The history of Spilios Agapitos refuge!
Shelter A, also known as Spilios Agapitos, is situated on the Balkoni plateau at an altitude of 2,060m and belongs to the Greek Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (E.O.O.A.). Founded in 1930, it was the first mountain refuge in Greece. The shelter was named in honour of Spilios Agapitos, the first president of EOS (now E.O.O.A.), an architect and engineer who also designed the original building. Construction was completed in 1931, and the refuge initially accommodated 25 people.
Over time, the refuge was gradually expanded and improved. Today, it offers 110 sleeping places, divided into three wards: the Central ward, the Exterior ward, and the new wing, “Kostas Zolotas”.
Between 1959 and 1960, improvements were made to the original building, including the addition of new halls and utility rooms, increasing the accommodation capacity to 52 sleeping places.
In 1964, the water tank was raised and a small auxiliary building was constructed. Further renovations and room additions took place between 1975 and 1979, followed by exterior works during 1984–1985.
From 1999 to 2001, with funding from the Second Community Support Framework (CSF) and E.O.O.A., a new wing was constructed. During this period, significant improvements were made to the refuge’s facilities and equipment, and the surrounding area was landscaped. Following these developments, the refuge reached its current capacity of 110 sleeping places.
The shelter was managed from 1954 (officially from 1960) until 2001 by the renowned Olympus mountain guide Kostas Zolotas, whose dedicated service led the E.O.O.A. Board to name the new wing, inaugurated on 29 June 2002, the “Kostas Zolotas Wing”. By the same decision, the rooms in the new wing were named after Presidents of the Federation: F. Theodoridis, A. Tzartzanos, S. Vasilopoulos, M. Deffner, D. Hatzidis, D. Georgoulis, as well as the distinguished mountaineer and educator G. Michailidis, who lost his life on Olympus, and I. Hasiotis, President of EOS Katerini.
Since 2001, the shelter has been managed by Kostas Zolotas’ daughter, Maria Zolota.
