Mornos River Data

Section 2 - Lower Mornos:

Length: 12 kms.
Put in: at the arced bridge below Mousounitsa,
Take out: at the bridge connecting Lidoriki and Koniakos - 200m before the Mornos reservoir.

Character: Medium volume river, wide, flowing through low gorges, offering a splendid view to the mountain ridges of Giona on the left and Vardousia on the right.
General Difficulty: Grade III,IV in medium to high flow.
Time: 3-5 hours, depending the flow and the group number and ability

Caution: The infamous log rapid! Mandatory stop and scout. In lower flow, you have to stay at river left to catch an eddy out, as the river drops suddenly to a channel at river right, through some very unhealthy protruding logs.
Access: Mornos area is accessed from the west, via Thermopyles, then left towards Bralos and before Bralos turn right towards Pavliani and Stromi. If the road over Pavliani is closed, there is an alternative through Amfisa to Itea.
From the south, via Itea (or Nafpaktos if coming from west), Erateini and then north to Lidoriki.
Shuttle: From put in bridge we drive uphill to the main asphalt road, connecting Pavliani and Lidoriki, passing Sykia and Lefkaditi and approx. 2kms later we turn right towards Kallio and Koniakos, untill we reach our take out, a big concrete bridge, just before Mornos lake. This shuttle takes 20min. Be careful for the road may be icy or there may be rock falls at several points during the winter.

Services: You may find taxi service at Lidoriki village square, 10min from the take out. In Lidoriki there is also a gas station.
A tavern with delicious grill, can be found ayt upper Pavliani.

Gauge info: There is no gaugemeter. If the water flows river-wide, under the put in bridge of Mousounitsa, approx. 10cm below the foundation of the right column, then there is medium to high flow. Expect WW class III,IV.
At the take out bridge, also in medium-high flow, the water flows around both the bridge columns.

Maps: Anavasi publications, Giona-Oeta-Vardousia, 1:50.000

GPS marks:
Put in bridge: 38o 41.402N, 22o 12.922E
Log rapid: 38o 40.223N, 22o 12.681E
Take out bridge: 38o 35.900N, 22o 11.301E

Km by km description:

0.2km: Left bend - 1st rapid 50m III
0.3km: 2nd left bend - 2nd rapid 100m III+ (IV) Most difficulties are situated in the left optional line, ending in a cliffed in eddy.
0.4 - 1.2km: continuous class II
1.2km A right tributary forms a long and narrow gravel island, dividing the river in two lines. The left line follows a series of small ledges, class III (III+)
2.5km: A gray rockslide at the left slope, mark the infamous Log Rapid. Eddy out on the left bank and scouting is mandatory. The first ledge is run on the far left, while protruding logs guard the passage to the right. A large gravel island, diverts the river after this point (rapid's 2nd part). While the left option is a carefree class II, the right one, is a powerful wavy line, restricted between the cliff wall on the right and the gravel island on the left, demanding a technical S-line between holes, ledges and log jams (class IV)
2.6 - 4.5km: Going on in a still demanding - class III (III+) - but predicted terrain, boat-scouting every rapid, untill the gorge gradually opens.
4.5 - 7.5km: The river widens, the north face of Giona mountain, stands out over the small village of Sykia. We enjoy the view, paddling easy river stretches for three kms, while three tributaries add to the flow. The characteristic brown sheer rock tower, standing over the river shore on the left, marks the approach to a second smaller gorge.
7.5km - 8.0km: We enter the gorge in a blind right bend. The river turns to the left and for the next 500m, drops in a series of four rapids (class III - IV). At one of them (Sympligades or Red Rock rapid), the flow is squeezed between two bigger boulders demanding, in a higher flow, a boof-to-break-through move (class IV). In our December 2002 run, we had to chase a boat for half a km down that rapid!
8.0 - 10.5km: The gorge opens, the river keeps running in smaller rapids, up to class III-, until the arced bridge of Lefkaditi. This is a possible take out, while the next one, 1.5 fast and easy kms further (class I-II) has better access and is recommended.
12.0km: Take out bridge
 

More pages for Mornos: Lower Mornos river map, Upper Mornos data + description, Upper Mornos river map