Lakmos, also called Peristeri, is a limestone massif in the central part of the Pindus range. It runs for about 20 kilometres from west to east, and its eastern end comes close to Metsovo, a mountain town. The ridge forms the border between the regional units of Ioannina in Epirus and Trikala in Thessaly. More than ten of its peaks rise above 2,000 metres. The highest is Tsoukarela, at 2,295 metres. To the south lie the Athamanika (Tzoumerka) mountains.

Two large rivers take water from the mountain. The Achelous rises on the eastern side, at about 2,000 metres, in a high basin called Verliga. Streams on the northern, western and southern slopes flow into the Arachthos. Glaciers shaped the high ground during the ice ages. They left moraines, which are long heaps of rock and gravel, on the slopes around the Baros pass. There a road crosses the southern part of the massif at about 1,900 metres. Cuttings along this road show layers of coloured rock from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.

Most walkers start from Chaliki, a village at 1,160 metres on the eastern side of the mountain. A path marked with red paint climbs from the village through fir forest to Verliga, the high basin where the Achelous begins. It then continues to Tsoukarela, the highest peak. The upper part crosses open, rocky ground with no shade.

A second route starts from the village of Anthochori, on the northern side, but this path is not well marked. Experienced walkers also cross the whole ridge in two days. They go from Anthochori over Tsoukarela and the peak of Megas Trapos, then down to the village of Kalarrytes on the western side. This route is only partly marked, so you need a map or a GPS track.

Lower down, an old stone path links Kalarrytes with the village of Syrrako. It goes down into a small gorge and up again, and it takes about an hour and a half each way. Its stone steps become slippery after rain.

Verliga is a small alpine lake at about 2,050 metres, on a plateau below the peaks of Tsoukarela and Megas Trapos. It is frozen or under snow until late spring, and it can dry out later in the summer. Streams leave the plateau in many tight bends across the grass. These streams are the first waters of the Achelous. The alpine newt, a small amphibian, lives in the lake.

On the slopes, oak woods grow lowest, with fir forest and some black pine above them. Broadleaf trees line the streams. In early summer the high meadows fill with flowers, including crocuses and orchids. Foxes, wild boar and otters are common on the mountain. Bears, wolves and roe deer are seen only now and then. Lakmos is a Natura 2000 site. It is also part of a national park that covers the Tzoumerka mountains too.

Syrrako and Kalarrytes

These two villages face each other across a gorge on the western slopes of Lakmos, on the Epirus side. Both are built of grey stone, with stone-paved lanes, churches and large houses in the traditional style of Epirus. Vlach families founded them. At their peak each village had several thousand people. Their families worked in silver and in textiles, and Kalarrytes became famous for its silversmiths during Ottoman rule. Many families moved away after the Second World War. Both villages are listed as traditional settlements. An old stone path links them in about an hour and a half.

Chaliki

Chaliki is a Vlach village at 1,160 metres on the eastern side of the mountain, in Thessaly. It sits in the upper valley of the Achelous, close to where the river begins. It is also listed as a traditional settlement, and three old stone bridges stand near it. The village is the usual starting point for walks to Verliga, the lake below the summit.