Alpine Zone

Who they are

Alpine Zone is an active-tourism agency in Ioannina, in Epirus, which has worked since 1998. Its office is at Chrisostomou Smirnis 1, and it also presents itself as an incoming agency that organises tailor-made trips, transfers and activities for companies. On its website it appears with the Greek commercial registry (GEMI) number 031291829000; it does not publish a separate tourism registration number. It says it works with a team of qualified guides and puts safety first.

What activities it offers

Its speciality is the rivers of Epirus. In Zagori it runs rafting on the Voidomatis, between the Aristi bridge and the Kleidonia one, which it presents as a family option, from €42. In Tzoumerka it runs two stretches of the Arachthos, from the Charokopi bridge to the Plaka one (from €75) and from the Plaka bridge to Tzari (from €53), and the more lively Kalarritikos, from €75. According to the company, rafting is done all year: the Voidomatis and the Arachthos mainly in summer and the Kalarritikos in winter. It includes wetsuit and booties, life jacket and helmet, and there are changing rooms for afterwards; you only need to bring swimwear and a towel, and if you wear glasses, a cord to hold them. The guides are certified by the International Rafting Federation (IRF).

On foot it organises the Vikos Gorge crossing, of about eight hours, ending at the Voidomatis springs with a light lunch of home-made pita, fruit and a typical sweet, and the climb to Dragon Lake (Drakolimni), at 2,050 metres, with a steeper final stretch. Both are for a private group, with an English-speaking guide, from €70, and admit children from 4 who walk well; they ask for moderate fitness, water, suitable clothing and mountain footwear.

The offer is completed by canyoning in the Nefeli canyon (from €65) and in the Deos one, near Metsovo, a 4x4 outing through Valia Calda, visits to Zagori and Tzoumerka, a four-hour food route around Ioannina, tandem paragliding flights and, in winter, ski and snowboard lessons and rental at Vasilitsa.

Booking and cancellation

You book from its website, by email at [email protected] or on the phones +30 2651 023222 and +30 697 465 9999. The booking is confirmed with payment, full or partial. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before; after that, or if you do not show up, they may charge the full price. If the company suspends or changes an activity because of the weather, safety or force majeure, it refunds the amount or proposes another date. You must report any health problem when booking, and personal insurance is each participant's responsibility. The website does not publish minimum ages for rafting or group sizes. It is in English and Greek.