Stavros

Stavros was awesome. He led us safely, professionally, and effectively, managing challenging weather conditions with a stiff upper lip and a smile.

Had a great experience with Stavros. He clearly knows his craft and Mount Olympus quite well and is at all times evaluating the best way for the group to achieve the most from the experience by adjusting the pace and difficulty to the participants. He also takes safety very seriously which was also greatly appreciated. Both of the above made it possible for our group to reach the Skala peak in semi-winter conditions, even if that meant him having to spend an extra 1.5 hrs with us.

The guide failed to appear for our paid excursion despite prior confirmation and full payment. We had agreed to meet at the refuge between 5 and 6am, and based on this agreement we hiked to the refuge and stayed overnight as required. On the morning of the climb, the guide did not arrive. After waiting, we located his phone number on the website and discovered that he had sent messages through the platform, which we did not receive due to missing email notifications. However, the guide had all three of our phone numbers and made no attempt to contact us directly by phone, text, or WhatsApp. Instead, he unilaterally decided not to attend the excursion. This trip cost us $1,000 and the situation completely disrupted our climb and undermined our trust in Explore-Share. Although the company offered partial compensation (a 50% refund and a voucher for the remaining amount), it does not address the inconvenience, financial loss, and significant effort required to travel and prepare for this climb. Given the circumstances, we are hesitant to book with them again and risk a similar outcome. Based on other reviews, this does not appear to be an isolated incident. I would urge others to exercise caution before booking.

The guided hike was wonderful! Our guide knew the area very well and made sure our hike was safe and fun.