The ride covered 33.8 km with 736 m of ascent and 737 m of descent, set along a stepped rolling profile linking ridge roads, agricultural tracks, river corridors, and repeated contour-based climbs across the Apokoronas. Moving time totalled 2:17:43, with an ascent time of 1:15:37 and descent in 0:58:48. Gradients reached +19.3% on the steeper ramps and –17.3% on the descents. Maximum speed recorded was 45.7 km/h, averaging 14.7 km/h across tarmac road, compacted agricultural track, loose limestone, broken stone surface, river path, and rough olive grove access lines, with 65% off-road. It was a stepped route — repeated elevation gain built progressively through linked terrain sectors, with nothing hidden and no wasted ground. Climb profile summary 9 climbs | Total structured effort Longest: C9 – 1.5 km @ 7.5% Steepest: C9 – 19.3% Final: C9 – 1.5 km @ 7.5% Climb profile C1 to C9 C1: 0.5 km | -8.1% | +14.4% C2: 0.5 km | -1.5% | +9.9% C3: 0.7 km | -2.6% | +16.1% C4: 0.6 km | -3.3% | +18.2% C5: 0.6 km | -3.4% | +13.8% C6: 0.5 km | 0.0% | +8.0% C7: 0.4 km | -2.8% | +17.4% C8: 0.5 km | +4.9% | +18.5% C9: 1.5 km | -7.3% | +19.3% The ride departed Kokkino Chorio at 09:30 under clear conditions, climbing immediately on the tarmac road toward Kambia. This opening sector is important when viewed against the 1:50,000 Souda–Vamos wartime sheet. Although now surfaced and widened, the line itself is not modern in origin. The route follows an older movement corridor already fixed by terrain long before modern engineering altered the surface. The road occupies the only efficient contour transition between the elevated village positions overlooking Souda Bay and the inland agricultural basin beyond. The climb toward Kambia remains exposed in places, with open views south toward the White Mountains and north toward the bay. The gradient builds steadily rather than violently, allowing the ride to settle into rhythm before the first major descent. The descent of Four Hills Climb followed immediately after Kambia. The surface changes quickly here. Tarmac gives way to rougher agricultural access sectors, loose edge gravel, patched erosion, and broken transitions where winter water movement repeatedly damages the margins. The terrain in this sector explains why older movement lines persist. The contours compress sharply, leaving only a small number of workable crossing points between ridge systems. A short tarmac link connected onto St. Basil’s Track. This sector remains one of the clearest examples of terrain continuity between the wartime mapping and the modern riding network. On the Souda–Vamos sheet, multiple thin agricultural and mule-track connections are visible running through this exact area. Modern riders still use the same movement corridors because the terrain continues to dictate them. St. Basil’s Track itself is narrow in places, with compacted earth over limestone base, intermittent embedded stone, loose gravel patches, and shallow water-cut channels from winter runoff. Olive groves close tightly around sections of the track before opening again toward Gavalochori. The first pick-up was Gavalochori at 10:00. From Gavalochori the ride turned onto Plague Hill Climb. The gradient steepened immediately. The surface here alternates between compacted stone base and loose limestone wash, particularly on the inside of bends where runoff strips finer material away. The climb is short but forceful, demanding steady power delivery rather than speed. Beyond the climb, the route threaded through olive groves on old agricultural access lines. Many of these tracks still follow field boundaries and property divisions visible in earlier mapping. They are practical routes first and riding routes second. Their survival reflects continuity of land use rather than preservation. The Tsivaras Climb followed in direct sequence. This section climbed steadily through exposed ground with repeated short ramps. The terrain becomes harder and more angular here, with sharper limestone protrusions and less soil cover. The wartime map again shows a concentration of movement lines converging around these settlements, not because of military planning but because terrain channels movement naturally through the same workable corridors. The Water Tower Climb continued the stepped ascent pattern of the morning. By this point the ride had moved through multiple terrain shelves rather than one continuous elevation gain. This is characteristic of the Apokoronas. Movement is rarely linear. Progress comes through repeated rises and descents dictated by drainage folds, ridge breaks, and agricultural access. The descent of Nick’s Climb was fast in sections but technically variable. Loose stone over hardpack forced careful braking control, particularly entering the lower turns where accumulated gravel sits over compact limestone. Short visibility sectors and changing grip required attention throughout. The group reached Armeni for coffee before turning west toward the Koiliaris River system. The Koiliaris corridor remains one of the most important terrain features in the area. On both the wartime mapping and on the ground today, the river forms a natural movement channel between higher inland ground and the coastal plain. The path beside the river is constrained by water, vegetation, and embankment shape, forcing movement into narrow usable lines exactly as it did historically. The Koiliaris River path introduced cooler ground conditions beneath tree cover. Surface conditions varied continuously: compacted soil, rounded river stone, damp shaded patches, exposed roots, and sections of loose wash deposited after winter flooding. Speed here was controlled more by line choice than gradient. Above Kalyves the route climbed again onto higher agricultural ground before reaching the Stone Track Climb. This section was harsher under tyre than earlier sectors. The surface consisted of embedded limestone blocks, broken rock shelves, loose angular stone, and heavily weathered drainage cuts. The climb built progressively rather than sharply, but traction management became increasingly important toward the upper sections. From there the ride entered the Roller Coaster sector. The Roller Coaster remains one of the clearest demonstrations of how terrain governs movement in the Apokoronas. Short violent climbs are immediately followed by compressed descents before the next rise begins. There is little opportunity for sustained recovery. The line repeatedly crosses small drainage folds and minor ridge projections, creating continuous elevation change despite relatively modest altitude. The WWII mapping reflects this clearly. The older track systems do not ignore the terrain — they negotiate it. Modern riding lines continue to use those same contour solutions because there are few alternatives that work efficiently across this broken ground. The Aspro Tracks followed. The surface here alternated between compacted pale limestone, loose surface gravel, exposed bedrock, and heavily worn agricultural access sectors. Multiple junctions and crossing tracks remain visible, many corresponding closely with the older mapped movement lines on the wartime sheets. The final major effort was the Four Hills Climb. This was the defining climb of the return route. The gradient repeatedly steepened before easing briefly and then building again. The climb’s stepped structure reflected the terrain itself: successive ridge shelves rather than one uninterrupted ascent. Surface conditions changed continuously between hardpack, loose stone, rough limestone plate, and shallow erosion cuts. From the upper sectors, the route rejoined the Kambia road before returning by tarmac to Kokkino Chorio. The final approach reinforced the central observation of the day: despite modern surfacing, modern bikes, GPS navigation, and changed land use, the fundamental movement logic of the Apokoronas remains largely unchanged. The roads are wider, some tracks are surfaced, and others have deteriorated, but the terrain still determines the line. The old routes still hold because the ground still dictates them. English The old roads still cross the hills where riders pass today, For ground remembers every track men carved along the way. Greek Οι παλιοί δρόμοι στα βουνά περνούνε ως και τώρα, γιατί θυμάται η γη καλά κάθε παλιά της χώρα. Literal back-translation The old roads in the mountains still pass even now, because the earth remembers well every old place of hers.