Hints & tips
Health & safety
-
Stay within your limitations; if in doubt, turn back
-
Protect feet against rough ground, legs against bushes, skin against sun
-
Carry enough water, top up when you can, with sterilising tablets for back-up
-
Tell someone where you're going and when you're expected back
-
Carry a phone and have necessary numbers to hand (signals are generally good)
What3words
We have started replacing GPS waypoints such as [39° 9.77N 23° 25.59E] with What3words addresses such as ///mitten.hygienist.signify. which are fully compatible with GoogleEarth. You can find out about what3words here and “Easily find a what3words address for anywhere in the world. We have divided the world into 3m squares and given each square a unique combination of three words. What3words addresses are easy to say and share, and as accurate as GPS coordinates.” Simply load the app onto your phone or computer and copy the address in.
It's multilingual and you can easily convert co-ordinates within the app.
Whilst we're changing over, the free samples carry both w3w and lat/long references.
Disclaimer
At 'Walking the Islands...' we are concerned to ensure that our walks are accurate, practical and safe. However, please be aware that you undertake the walks at your own risk, and that landscape and landmarks sometimes change. We are always pleased to hear from you if you wish to suggest an update to one of our walks.
Private land
We never knowingly lead you across private land, including military areas, but it is your own responsibility to be aware of your surroundings and avoid trespassing when you are following our walks.
About downloading
Please check that your device can handle Zip files. After completing the Paypal dialogue, the PDFs should download, or there will be a download button to click. In addition, you will receive an email acknowledging your purchase with a download button, valid for 30 days. The files will download in a zip folder and should open automatically. If they don't, you can find free apps that apply to your device to open zip files, for example Winzip. Any problems, feel free to email us.
Other tips
You will already know that Greek Islands can be hot in summer, but that needn't stop you enjoying the walks, even in mid August. Try a short walk any time of day. Cover up against the sun, wear strong shoes, take plenty of water and be ready to defend your legs against scratchy thorn bushes.
For the day-hikes, it's good to start really early, before sunrise even. Climb up away from the sea in that delicious pre-dawn cool, as the native life starts to stir. Watch the sunrise on your way up to the hills, and then as it warms up, you benefit from having the main climb behind you and you'll catch the sea breezes that are often missing on the beach. Now you're up in the hills, it's perfectly possible to walk all day, or come down at any time to a well-earned taverna and a sleep on the beach. A 300m descent in the midday sun is nothing, whereas a 300m climb is madness!
With adequate protection, the walks should be manageable and we'll always give a warning of anything tricky. Many are great as evening strolls,
The connoisseur could try an evening climb, bivvy out for the night, and watch the sunrise from a summit far from town. If you're lucky, you'll be able to see islands in all directions. For example, I've seen Mount Athos from Skiathos, Karpathos from Rhodes and Samos from Naxos, all 100+ Km views.