Mighty Mount Olympus!

Since I was a young boy, I've always been interested in mythology. I was born into a semi-Christian household, but I enjoyed reading myths from ancient civilizations more than reading the Bible. Of the many mythologies I read into, I had the most interest in Ancient Greek mythology. I really have to give credit to Rick Riordan, the writer of the Percy Jackson series. The books were about a boy named Percy who was half modern-day American and half Greek god. Since Greek mythology is polytheistic (multiple gods), there were many other children like Percy except they had different parents. Percy was a son of Poseidon, the god of the sea. His friend Annabeth is a daughter of Athena, the god of Wisdom. Regardless, a majority of these "half-bloods" have Olympian parents. Olympians, in Greek mythology, refer to the 12 major gods who maintain order throughout Greece. Zeus, Poseidon, Hera, Athena, Demeter, Aphrodite, Artemis, Apollo, Hephaestus, Ares, Hermes, and Dionysus all make up the Greek Pantheon (Greek Mythology, 2021). A defining characteristic of these gods is where they live, atop Mount Olympus. This mountain actually exists in real life, sitting on the border of Macedonia and Thessaly. Mount Olympus is the tallest mountain in Greece, with its highest peak Mytikas standing at 9,573 feet above sea level (Visit Olympus, 2023). Considered one of the central sacred spaces (areas of religious importance) in Greek mythology, many people from around the globe visit the mountain in order to feel connected to such an ancient religion. During ancient times, people with highly religious intentions would travel to Mount Olympus and live inside the caves in what some could consider a pilgrimage (visitation of a sacred site). It was thought that although the gods did not physically live atop the mountain, the power Mount Olympus held was the perfect manifestation of the Olympian's power. Visitation of the mountain would therefore give an individual access to that power. Although there is much reverence for the mountain's peak, Mytikas, no one had ever reached the summit until the 20th century. On August 2, 1913, Swedish climbers Daniel Baud-Bovy and Frédéric Boissonnas summited the peak with the help of Greek mountaineer Christos Kakkalos, who would become Mount Olympus' premiere mountain guide until his death in the late 1970s. From that date on, many have attempted to climb toward Mytikas and many have failed, usually turning back on the second-highest summit, Skolio (Kokkinidis, 2022). One thing to note is that there are many other Mount Olympus' in the world, more than 3 others! So, if you're researching or trip-planning, make sure you have the right mountain.

Being a hiker/backpacker myself, it's extremely tempting to visit Mount Olympus one day. Although I may be considered agnostic (religious with no religion), I feel connected to ancient Greek mythology. I dabbled in other ancient mythologies like Egyptian and Norse, but nothing hits as close to home as Greek mythology. It's only right that the center point for the whole mythology is a mountain ready to be summited. I may just go on a pilgrimage of my own.