This is the view from my families home in our village, Ano Meros, Crete, Greece. I photographed this on my last visit there 2 summers ago. On any clear day during golden hour, the mountain turns bright red before fading into the dark night.
A cool little fact, Psiloritis (scientifically known as Mt. Ida) Is known in greek mythology as the birthplace of Zeus.
For tourists and hiking/climbing enthusiasts, the mountain provides challenging a challenging assent and decent, with slippery rocky terrain. Once past the treeline, the weather is chilly, windy and there is no shelter until the peak is reached. At the top, there is a small church made out of the stones from the mountain. The entrance is about 4ft tall and maybe 2 ft wide. Once inside, you have a place to give thanks for your hike and have some relief from the ailments.
To most locals, the peak is a place for pilgrimage for those who want to show their dedication to God. I wont go into too much detail, but with every visit I make to the village, I hear stories of locals who walk alone from their village with nothing but the clothes on their back to make a short pilgrimage to the peak. Reasons are, to thank God for a fulfilled prayer request, to pray at the small hobbit like church made from stone at the peak, or whatever other spiritual reason they may have. My Great Grandmother herself walked to the top of the mountain barefoot, as a thank you for the healing of her son (my grandfather) who was suffering from Typhoid fever when he was young. While he was sick, she walked to the mountain with a donkey to collect ice to use to cool him down. She made a promise to God, that if he were healed, she would thank him by walking barefoot to the peak to give thanks.
In 2006 I climbed to the top of Psilorits with family, I hope to do it again in the near future as it was one of the greatest challenges I've ever done. Below is a photo of us passed out on the peak. I am the one in the blue sweatshirt passed out on the "bench"
Thanks for reading!