The ride covered 41.2 km with 907 m of ascent and 914 m of descent, set along a stepped, rolling route linking a series of distinct climbs across the Apokoronas hills. Moving time totalled 2:33:09, with an ascent time of 1:27:50 and descent in 1:05:19. Gradients reached +16.2% on the steeper sections and –28.8% on the way down. Maximum speed recorded was 45.3 km/h, averaging 16.1 km/h across rough mountain tracks, loose limestone, hard-packed dirt, agricultural access roads, concrete farm lanes and short tarmac connectors, with 80% off-road. It was a stepped route — a sequence of repeated climbs and recoveries spread across the entire ride profile. Start: 07:30 Kokkino Chorio Pick-up: 08:00 Stoneman Junction Climb Profile 7 climbs | Total structured effort Longest: C1 – 2.3 km @ 6.8% Steepest: C7 – 18.5% max Final: C7 – 1.6 km @ 7.2% C1: 2.3 km | -5.8% | +10.9% C2: 2.2 km | -7.8% | +13.2% C3: 1.3 km | -4.0% | +12.5% C4: 1.6 km | -11.9% | +18.0% C5: 1.0 km | -6.2% | +14.0% C6: 0.6 km | -2.4% | +13.1% C7: 1.6 km | -11.7% | +18.5% The ride began, as always, in Kokkino Chorio, rolling out shortly after 07:30 beneath clear skies. The opening climb followed the familiar road towards Drapanos, a steady tarmac ascent that gained height progressively across the northern shoulder of the Apokoronas. At 08:00, at Stoneman Junction, four additional riders joined the group. Before entering the Enchanted Forest, the group paused briefly at what we have come to know as Stoneman Junction. Over recent years this quiet crossroads has gradually acquired an increasingly elaborate collection of hand-built stone monuments and shrines. Constructed in traditional Cretan style from local fieldstone and decorated with white pebble work, the structures combine Orthodox Christian imagery with modern social themes. Inscriptions dedicated to women's rights, equality between the sexes and environmental respect stand alongside shrines to saints, including Saint Anthony. From there the route immediately committed itself to the Enchanted Forest. Entering the Enchanted Forest marked a distinct transition in both terrain and atmosphere. The route left the open agricultural landscape and entered a network of shaded tracks and narrow woodland lanes. Here the riding became immediately more technical, with loose limestone, embedded rock and occasional erosion channels demanding greater concentration. The first structured climb after entering the off-road sections was long rather than brutally steep, gaining 150 metres across 2.3 kilometres. The surface alternated between hard-packed dirt and loose limestone, demanding steady power rather than explosive effort. The second structured climb carried us onto the highest ground of the day, reaching approximately 350 metres above sea level. From these upper slopes the White Mountains dominated the southern skyline, while to the north the Bay of Souda and the Cretan Sea remained visible through gaps in the hills. These hills also possess a significant historical dimension. During the final Cretan revolts against Ottoman rule, particularly the uprisings of 1895–96 and the Revolution of 1897, the villages and ridge systems of Apokoronas formed an important movement corridor for insurgent forces. Vamos served as the principal Ottoman administrative centre in the district and was repeatedly attacked by revolutionary bands, while surrounding villages such as Kefalas, Litsarda and Kalamitsi Alexandrou provided shelter, supplies and local guides. After the early high ground the route dropped sharply towards lower elevations. The long descent towards the Vryses basin was fast and flowing, combining rough tracks, hard-packed surfaces and sections of concrete lane. Attention was required on loose corners, embedded rock and drainage channels cut across the tracks. C3 provided a gradual reintroduction to climbing, rising 56 metres over 1.3 kilometres. C4 was one of the most demanding sections: a 1.6 km ascent averaging 6.8% and reaching a maximum gradient of 18%. On loose limestone these upper slopes required careful line selection and precise power delivery. C5 followed as a shorter climb of 1 km averaging 3%, arriving late enough in the ride for accumulated fatigue to become noticeable. C6 was brief but direct, climbing 38 metres in only 600 metres. The final challenge came with C7, a 1.6 km ascent gaining just over 100 metres and reaching a maximum gradient of 18.5%, making it the steepest climb of the day. The final phase of the ride consisted of rolling terrain and fast descents across familiar Apokoronas tracks. Loose limestone, embedded rock and changing traction ensured that concentration remained necessary until the very end. The closing kilometres returned us through the familiar lanes and tracks leading back towards Kokkino Chorio. With over 900 metres of ascent spread across seven separate climbs, the route demonstrated once again that significant physical effort does not necessarily require high mountains. The Apokoronas hills possess a deceptive quality. Individually, few climbs appear particularly imposing; linked together, however, they create demanding and rewarding rides. The long way still works.