Hiking on Mt. Taiyetos (Profitis Ilias peak, 2.404m)

Two wannabe hikers on Peloponnese highest peak
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Although I had 9 years to hike, I always wish to be at the "mountain's top peak". It seems I am a maniac to this. We didn't had any information about the path, the only think we knew was that it was existed and we had to walk about 2.5 hours to reach the summit. We also knew that there is no water and trees at those type of mountains. Actually, the walking interval proved to be under - estimated, because of our mediocre physical strength and hiking experience. We arrived at the starting point of Agia Varvara refuge (1550m, see pic 2) late, so we had to make it as fast as possible. We spent 3.5 hours to reach the summit and 2.5 hours to return to the refuge. Just half an hour before getting dark.

That effort was very exhaustive. Many times we thought about giving up. The summit seems too steep (see pic 1 where the path is shown with a red line, very roughly of course) and, even though it was June, wind was strong and there was snow in large quantities at some slopes. Because we were late, there was no one in the path or near the refuge except for the first 3 hours. We didn't have any mobile radio to call for help if any accident (like a strained ankle or tumbling down at the snowed slopes) could happened. Strain and stress was our large enemy, the latter because we could not return to the refuge after sunset, at any occasion. Besides, the non-tarmac road to the refuge is a 11Km tough one, not to be covered by two persons riding a Transalp under poor light conditions.

Here is an extract from the book "GREECE, The Rough Guide" by Rough Guides Ltd., 1998, p.181 (quoting it, since my English are below the acceptable level for writing such descriptions):
"The Ayia Varvara refuge (unstaffed, but open sporadically - more likely at weekends), above Boliana, sits on a beautiful grassy knoll shaded by tremendous storm-blasted black pines. The conical peak of Profitis Ilias rises directly above; if you can get your to coincide with a full moon you won't regret it. There is plenty of room for camping, and the hut has a porch to provide shelter in bad weather.
The path to the summit starts at the rear left corner of the refuge and swings right on a long reach. Level and stony at first, it leaves the trealine and loops up a steep bank to a sloping meadow, where it is ineffectually marked by twisted, rusting signs with their lettering long obliterated. Keep heading right across the slope towards a distinct secondary peak until, once around a steep bend, the path begins to veer left in the direction of the summit. It slants steadily upward following a natural ledge until, at a very clear nick in the ridge above you, it turns right and crosses to the far side, from where you look down on the Gulf of Messinia. Turn left and you climb steeply to the summit in around 25 minutes.
There is a squat stone chapel and outbuildings on the summit, used during the celebrations of the Feast of Prophet Elijah (Profitis Ilias) on July 18-20. The views, as you would expect, are breathtaking, encompassing the sea to east and west".