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Elatohori

By Sean Radich

Resort Rundown:

Elatohori (also translated to “Elatochori”, and written as “ΕΛΑΤΟΧΩΡΙΟΥ” in Greek script), and also known as “North Selas”, is a small resort near the north-east coast of Greece, in the region of Thessalia and the Prefecture of Katerini. Elatohori is located less than 30km from the east-coast beaches of mainland Greece.

The base carpark sits at 1400m above sea level, whilst the top of the resort is at 1912m. There is a modern two-seater chairlift from the base carpark, followed by two long T-bars to the top, and one beginner T-bar at the bottom.

With lift tickets costing around 10-12EUR a day you will be hard pressed to find anywhere else in the world you can shred for this cheap. But don’t expect insane European Alpine snowboarding – this resort is really a little local family hill.

Terrain:

At the top of the resort, the trees thin out to almost above-the-treeline snowboarding, however once a little lower down all the runs have been cut into the forest. There is one main, wide run from the top, which is about 2500m long, and which starts out quite flat before getting a little steeper at the bottom. Besides this main run there are also a couple of longer, winding cat tracks cut through the forest of pines.

Freeriding:

The terrain is not very steep, and is generally fairly mellow. But hey, you’re snowboarding in Greece! Make the most of it and have some fun.

You won’t find epic steeps and deep pow, but you can have some fun laying some high-G euro carves on the groomers, and ollieing off little bumps and terrain features.

If it is a high-snowfall season, you should be able to have some fun riding through the tightly-packed pine trees too, and might find some steeper sections to get a little bit of your “gnar” on.

Freestyle:

Bring a shovel and build your own jibs. There is supposed to be a small snowboard park marked on the map at the top of the first t-bar, but we did not see one. However, you will find a bunch of objects to jib and bonk around the resort: just use your imagination.

The best feature of the Elatohori is the old Ford Laser located towards the end of the main run on the skier’s right near the trees. You can certainly jib this car, or if snow levels permit, build a jump over the top of it.

The owner of the resort told us that normally, when snow conditions permit, he builds jumps and a small boardercross-style course, and we saw photos of a 20 foot kicker. So hopefully, you will have more snow than when BTW visited and find some little jibs already set up. Also, find the owner, and it won’t take much to sweet-talk him into building some features for you overnight.

Snow and Weather Conditions:

Greece has the quintessential Mediterranean climate with plenty of sunshine, mild temperatures and a limited amount of rainfall. Due to the country's geographical position, its rugged relief and its distribution between the mainland and the sea, there is great variation in Greece's climate. The winters are mild in lowland areas, with a minimum amount of snow and ice, yet, mountains are usually snow-covered. Moreover, a common phenomenon is the occurrence of different climactic conditions during the same season (for instance, mild heat in coastal areas and cool temperatures in mountainous regions).

In the mountains you will typically find lots of sunny days, and with the changeable Mediterranean climate, snow conditions can be a little variable. However, up north on the border with the Balkan countries, you are more likely to find more consistent snow and powder, and colder conditions.

Elatohori is located in the Pieria mountain range, north of the regional capital of Katerini, and near the 2917metre-high massif of Mt Olympus. However, the resort is less than 30km from the east coast of Greece, and as such, snow conditions can be very changeable and marginal. Furthermore, with a top altitude of 1912m, you are unlikely to find epic powder conditions. When BTW was at Elatohori, there was only a thin layer of snow, but I have seen photos where at least a metre base blankets the resort. And, like most resorts in Greece, you will find lots of sunny days out on the slopes, so don’t forget the sunblock.

Current weather and snow conditions at Elatohori.

The small town of Elatohori is just 8km from the resort, and is a better option if you want to stay close. Alternatively, you could stay at the regional capital, Katerini, just 20km away. Or, just 10 minutes further east is the coastline, so you might like to stay at a beachside town.

You might be able to book some accommodation online, but the best bet is to just rock up and choose a bed and breakfast or hotel that you see while driving around.

Nightlife:

Elatohori has no on-mountain accommodation, so there is no nightlife on the hill. Down in the town, there might be a tavern or two, but the town looked pretty sleepy when we rolled through. A better bet is to head to Katerini.

Snowboard Shop:

Next to the day lodge there is a small rental shop where you can hire snowboards, and get some basic snowboard supplies.

Nearby Sites to Visit:

Mt Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece at 2917m, is also the home to the ancient “Olympians”: the 12 most important gods of ancient Greek mythology. The Greeks thought of it as built with crystal mansions wherein the gods, such as Zeus, dwelt.The base of Olympus is about half an hour away, and you can drive to the snowline and start of the Mt Olympus National Park 15 minutes west of the town of Litochoro. It is possible to mountaineer to the top of Olympus, but you will need a professional guide and all the right gear.

Dion is one of the major sites of ancient Greece, and the archaeological ruins are located just south of Katerini, on the way to Litochoro. The Ancient city of Dion was a place of some importance, due to its location at the foot of Mount Olympus. Archaeological findings show that this was where Zeus was honored. In 2006, a statue of Hera was found built into the walls of the city. The statue, 2200 years old, had been used by the early Christians of Dion as filling for the city's defensive wall.

Getting There:

From Athens: Drive north 440km along the coast on the E75 motorway towards Thessaloniki, and get off at Katerini. From Katerini head 20km west into the mountains to find the town of Elatohori, then follow the signs the 8km to the ski resort.

A train also runs from Athens up the east coast to Thessaloniki, stopping at Katerini. So you could also hire a car once you get to the regional capital.

From Thessaloniki: Drive west out of town on the E75 towards Athens, then south on the motorway the 70km to Katerini.

Last updated on 22 June 2008.

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Elatohori

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