A week with the Greek special mountain forces

Olympus is the higher mountain in Greece, is located in North East side of Thessaly at the borders between the region of Larissa and Pieria . It has 36 mountain peaks over 2.000 meters. During the winter the mountain has very low temperatures like ten degrees below zero. In the higher peaks of Olympus live bears,foxes and wolves. The Greek Mountain Special Forces Camp is located in the region Vrysopoyles of Olympus in altitude 1.820 m. The installations of mountain Special Forces camp, total extent of 100 acres, belong to the Fund of National Defense. The region is characterized as National Forest.The camp works as a hard center for educate greek commandos.Also, it used from foreigner countries for education. The schools which are carried out in the Camp are School of Survival in Mountains and Education of Military Faculties and Units. At the snowy mountain, Olympus, commandos are trained on how to survive in difficult conditions. They also take part in exercises without clothes in very low temperatures.Theirs training include practise against the enemy with real fire.Soldiers learn how to build and live in igloos. With special permission by the Greek Ministry of Defense, I traveled to the Special Forces Camp by Greek Army helicopter. During my stay there, I lived the everyday routine of Mountain Special Forces soldiers from the raising the Greek flag in the early morning, until their training at night under the light of moon.