Overnight rain meant that I packed away a very wet tent mixed in with fallen leaves, the rest of my belongings were just damp. Light rain was still falling, which slowly morphed into a misty day with drops of water falling from the trees whenever the wind blew. If I brushed against leaves beside or above the path they transfered their water to me, so my waterproofs stayed on, usually with my hood up. Large pools of brown water collected at low points on the track which I had to work away around.
Today was similar to yesterday walking through mixed woodland, up and down hills. At times the path edged fields, kept for hay. The fields were often on the Polish side and woodland on the Slovak side, differences in land use in each country. I was amused by the use of plastic bottles as insulators on sections of electric fence. Among the grasses there were pink and yellow Elder-Flowered Orchids (according to my App).
I crossed a road adorned with Border Crossing Signs, after which my main goal was Lacková or Lackowa, depending on whether you spelt it the Slovak or Polish way. It was a mountain which the map showed as a short ridge surrounded by closely spaced contours. I stopped at the base to pick up water from a spring then began the long, extremely steep climb. Last night's rains had made the ground extremely slippery. To gain a grip on the slope I tried to step from rock to rock, from one tree root to another. My trekking poles proved essential to stabilise me on the slick incline. I dug their points into the ground to gain a purchase. At times i almost had to use my hands. By using much of my reserves of energy I eventually reached the top of slope, after which there was a gentler walk to the absolute summit.
At that symmit two Polish flags were boldly waving in the breeze. A lady with a Belgian Shepherd dog was there when I arrived. She asked me to take a photo of her below the summit sign, and did the same for me while her dog sat obediently. Having confirmed I was camping, she asked if I was afraid of the bears. There are so few about I told her "no" and added I had not spotted any of their footprints, which are obvious being rather large. She must had taken pity of me camping in the wet as she gave me two bars of chocolate, explaining she did not need them as she would be home in a few hours where her husband would have cooked dinner for her. There were a few people out today for a Sunday walk, and one mountain biker struggling with the mud.
There was a steep descent down Lukowa which was followed in a few kilometres time by a similarly long and steep ascent of another mountain. This happened a few times today. The trail was following the border and I assume when it was defined in 1920 (or maybe in the later 1958 treaty) they decided it should follow the ridgeline. Unfortunately the ridgeline has several steep gradients which the border, and so the E3, slavishly follows. I wondered how they defined the exact location, did each country appoint a surveyor to ensure the other party did not cheat? Did they agree to use the same instrument to make the measurements?
The steep gradients and monotonous nature of the woodland made me decide that tomorrow I will make a shortcut. By crossing to Zdynia by road 977 I will avoid walking further east only to return heading west a few kilometres to the north. Skipping part of the E3 route is not a decision I like to take, but I am walking for enjoyment rather than to survey the entire trail. By crossing by Zdynia I will also have completed a good part of the loop.
Jawor was the final mountain I climbed over before deciding on a spot to camp on ground, only gently sloping, on a old path among the trees.
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