| Vikos Gorge | |
|---|---|
 View of Vikos Gorge from Beloi | |
  Vikos Gorge | |
| Geography | |
| Country | Greece |
| State/Province | Epirus |
| District | Ioannina |
| Population center | Zagori |
| Coordinates | 39°58′10″N20°43′42″E / 39.96944°N 20.72833°E /39.96944; 20.72833 |
TheVikos Gorge orVikos Canyon (Greek:Φαράγγι του Βίκου) is a gorge in thePindus Mountains of north-westernGreece. It lies on the southern slopes ofMount Tymphe with a length of about 32 km, depth ranging from 120 to 1350 m, and a width ranging from 2500 m to only a few meters at its narrowest part.[1]
Vikos is listed as the world's "deepest relative to its width" gorge by theGuinness Book of Records[2] among others.
There are a number of views regarding the etymology of the name:[3]
The gorge is found in the core zone of theVikos–Aoös National Park, in theZagori region. Its main part begins between the villages ofVitsa andKoukouli and ends near the village ofVikos (or Vitsiko).[4] The gorge collects the waters of small, mostly seasonal streams and leads them into theVoidomatis River which forms in the end part of the main gorge. The major part of the Vikos gorge stream is only seasonal, and is permanent only at the lowest part of the gorge.[1] Vikos is also a site of major scientific interest, because it is in almost virgin condition, it is a haven for endangered species and contains many and varied ecosystems.
The Vikos Gorge, with a length of 32 km (20 mi), walls that range from 120–1,350 m (390–4,400 ft) deep, and a width ranging from 2,500 m (8,202 ft) to just a few meters at its narrowest part, is listed by theGuinness Book of Records as the deepestcanyon in the world in proportion to its width,[2][5] though some gorge lobbyists contest that claim.[6] The main part of the gorge stretches from the village ofVikos toMonodendri, and attains a depth of about 1,350 m (4,429 ft).[7]
The landscape of the 32 km long gorge, 12 km of which belongs to the park's core zone,[8] presents a diverse relief and is characterized by abrupt altitudinal changes. Steep slopes and precipitous rocky cliffs dominate in the middle and higher zones respectively. Numerousgullies dissect both sides of the gorge and the movement of water detaching various rocky materials creates extendedscrees. The gorge, with a northwest-southeast direction,[8] has been carved over millions of years by the Vikos Stream and its continuation, the Voidomatis River, a tributary of theAoös (Vjosa).
As the Vikos Gorge is a deep cross section of the mountain, its slopes expose a series of rock formations of various ages. The upper layers, at a depth of 0–200 m (660 ft), consist of relatively youngEocenelimestone, at a depth of 200 m (660 ft)–700 m (2,300 ft) they consist of astratum from theCampanian era, while below 700 m (2,300 ft) they consist ofJurassic andCretaceous limestone. In the deepest layers, grey Jurassicdolomite is dominant.[9] Sedimentary andlithological investigation in the Voidomatis basin revealed that the innermostalluvial deposits consist of limestone-derived material, carried by the Voidomatis river from higher elevations byglacial action about 30,000 years ago. The subsequent (middle) deposits are the product of de-glaciation and the extended run-off from the uplands about 20,000 years ago, while the outer unit is attributed to human activities associated withpastoralism, which caused extended deforestation and soil erosion.[10] The Voidomatis basin contains evidence for three major phases ofglaciation, with the two largest and earliest taking place during theMiddle Pleistocene.[11] The final phase of glacial activity probably occurred during theLast Glacial Maximum, between 22,000 and 20,000 ago.[12]
During the largeMiddle Pleistocene glaciations,surface runoff from glacial meltwaters would have fed directly into the river channel network because much of the upland limestone terrain was covered by ice, and many conduits in the karst would have been choked with sediment or permanently frozen. As a result, the glacier snouts came close to the modern valley bottoms. In contrast, duringinterglacial andinterstadial periods, more effective coupling occurred between the surface drainage network and the internal karst drainage system.[13] Since limestone dissolves as the water percolates through its pores, an extended underground drainage system has developed, with caves and channels that enlarge with time when their roofs collapse, producing rocky exposures and perpendicular slopes, which is also the reason why the water is scarce. Only when an impenetrable stratum is met, does water appear on the surface.[9]
Many herbs of the Vikos Gorge and adjacent areas within the Vikos-Aoos National park were regarded to have medicinal properties and were once harvested by local healers, colloquially referred to as "Vikos doctors" (Greek:Βικογιατροί, "Vikoiatri").[14] These herbal healers used special recipes that were often copies of ancient Greek recipes ofHippocrates orDioscorides and became famous beyond the borders of Greece.[15] The plants used in these recipes include the lemon balmMelissa officinalis,Tilia tomentosa, the spearmintMentha spicata, the gas-plantDictamnus albus,St John’s WortHypericum perforatum, absinthArtemisia absinthium, the very popularSideritis raeseri, known colloquially in Greece as “mountain tea”, and the elder bushSambucus nigra.[16] A chemical screening of these native plant species has shown that many are characterized bybiologically active ingredients.[14] A collection of 2,500 dried species of local plants and herbs is exhibited in the local natural history museum in the village ofKoukouli.[17]
One of the special local attractions is the existence of thechamois (Rupicapra rupicapra), a rare species that lives at higher altitudes far from human activity, especially at the rocky cliffs,[18] for example inMegas Lakos, a secondary ravine of the Vikos Gorge.[19][20]
There is a natural viewing platform over the deepest part of the gorge at Oxia, a location 8 km by a newly constructed road from the village ofMonodendri. Another viewpoint over the gorge is at Beloi, on the eastern side of the gorge, accessible from the village ofVradeto.
A hiking trail descends into the gorge from Monodendri. The trail then leads north through the gorge to the springs of the Voidomatis river, from where paths lead out of the gorge to the village ofPapingo on the north side of the gorge, or to the village ofVikos on the south side of the gorge. It is also possible to hike south through the gorge from Monodendri to the 18th century stone bridges nearKipi.
Importantepipaleolithic artifacts have been unearthed from theKleithi rock shelter on the banks of the Voidomatis.[21] During the 9th–4th centuries B.C., a smallMolossian settlement existed betweenMonodendri andVitsa, including stone houses and two cemeteries that have yielded important findings.[22] However, for most of the historical period the local population in the nearby villages was sparse. The land adjacent of the Vikos gorge, as well as the gorge itself, was mainly used for pastoralism and supplying firewood.[23]
.jpg)
_3.jpg)
_2.jpg)
_3.jpg)
.jpg)
_3.jpg)
Media related toVikos Gorge at Wikimedia Commons