A few words about the event…
Pierra Creta is a ski mountaineering race held in the mountains of Crete. It was organized for first time in March 2014, and in 2015 as a team race with great success. After two successful consecutive editions, Pierra Creta is a bi-annual event! This Spring the seventh Pierra Creta will take place. Come and join us!
A few words about us & the idea…
We are a group of people living in Crete and the idea to set up such an event on the Cretan mountains, came to us with beers at hand. The fact that our island is mainly a mountainous rocky terrain and a spontaneous wordplay with the “Pierra Menta”, gave us a name… And the name was “Pierra Creta” (Creta is the Latin name of Crete). During the early stages of our thoughts about the event, we used this name and eventually became hard to give up on it. We loved it so much and it was so fun telling the others about it, that it became the official name of our event. Please, do not get us wrong but, it is not and never was in our intention to compare with the Pierra Menta (how could we?) and we hope that this is obvious . It is a source of inspiration and a role model to us.
Our effort is to enjoy skimo as much as we can, and along with friends from all over Greece, to promote ski mountaineering in our country and inspire more people to engage with it. Our event is aligned with the above aim and it pursuits to make ski mountaineering, known to people of Crete and to show to other Greeks, already involved, and people abroad that Crete is a place for it.
Message from General Secretary of Greek National Tourism Organization
Amid the majestic mountains of Crete, set in a landscape of unique beauty, over 230 athletes from 15 countries gather once again for a challenge that combines teamwork, collaboration, and respect for nature. Since 2014, Pierra Creta has established Crete and Psiloritis as a reference point for the ski mountaineering community in the Mediterranean, making a substantial contribution to the development of sports and winter tourism in Greece. Built around values such as authenticity and harmony with the natural environment, Pierra Creta reflects our vision for sustainable and high-quality tourism. At the same time, it showcases Greece’s potential as a four-season destination, capable of offering authentic, high-level experiences throughout the year.
Winter tourism is a rapidly growing sector worldwide, with over 400 million visitors annually to mountain destinations and a global ski market exceeding €70 billion. In Greece, more than 20 ski resorts attract over 800,000 visitors each year, supporting local economies and extending the tourism season. The success of Pierra Creta is the result of collaboration, vision, and dedication from everyone involved in its organization. Events like Pierra Creta bring new destinations into the spotlight and create opportunities for sustainable development in local
communities. The Greek National Tourism Organization supports this event, which has become an internationally recognized institution, and wishes all participants a safe and successful race.
Organized by
Under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism
With the support of the Greek National Tourism Organisation
Sustainability Partners
Co-Organized by
Under the auspices of the Hellenic Federation of Mountaineering & Climbing
Supporters
Sponsors
