Mount Dourdouvana

Dourdouvana lies at the end of Aroania mountains (Chelmos). It is a slavic name which means rose (or Triantafyllia in Greek) while its ancient Greek name is Penteleia. It is situated NE of Chelmos and it has two almost equally high tops. Around the mountain there are many fir trees but we can also find deciduous trees like planes. Another impressive tree one can encounter is the forest pine (pinus nigra). The fauna includes foxes, hares, badgers, hawks, craws etc. The hunters do not fail to make their presence to the mountain visible as the signs are full from holes of gunshots! Many visitors come to the area to visit the artificial lake Doxa which is located near the villages Ancient Feneos and Panorama. The trail starts form the lake to Kynigos (Hunter) ridge and the peaks. Another trail starts from the village Panorama. When there is a lot of snow the second trail is considered safer. The plain of Feneos is located southwest and it was cultivated from the ancient time and has a lot of antiquities that testify the great history of the place. Northeast lies Megali (Great) Zireia (Kyllini) and to the northwest we can see Aroania (Chelmos)

Highest elevation
2.109m (Triantafyllia)

Distances
169 km from Athens
656 km from Thessaloniki

Shelters
There are no shelter in the mountain

Recommended routes
Lake Doxa- Hunter’s ridge

The trail starts from the west part of the lake. When we arrive to the lake we turn to the left and 100m after the little church we will reach a flat area. There lies a metal sign that point to the forest road we have to begin. We ascend via the forest road and we enter the forest ignoring the first forest road to the left. After a while we will reach a new sign that points to the right direction. We turn left and we keep ascending. We need to pay attention to the direction of the signs because they tend to turn by the wind. Nevertheless there are spray mark on the trees and ribbons that mark the correct way. After a while we meet another metal sight the points to the right. We continue on the forest road until we reach a sheep pen with a small house. We continue to the concrete wall and the reservoir. Here starts the footpath. The path is apparent and only in a few places the vegetation is dense. We will meet the forest road, turn right and move towards the ridge via a small footpath until the come out to the forest road again. To reach the peaks we enter the forest to our left and follow the signs. We there is snow the path can be dangerous due to the inclination. Also it is easy to miss the signs.

Nearby sights
A visit to ancient Feneos site which is near the the village that bears the same name. There are mosaics, an altar and we can see many findings at the local museum. The artificial lake is the landmark of the area and around it there are many opportunities for trekking. The villages are mainly deserted in the winter but there are places to spend the night. The best season to visit the area is the spring; for those that like camping they have to know that around the lake camping is prohibited.

Local history
The area around the mountain was inhabited since prehistoric times with the Pelasgians to be the first inhabitants. The Arcadians arrived in 1900 BC while the Achaeans in 1500 BC. The Feneates took part in the Trojan war with 60 ships that Agamemnon ceded to them.

In the valley of Feneos there is a known sinkhole that according to the legend was one of entrances to Hades. Another legend mentions that the sinkhole was constructed by Hercules to drain the waters from the plain so the villagers can cultivate the land. According to experts the sink absorbs the water of the valley which they see the light on the sources of the river Ladon several kilometers away.