KYTHERA HIKING IS A PROGRAMME OF THE KYTHERIAN FOUNDATION FOR CULTURE AND DEVELOPMENT

REPORT #7 AUTUMN 2016 – SPRING 2017

© Kythera Hiking 2017 Status Report #7 (Autumn 2016 – Spring 2017) Authors: Rigas Zafeiriou, Fivos Tsaravopoulos Photography: Rigas Zafeiriou, Fivos Tsaravopoulos Kythera January 2017

Cover photo: Searching for old trails at Aroniadika

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Dear friends of Kythera Hiking, Since the middle of 2015, the trail development programme of Kythera ‘Kythera Hiking’ has got two new cooperators Mr. Rigas Zafeiriou and Mrs. Nantia Megalokonomou, two young persons with inexhaustible love for their island, environmental and cultural knowledge as well as passion for trails and hiking. Thanks to their actions, they managed to give new impetus to Kythera Hiking, which has literally reopened its wings! Of course, the Kytherian Foundation for Culture and Development (KIPA), and the programme officer of Kythera Hiking Mr. Manolis Charos, continue to support in every way the efforts to develop the trail network. The support of our sponsors (Kytherian Association of Australia, Motor Oil Hellas, Pyrgos House) has been decisive, without which we would not be able to start working anew on the trail network of Kythera. Finally, we would like to announce that we are very glad to see interest and mobilization on behalf of the municipality of Kythera concerning the trails of the island and especially the efforts of the Mayor Mr. Stratos Charchalakis. In the following pages, we present our news regarding our fieldwork for the improvement and development of the trail network, promotional activities, our new partnerships and our next steps. We wish that 2017 will see us all participating in this beautiful endeavor of enhancing the natural and cultural wealth of Kythera through trails.

January 2017

Fivos Tsaravopoulos

Manager of Kythera Hiking

INTRODUCTION

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FIELDWORK - Maintenance and improvement of existing routes - Clearings of new routes (trail building) - Signposting new trails - New equipment - Volunteering PROMOTION - New website - New logo - International trail twinning (friendship trails) - Participation at a hiking tourism exhibition - Free excursions for the general public - Collaboration with the Youth Union “Porphyris” NEW PARTNERSHIPS NEXT STEPS

FIELDWORK

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MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENT OF EXISTING ROUTES

There have already been six years since the first signposting of trails on Kythera. As a consequence, signs and waymarks have undergone some attrition and trails have been closed in some places. Annually, KIPA performs maintenance and improvement activities and as a result most trails remain accessible. Throughout the last year, the maintenance actions that took place are the following: Trail M11: Repair of the passage opposite the Cave of Agia Sofia of Kalamos where there was a landslide Trail M41: Improvement of the route design after the watermill of Filippis.

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FIELDWORK

CLEARINGS OF NEW ROUTES (TRAIL BUILDING)

The trail network of Kythera is constantly enriched with new routes. From the 8 existing trails, we will have 14 routes by the summer of 2017 with a total length of about 70 kilometers, rendering the island a sufficient hiking destination. The new routes that have been built or are being built during this period and will be added to the network are: Circular route of architectural interest connecting the settlements of Aroniadika, Pitsinades, Vamvakaradika, Tzoaniannika, Kastrisianika, Friligkianika, Aloizianika (Motor Oil Hellas sponsorship)

Circular route Karavas – Agios Nikolaos bay – Moudari Lighthouse – Platia Ammos – Karavas (partly sponsored by the Kytherian Association of Australia) ✓ Chora – Trachilas (Motor Oil Hellas sponsorship)

✓ Short circular route as an annex to trail M11 from Lazareto at Kapsali to the windmill at Apoklistra and from there to the beginning of the cliff of Kapena (Volunteering work of Mr. Rigas Zafeiriou and Mrs Nadia Megalokonomou)

✓ Route at Diakofti from the settlement at Alatares and from there to Pente Pigadia where it meets trail M37 forming a circular route.

✓ Route Diakofti – Avlemonas (Niki Serakiotou sponsorship)

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FIELDWORK

SIGNPOSTING NEW TRAILS

KIPA assigned Paths of Greece (www.pathsofgreece.gr) to develop a new signposting system for the trails of Kythera, so that it will be more complete, more resistant and more “friendly” to the landscape and the hikers. Methodically, all new tracks will obtain this new signposting system and the old signs of the initial routes will be gradually replaced. Simultaneously, the metal tablets will be removed and waymarking will be done with careful application of paint (trailblazing).

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FIELDWORK

NEW EQUIPMENT

With funding from the Kytherian Association of Australia, KIPA obtained its own professional toolkit for the first time, which consists of a brushcutter machine, chainsaw, grass cutter scissors, paints and generally all the materials and tools necessary for trail building and signposting. With these tools, it has become possible to support the work of several volunteers with the required equipment such as gloves, safety glasses, rakes etc.

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FIELDWORK

VOLUNTEERING

During trail building, maintenance and signposting work, Kythera Hiking has encouraged the participation of volunteers at various parts of the island. Our goal is to familiarize people with the trails and the process of developing an integrated hiking network. We absolutely respect voluntary work and we make sure that it becomes a creative, constructive and meaningful experience. In the future, KIPA aims at facilitating integrated volunteering programs.

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FIELDWORK

PROMOTION

NEW WEBSITE AND NEW LOGO

With the sponsorship of Motor Oil Hellas, Paths of Greece has completed for KIPA the design of the new website of Kythera Hiking, which will soon present also the new routes! Meanwhile, the new logo was designed with the contribution of Mr. Manolis Charos.

www.kytherahiking.com

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FRIENDSHIP TRAIL AGREEMENT WITH JAPAN

In October 2016, Kythera Hiking participated via Paths of Greece at the 5th World Trails Conference in Tottori, Japan. The conference was organized by the World Trails Network of which Kythera Hiking is a member since 2014. At the conference, Kythera’s trail M1 was officially twinned with the San'in Kaigan Geopark Trail which crosses a beautiful geopark in Japan. At the twinning ceremony a special mention to Lafcadio Hearn was made.

At the conference, Kythera Hiking also agreed to do another twinning with the well-known Bruce Trail of Canada. These procedures have already started and the twinning will take place in spring 2017.

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PROMOTION

PARTICIPATION AT THE “TOUR NATUR” HIKING EXHIBITION

For the first time, the Municipality of Kythera actively shows its support for the endeavour of KIPA concerning the trails. In a workshop organized by the Municipality, and the Tourism Committee with Mr. Minas Koronis more specifically, Mr. Rigas Zafeiriou was invited on behalf of Kythera Hiking. Mr. Zafeiriou informed the people of the Municipality about the trail programme, the next steps as well as the needs of the programme. A few weeks later, the Municipality of Kythera announced that it secured funds for the participation of Kythera at the big hiking tourism exhibition Tour Natur in Düsseldorf, Germany, in September 2017. Our participation at this exhibition is not only a great challenge but also a great opportunity for promotion!

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PROMOTION

FREE EXCURSIONS FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC

ΣΥΝΕΡΓΑΣΙΑ ΜΕ ΤΗΝ «ΠΟΡΦΥΡΙΔΑ»

A key element of Kythera Hiking’s vision of is the active participation of citizens in the trails programme. We want Kytherians to know their place, to reap the benefits of hiking for their physical and mental health and to understand the value of hiking tourism for the sustainable development of our island. Thus, we embraced and strengthened the promotion of the Sunday excursions at the trails of Kythera ‘Winter Sunday Walks’ offered for free by Frank van Weerde (Pyrgos House). The guided tours take place throughout the whole winter season 2016-2017 and for the first time Kytherians show so much interest in the trails forasmuch as up to 80 people joined some excursions. So far six walking tours have been successfully organized in places like Mitata, Paleochora, Aroniadika, Karavas etc.

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PROMOTION

With the incentive of promoting trails and hiking to the young people and the visitors of the island, the last two years we have participated at the ‘Porphyris Festival’ of the Kytherian Youth Union ‘Porphyris’ which takes place in the tourist season with free guided tours. There have been discussions with members of Porphyris for long-term partnership regarding volunteering and environmental education.

COLLABORATION WITH PORPHYRIS

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PROMOTION

NEW PARTNERSHIPS

Med.I.N.A.

In July 2016, a workshop was organized in Kythera by the Mediterranean Institute for Nature and Anthropos (Med.I.N.A.). Med.I.N.A. chose Kythera in order to support the utilization of cultural and environmental elements for the promotion of sustainable development. In this context, the trails are going to be one of the main pillars of the programme. The signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between KIPA and Med.I.N.A. is already propelled for specific actions which will begin to be implemented in the near future. Through these actions, the experience of the hiker who crosses the trails of Kythera will be enriched.

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NEXT STEPS

As seen in the previous pages, the programme of the trails of Kythera is at this time in a period of development of its infrastructure. The number of trails is growing and signposting is being improved. At the same time, new promotional activities have been launched, which will present Kythera to the Greek and international public as a hiking destination of astonishing beauty. The actions that will follow in the coming period are: Completion of trail building and signposting of all the routes (SEEKING SPONSOR)

✓Completion of the twinning procedures with Japan (on Kythera) and with Bruce Trail of Canada

✓Organization of stall for Tour Natur exhibition

✓Development of application for mobile phones (SEEKING SPONSOR)

✓Creation of new brochure for the trails (SEEKING SPONSOR)

✓Creation of new banner for the trails (SEEKING SPONSOR)

✓Translation of the website in German, French and Dutch (SEEKING SPONSOR)

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OUR SPONSORS

2016 - 2017

Mrs Niki Serakiotou

LEADING SPONSORS

SPONSORS

Band account of the trails: National Bank of Greece

Beneficiary: KYTHERIAN FOUNDATION FOR CULTURE AND DEVELOPMENT

ΙΒΑΝ: GR38 0110 3800 0000 3802 9603 032

Bank account number: 380/296030-32

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KYTHERA HIKING IS A PROGRAMME OF THE KYTHERIAN FOUNDATION FOR CULTURE AND DEVELOPMENT