun.

The new Schedule for January – May 2020 is published; you may download and study it here https://cyprus-strollers.org/activities-schedule/. Join us on 12 January for the start of the 12th season and Vasilopita https://cyprus-strollers.org/activities-description/lythrodontas-12-jan-2020/ . Compliments to Stathis for the holidays spirit picture.

Hiking Can be Made Pleasant – watch how

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Hiking can be made Pleasant. Watch Xenophon discuss how, in an interview with journalist Elpida Iacovidou on RIK channel on 14 Jan. 2019. Click on the link below (video in Greek). https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6491024767699812353/

A Hiking Club like no other

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As we approach the start of this club’s 9th season of activities, the identity of The Cyprus Strollers is well documented, by our record of accomplishments.

Regular Strollers have come to recognize us as the only hiking club in Cyprus with a dedicated website, in English, organizing a hike in the countryside, every weekend, from October through May. Over the past 4 years the club has conducted

  • 129 activities,
  • covering 1225 km,
  • hiking for 404 hours.

Interestingly, hiking as a sport is experiencing growth, in consequence, and hikers now have more choice.

Then, there are further aspects to the personality of The Cyprus Strollers, exemplified by:

The club’s intervention in the public dialogue that followed the devastating forest fire of 19-22 June 2016, via this article https://cyprus-strollers.org/2016/07/08/politics-vs-forests-thoughts-from-the-fires/

The club’s intervention in the public dialogue that followed news about our overweight kids, via this article https://cyprus-strollers.org/2018/07/02/call-to-action-for-parents-of-overweight-kids-sample-the-delights-of-hiking/

Our organization of the first ever poetic hike, of which you can read here https://cyprus-strollers.org/activities-description/lythrodontas-2-hikes-sunday-15-jan/

Brief intervals of cultural reading, happening during hiking, e.g. here https://cyprus-strollers.org/2018/03/26/unique-cyprus-strollers-prophitis-elias-25-march/

The club’s intervention in the public dialogue on the occasion of the International Mountain Day, see here https://cyprus-strollers.org/2017/12/10/mountains-under-pressure-climate-hunger-and-migration/

The organization of extraordinary activities, e.g. https://cyprus-strollers.org/2017/04/14/good-friday-stroll-72-epitaphios-in-old-nicosia/

If you identify with these initiatives, if you see yourself here, and would like to contribute to “Hiking made Pleasant”, join us on 7 October on our first event of the 9th season.

Inspirational Cyprus Strollers

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To wrap up the season that started January, in which we realised 20 excursions and covered a total of 206 km in 75 hours of hiking, a well-deserved celebration was held during lunch on 27 May. This was a time for reflection, for thanking and for giving. George contributed a delicious chocolate gateau, with a lit candle on top. Then Ian H (who turned out to be camera shy) followed with surprise gifts to the club’s Founder and Director. There was a greetings card, signed by dozens of members, bearing the central message “Thank you for your organisation and your inspiration” and other touching messages from all. A second gift was a large 94X64 cm frame bearing a selection of past photographs from our hikes; this now adorns a wall in Xenophon’s apartment. Yet a third gift was an album bearing many colour 30X21 cm printouts of photographs from past activities.

Xenophon was for once lost for words, immersed in a sea of warm sentiments. The feeling now is that this club has grown enough, to be an important part of the leisure and creative life of so many wonderful persons, past, present and new members, from all Continents! Have a nice summer and join us again in October for the next season. Compliments to Ian H and George. Compliments also to Koula, Christos and Clara for the photos.

 

Happy New Year to Every Stroller!

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The Cyprus Strollers welcome the New Year and wish every Stroller and every follower health, peace and many pleasant hikes in 2018.

The Cyprus Strollers concluded their 7th season of activities, over October – December 2017, with lots to smile about:

12 hikes,

of which 5 new;

115 km walked,

for a total of 36 hours.

Cumulatively, over all 7 seasons, our accomplishment is as follows:

109 hikes,

1018 km walked,

for a total of 329 hours

of innumerable fun.

The new Schedule for January – May 2018 is published; you may download and study it here https://cyprus-strollers.org/activities-schedule/. There are 20 excursions planned, of which 6 are new; there are 12 walk Leaders in charge, which is a club record! Join us on 7 January for the start of the 8th season https://cyprus-strollers.org/activities-description/selladi-karamanli-polystypos-linear-trail-7-jan/.