The ascent of Mount Ida in wind and snow

In the snow on top of Mount Ida

29th April 1944

The weather is deteriorating and the kidnap team need to walk over the side of Mt Ida and down into the Amari valley. It will be a long and arduous day and night.

At midday the party leave Petradolakkia and skirt the side of the Nidha plateau. They are heading for the mitato belonging to Roti, where they will rendezvous with Kapetan Petrakogiorgos and his andartes who will escort them over the side of the mountain. They climb up to the plateau of Akolyta and in rain, wind and snow they head over until they can see signal fires in the Amari telling them it is safe to descend. They shelter in the remains of a mitato before descending. After a long and arduous descent they are led to Vorini Trypa – North Hole – a large cave with tunnels and caverns heading off from the back of it. This cave has been used by the Resistance on several occasions before this visit, and is used by Dunbabin and George Psychoundakis in August 1944.

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1 thought on “The ascent of Mount Ida in wind and snow

  1. Martin Sandford

    Just want to say how much I am enjoying these accounts of those days in Crete. It is a great story about a great & unique man & hopefully an awareness may spread to the initiated so they might read the works of PLF. Martin

    On Thu, 29 Apr 2021, 01:03 Patrick Leigh Fermor, wrote:

    > proverbs6to10 posted: “29th April 1944 The weather is deteriorating and > the kidnap team need to walk over the side of Mt Ida and down into the > Amari valley. It will be a long and arduous day and night. At midday the > party leave Petradolakkia and skirt the side of the Nidh” >

    Reply

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