stevedaniels's Journal

We’re taking a break from our trek up the Eden valley this week as I want to take you up to the Katharo Plateau in the Dhikti mountains. Yes, I know we’ve been there before (Cathartic Katharo) but I need your help to examine some summer ponds.

Here we are, all dressed up in muted colours for the occasion, and our first job is to lie very quietly in the mud and see what’s happening. Read more at http://bit.ly/2dQ3J3z

After last weeks detour to The Dew ponds of Katharo we’ll continue our journey up the valley, crossing the tarmac road that cuts across the hills between the villages of Agios Ioannes and Schninokapsala and head into the woods behind the church of St. George of Psychro.

As you can see there are plenty of deciduous trees here and if you can tear yourself away from picking up the walnuts on the floor for a moment there’s a little example of life here that’s worthy of our attention. Read on at http://bit.ly/2dJUoqT

The thing about walking on these mountain roads is finding a place to get off them and strike out across country. As they are cut into the hillside you usually find yourself hemmed in by a high and unclimbable bank. The trick here is to look for the place where water crosses the road which can often be spotted by lines of Oleander straggling up and down. Where water comes down we can often go up such as at this spot here. Let’s give it a try. Read on at http://bit.ly/2erdFvP

That nice little mountain road that we found last week soon petered out into a dirt track but what the heck, we’ll see more by cutting across country anyway. Now that autumn is getting underway and there’s a bit more moisture about a few more flowers are starting to appear. They’re usually small up here remember so keep your eyes peeled and look in the nooks and crannies of the rocks.

Read on at http://cretenature.blogspot.gr/2016/10/life-in-uplands.html