Mount Olympus cleanup removes 650kg of waste

A recent cleanup operation on Mount Olympus resulted in the removal of 650 kilograms of waste from an area near the “Throne of Zeus,” one of the mountain's highest peaks. The initiative was led by the organization Ecogenia in collaboration with the Christos Kakalos Mountaineering Refuge.

During the four-hour operation, volunteers discovered items ranging from old generator parts and sheet metal to historical artifacts. Notable finds included olive oil cans from the 1970s and soda cans from the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Geologist and refuge manager Michalis Stylas, who discovered the site during geological studies, described the location as a “small landfill” hidden in a remote area not visible from trails or refuges.

Ecogenia noted that extreme alpine conditions can slow the natural decomposition of materials, causing waste abandoned decades ago to persist and burden the ecosystem. Stylas attributed the accumulation to past mindsets from an era before mountaineering became a widespread hobby and before modern environmental awareness became standard among climbers.