A few days after my return from Chamonix to Athens, sitting in front of my computer screen with my mind still 'soaring' at 4,810 meters, my eye caught a headline: 'Alps Trilogy.'

It piqued my interest; it seemed appealing—but not when I read the text...then I dismissed it, as they say, without a second thought.

To complete what the article described, one had to climb the summits of Mont Blanc, the Eiger, and the Matterhorn. I had managed the first one, but the other two? Just hearing those names sent a shiver down my spine. No way, I thought to myself, this isn't for me, let's move on; I don't have the necessary skills, it's for other, more experienced mountaineers and climbers...far from me...and the initial excitement was tucked away in a drawer…

Mont Blanc 2013

The years passed, with other plans, other goals, and other mountains—higher and farther—intervening. New paths appeared in my life, new roads, new companions. Beautiful and difficult moments came, smiles and tears. I gained new knowledge and lived unforgettable experiences, but that fire continued to burn inside me... I didn't dare to open that drawer again—I was afraid... yes, it was fear that ultimately kept me from facing that drawer... the fear of the unknown, the unexplored, the fear of failure, the fear for my own life...

In moments like these, it is important to have people by your side who remind you of who you are and what you can do, even when you forget. Because, in the end, they know your potential. They know you almost as well as you know yourself—and maybe even better. They will make you believe in yourself and in the realization of your dreams, no matter how crazy they may be. They will sacrifice their time, hours, days, months, years in your journey towards Ithaca... They will put aside their desires for you...

One day, I woke up and decisively opened my drawer. I wasn’t afraid to look it in the face this time. I felt strong and ready to confront these two 'monsters.' I was ready to fully embrace this challenging and demanding journey with all my heart and soul, unafraid this time, with my person always by my side. That fire inside me had flared up, and there was no way I was going to let it extinguish on its own. I knew I would have to try hard to succeed; so many years had passed—eleven whole years weighed heavily on my back... But it's never too late to raise your sails and set off for your dreams...

I always had those two 'monsters' before me... when I had to get up early from bed before heading to my office to train in the dark... when I left, at dawn, with my fellow mountaineers for intense and challenging climbs... when strength training felt exhausting... when the heat was not my ally, and I soaked the mat with unstoppable sweat... when doubts crept in about what I was trying to achieve... when we had to organize financially because we would not ask for anything from anyone... when the familiar question arose, one that I believe everyone chasing their dreams asks—Is all this hardship worth it? Physical, mental, financial? When fear returned, and it returned often as the days approached when I would have to face those two 'monsters' head-on..

...and the encounter with them was monstrous; it literally took the ground from under my feet, yet it filled me with awe and respect at the same time. I don't know which of the two I feared more as I looked at them from the shelters located at their bases, where I would begin my ascents. The time had come to live my delayed dream, and I surrendered my frightened soul to it entirely. I was ready to face them, eye to eye...

I won’t go into the technical descriptions of these two 'monsters'; after all, they are described in countless websites that cover them... Each one is different and must be approached accordingly. What is certain is that no matter how many articles I read—and believe me, they were many—or how many videos I watched online—and I watched plenty of those too—nothing can truly prepare you for what awaits you…

July 25, 2024

The first and most important factor in such ascents—and in climbs in general—is the weather, and the Gods of weather were with us on both ascents. They were somewhat more favorable on the Eiger, so this 'monster' would test my strength first. From the beginning of the climb to the end. Given the steep cliffs and unstable rocks, all my senses were on high alert. Every move, every step, every thought, every breath had to be perfectly synchronized—there was no room for error... I was feeling good, and the meters passed by slowly, with my body obediently following...

For a moment, I forgot the 'pain' of the ascent, blinded by the incredible view that unfolded around me... I thought about how blessed I was to be there... and the summit, oh, that summit... the release was coming, the vindication of months, years of effort was near. Tears watered my smiling face; I was happy, I was moved, I was proud that I had made it.

An explosion of emotions spread around me, and I shouted to my Kostas (who wasn’t physically beside me but I knew he would hear me) that we did it... I didn't want to come down from there... But an incredibly difficult descent awaited me, dangerous, with endless ridges. My gaze had to focus only on my feet, and the euphoria of the ascent had to give way to the calmness needed for the descent.

When my feet finally touched the safe, snow-covered glacier, the massive traverse of the mountain, from the Mittellegi Hut via the South Ridge to Jungfraujoch, was over. One look at this incredible mountain was nothing more than my silent thank you for accepting me...

For a moment—just two days—I let myself bask in the euphoria of the successful Eiger ascent, but another 'monster' was waiting for me, let's not forget... I don't know why, but I feared this one more... I couldn't sleep at night, waking up in a sweat... What had come over me, I wondered... From what I had read, the Eiger, although slightly lower than the Matterhorn, was technically more difficult, with terrifyingly exposed sections. Was it the mountain’s reputation that frightened me more? Its history? Its imposing pyramidal shape, whose beauty took your breath away and simultaneously filled you with awe and fear? Had my body recovered from the tough Eiger ascent to handle another equally demanding one? I felt good, with no discomfort... So many thoughts running through my mind... My Kostas reassured me, telling me that everything would be fine. I was sure he was worried too, deep down, but he didn’t want to show it...

 Eiger 2024

July 30, 2024

...and the mountain from the Toblerone chocolate of my childhood stood before me... I stood humbly in front of the second 'monster'... It felt like it was going to fall on me, to crush me. A shiver passed through my entire body... I don’t know how many hours I was there, just looking at it, frozen by its beauty... I wondered, as I gazed at its steep ridges and vertical faces, how on earth was I going to climb them? They reminded me of the edge of a knife... 1200 meters of vertical climbing, no joke... There was no turning back now... The Gods of weather would be with us, which was the most important thing for such a climb... and I was ready to live my dream to the end...

After four hours, I silently greeted the world from 4478 meters... The scream of ecstasy didn’t come out of my mouth, and I stood 'paralyzed,' not wanting to disrupt the magic of the moment, silently praying for it to last forever... The thin mist prevented me from enjoying the view, but it also hid my tears... Tears of exhaustion, tears of fear, tears of years of effort, tears of sacrifice, tears of fulfillment, joy, and gratitude, tears of satisfaction, tears for my Kostas who couldn’t see such beauty but saw it through my eyes, tears of a long journey filled with many hardships, which on their own couldn’t stop me, and tears for the many beautiful moments that kept me moving forward, tears because I had made it...

Standing outside the Hornli Hut, from where we had started the ascent eight and a half hours earlier, I looked at this 'monster' with different eyes now, unable to easily say goodbye to it. I had to wait eleven years to meet you—I whispered in its ear... I could have been Penelope! You were waiting for me with joy too; you showed me that, I felt it, thank you, I am grateful to you for this...

Alright, I’m leaving now, no more tears, but before I say goodbye, help me extinguish that fire we talked about, so I can make room for the next one... Let's go together... one, two, three... THE END.

 Matterhorn 2024