A cleanup operation on Mount Olympus has removed 650 kilograms of rubbish from beneath the so-called \u201cThrone of Zeus,\u201d near one of the mountain\u2019s highest peaks.<\/h3>\n
The organisation Ecogenia led the initiative in cooperation with the Christos Kakalos Mountain Refuge. Among the discoveries were soft drink cans from the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, sheets of metal, parts from old generators and equipment that had remained buried among the rocks for almost half a century.<\/p>\n The four-hour cleanup took place in late July after the team discovered what geologist and mountain refuge manager Michalis Styllas described as a \u201csmall landfill.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI found it when I was there for geological studies,\u201d Styllas told Ta Nea<\/em>. \u201cIt was at the deepest point of the Throne of Zeus and was not visible either from the refuges or the trails. Nobody goes there.\u201d<\/p>\n Ecogenia said extreme conditions in alpine ecosystems can slow the natural decomposition of materials. As a result, rubbish abandoned decades ago can remain on the mountain and continue to affect the ecosystem.<\/p>\n Among the waste was even a container of olive oil dating from the 1970s.<\/p>\n A legacy of a different era<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Styllas attributed the hidden rubbish site to attitudes that prevailed in earlier decades, before tourism expanded on the \u201cMountain of the Gods\u201d and mountaineering became a popular recreational activity.<\/p>\n He said earlier refuge managers, particularly at higher elevations where only a small number of experienced climbers visited, may not have placed the same emphasis on cleaning and recycling.<\/p>\n \u201cThe people who climb the mountain today are environmentally conscious. This situation has nothing to do with today\u2019s mountaineers,\u201d Styllas stressed.<\/p>\n The team collected the 650 kilograms of waste in late July. The rubbish remains packaged at the refuge while the organisers await a helicopter to transport it from the mountain.<\/p>\n Cleanup efforts continue on Mount Olympus<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Although no official figures record the number of climbers who visit Mount Olympus, estimates suggest that around 30,000 to 50,000 people reach elevations above 2,000 metres each year.<\/p>\n The Christos Kakalos Refuge, established in 2003, accommodates around 5,000 people annually.<\/p>\n The Throne of Zeus, also known as Stefani, stands at 2,911 metres and ranks as the second-highest peak on Mount Olympus. Myti\u00adkas, at 2,918 metres, remains the highest peak in Greece.<\/p>\n The refuge also organised a similar cleanup operation in 2013. On that occasion, workers found another small rubbish dump behind the summit of Profitis Ilias, at 2,803 metres, containing waste abandoned during the 1980s and 1990s.<\/p>\n Ecogenia, founded in 2021, focuses on educating and employing young people in climate and environmental protection, both through training and fieldwork.<\/p>\n The organisation has worked on Mount Olympus since 2023, cleaning trails and participating in wildfire prevention initiatives, including joint patrols with the forestry service.<\/p>\n The latest operation also involved the California Conservation Corps, a California state service founded in 1976 that employs young adults in environmental protection and natural resource management projects.<\/p>\n The Christos Kakalos Refuge provided accommodation and meals for the entire team during the operation.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/greekcitytimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/olymous.webp)
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