Pierra Creta 2026 – The southernost skimo race in Europe they say. Not only! This event has a great atmosphere and actually is a multiday skimo happening in Greece in Crete. The race itself is just a cherry on top of the cake. And the question: „Is there any snow?“ is fruitless. Let’s have a look on this heartwarming skiing experience in Mediterranean pace!
Pierra Creta 2026 in movie:
Evolution to sign up for Pierra Creta 2026?
What it all took to get so fat to register for Pierra Creta 2026? Few years ago I was reading an article in some magazine about Pierra Creta. I was thinking to myself the same. How the hell they can ski there? I knew there are some peaks in Creta, but the snow? We do not even have snow in Czechia, but in Creta? I thought it’s some kind of a sick joke, so I checked the date and it wasn’t 1st of April. Therefore I continued reading the the pictures looked promising.
Beside all the revelvant and interesting information the one particular sentence engaged me. “The results were published just in three weeks.” I got the feeling that that this race might be far away from what we know from our region. Something relaxed relaxed out of the real overmotivated races in Alps. In years I forgot about this race completely until now.
One day I met Jakub telling me: We are going for Pierra Creta 2026. I checked the dates and unfortunately it was just a week bofore Pierra Menta for which I was in the waiting list. A blessing in disguise was we were not taken to Pierra Menta this year. If there is no Pierra Menta let’s go for Pierra Creta 2026! And the deal was clear! I immediately called my partner Stefan and didn’t give him a chance to disagree.
As always we were late for registration. Thanks to very reactive and helpful George (Jorgos) who sent us a secret link for registration we were able to register for the race. And there it was! Two teams Jiri and Jakum and Me and Stefan enrolled for the Pierra Creta 2026.
Getting to Crete
Crete is far. At least for middle europeans. It’s so far that driving there was completely out of the topic. Flight is a solution. Especially when the organizer of the race made the deal with Aegean airlins to get a skibag for free! Yes, flying is alway stress free and one can easily drink beers entire journey with no hassle. But not us!
That was in Athens where we had long transfer between flight from Prague and one to Crete. Me and Stefan were having pretty good time tasting local delicious food. It was pretty easy until boarding to the airplane where thy told us: “Guys, this is wrong flight.” Really? The plane we were waiting for was already somewhere in the clouds. 😀 Fucking hell! 4 hours for transfer and we missed it. We really had to buy another tickets to get to Heraklion.
After this experience nothing could stop us after landing in Heraklion in Crete. And it could! We searched for the car rental company where we made a booking, but their stall was simply cloed and locked. Super! Calling the company only found out from the operator that the payment was not processed and there is no car for us today. We kept on fighting and found another one on the airport. Last piece to the puzzle was t wait for Kuba and Jirka for the next plane and we are complete! The skimoparty can start.
Cheese making, presentation, tavern
The mistake was clear the first ride to Anogeia was extremely long. Next time we have to stay in the center of the race. The fisrt thing what differs Pierra Creta 2026 from another skimo races was the accompanying program. We opted for cheese making. We arrived to the stoney house where we were taken to a shepherd who introduced us to a cheesemaking and the result was very tasty!
Another warm welcome we recieved in Anogeia at the registration office. Everyone way joking with our self made vests and nobody believed we’ve really made it ourself just fot this event. All the organizers were so heartfull and welcomming. We got plenty of stuffy from the registration but the most important – starting bibs! Looks like we are ready to start.
Hunger was stronger than our need to do the race track check so the first tavern we saw was our. Well the food is delicious for sure, but one kilo of goat meet I would’t really call carboloading before the race… Nevermid, we can get back on track with our digestion by drinking a little bit of Rakia. Now with full bellies of fatty food we were just ready to do the race track check.
Pierra Creta 2026 Track check
It took us another 40 minutes to get from Anogeia to the foot of the Psiloritis mountain range. During the ride Psiloritis was teasing us with white peaks and we couldn’t waith to get there. Only limitation were everywhere present herds of goats calmly crossing roads. We couldn’t believe our eyes just a few hundret of meters before Mygeros shelter the wide views opened. Amazed by the long Psiloritis range full of snow made us dressed fast.
Well it looked great, but the first snow was quite some walk away from the Mygeros hut. Never mid we know we will run it tomorrow, so let’s train it. Sharp stones and prickly thistles made it a great terrain for carbon boots. It didn’t take long to get tio the snow and indeed we were in Creta on the skis. Misson accomplished.
We were not so keen to make here thousands of meters so or destination was the first depot after roughly 700 vertical meters. The downhill was a fairytale. What a snow. I was expecting a crust, but this was epic! hard packed snow just as melted to cut the edge in it and rock it hard. If this will be in the race we will fly as rockets. The time was short to get back to the race briefing in Zoniana, so no time to loose.
Race briefing or party briefing
In Zoniana another program was on and it wasn’t definately only a briefing. We slowly got used to the Greek pace so if something starts means it starts one hour after. Nevetheless the entire briefing started with a common Greek dance lessons to prepare us for the after race party. Great idea to tune the non Greek participants to the vibes. And of course outside of the hall the spirit of Pierra Creta 2026 was on. A small party with Rakia, local cheese and bread.
The briefing was profesionally held. Exhaustive presentation full of information that everyone will be clear in navigation. After the presenatiton of all the sponsors and supporters the major of Zoniana wished us a good luck and we could get back to the Rakia drinking outside. What a pre-race nutrition and tapering 😀
Pierra Creta 2026 – “The Race”
The last thing we wanted is to miss the start of Pierra Creta 2026. We were late yes, but still hoping for a “Greek” style start. We came to Psiloritis almost last. The venue was full of people, the Mygeros hut was garnished with all the flags of different nations. If we counted well there was at least 15 nations. Incredible how international this race is and how big reach it has. In total there were around 230 racers!
When we came to the place at the foot of the Psiloritis mountain I was quite surprised that very few people are using the race skis. Big majority have skis 85mm and more. Big number of people are also starting with splitboard. There were actually two tracks. Track A roughly 1600 meters and trtack B something around 900 meters. So enough room to fit everyone.
Nobody knows what happens, but due to some reason the start of the race was luckily for us a bit delayed. Looking to faces of organizers it didn’t look as just a simple delay, but they managed to solve whatever problem it was and soon we were checked by arwa beacons and soon we stood in the start corridor.
3-2-1 and Pierra Creta 2026 Started!
Sure we stood up in the front row to be the first at least on the fisrt picture. After the speach of the “ski” priest we got blessings to go. It did’t take long and we heard 3-2-1-start! Ok Vamos! The first sections is clear.Booting up the the snow line. We blast off the starting corridor and all four of us are taking the lead. Still in the middle of the booting section on the snow I was elading the race. I was telling to myself is that real? When the attack comes?
I see Jakub, Jiří and Stefan still behind me. What a surprise. I don’t really push hard still trying to save energy for further climbs. At the first depot at the snow line the German group of guys is catching up with us and on the snow taking a lead of Pierra Creta 2026. We keep pushing and I lead my guys just at the toes of lskis of the leaders until the second descend depot. There we’re all still in TOP 3. I let Jakub and Jiří to go and chase the first couple.
I scream loud downhilling. So satisfying! According to Strava I flew 69 km/h! Unfortunately at the moment of reaching the lower transition zone to ascend the first group and group of Jakub and Jiri are already on the hill. Also we were overtaken by Italian son and father. In the second ascend I can feel Stefan doesn’t have his best day, but we keep on fighting.
Stunning ridge of Psiloritis and Mt. Ida (2.456m)
Again lovely descend jumping over a chunks of stones and rocks delivers us to the last transition before the ascend to the Psiloritis ridge. That was the place where the route A is meeting up with group B. It take a bit of effort to overake some of them, but soon we are free to move again. It’s clear we have to do something. I take out my line from the backpack and snap Sefan on the rope.
Despite we push hard and I dont dive a space to breathe we are constantly overtaking each others with pink dynafit guys until the ridge of Psiloritis. Unfortunately in the heart of the game there is no time for Rakomelo offered by Simula at one of the spot. Sorry my dear we will drink one at the finish line 😀
The small downhill on the skins was annoying and Manuel and Jakob kicked our asses here. We still could take the lead up to Mt. Ida, but the they took the summit and rang the bell before us. If I look back there is nobody after us as long as I can see. So one rakomelo for me at the summit was a great choice.
Downhill was a bit challenging for navigation. the thick mist didn’t let us rid fast and we definately lsot a lot of time on the last descend. Suddenly at the last transition at the snow line where we were supposed to carry our skis back to the finish Stefan takes the lead. Aha so he didn’t have enough? I will remmember this! Runnig back between rocks and plans brought us back to the finish line at 5th position at time 2 h 22 min 28 sec
Beer, music and dance
It’s always good feeling to inish a race. But here even better. To chill on the sun with locak Pierra Creata 2026 beer is tip-top. The party haven’t yet started and I fell already like at the party. Drinking greek herbal tea mixed up with Rakia and beer is a good recovery drink.
Another great experience was a greek musician with Bouzouki playing loud all over the Mygeros parking lot. All people dacing and having a really good time. It was that good that even some dancers were attracted from the valley and performed Greek traditional dances at Mygeros.
The hunger was here to come so we decided to drive back to Anogeia to celebrat a bit a Mixalos cafeteria with waitress and Rakia. I have a feeling like for every question in Crete there is an answer. And the answer id Rakia. Same like in Czech republic the answer is beer. I already feellike at home. They have a few snow we have a few snow. Cretans ski on stones, we ski on stones. They drink hard we drink hard. What a coexistence.
After race feast – the spirit of Pierra Creta 2026
The director of the race told us don’t eat much there will be dinner at 19:00. We all came to the venue on time at 19:00. We were told the 19.00 means in Cretan time 20:00. Sure we are stupid how could we come that early 😀 Nevermind we met interesting people in the restaurant so we could spare the time until the restaurant got filled with all the participants.
I’ve been racing since 2012 on different skimo races. I’ve been thru many after parties from which I barely remember anything, but this Cretan way of after partying is unique and has it’s special spirit. So abundant six-course menu of all different Cretan specialists was just a prolog. After finishing the food the real entertainment started.
Who cares here about the announcment of results and podium. Who cares about the times and positions. Pierra Creta 2026 is mainly about friendship, fellowship and comradeship. This event is simply a big happenning of open minded people loving skiing and mountaineering no matter what level it is. We can see young rockets. Mid age people searching for unique experience and Masters all together dancing and having fun all night long like the time has paused. Pierra Creta 2026 is closed society of ski-crazy people.
Conclusion
There is no conclusion. This touching event definately deserves to keep it’s unique spirit. And I only hope will remain and keep enthusiast people in organizational team. Right those people are the core team without whom this event wouldn’t be as it is. I only hope that in two years in 2028 we will all meet again in the same mood as it was this year. Thank you all Pierra Creta 2026 team to make this happen for all of us. You are real heroes of the race!
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