Leaving Rytro early I began the long climb, knowing today the total ascent would be in excess of 1400 metres. At first it was up quiet roads, where the firm surface made for good progress as I rose through green fields. Flowers such as pink clammy campion lined the roadside. Then it was into the forest on rough tracks, going forever upward.
As I climbed higher, conifers increasingly dominated the forest, pushing out the brighter greens of beech and birch as I crossed the 900 metre contour. The highest summit I reached today was the top of Radziejowa at 1266 metres, however I went even higher, climbing up the many stairs to the top of the observation tower. A few people were about, parents taking their child out into the country, the tower was a destination for their rambles.
Today, beyond the wooded mountains surrounding me, to the south west I could see the much higher, snow streaked mountains of the High Tartra, while to the north I could see large urban areas at lower elevations.
Around 1 pm I reached the Przehyba mountain hut where I bought a Coke and a slice of what might have been biscuit cake, a heavy offering containing chocolate and embedded pieces of biscuit. Probably highly calorific, but with all the walking uphill with a heavy rucksack I decided not to worry about getting fat (my watch suggests I am using around 3,500 calories a day). The hut, with its terrace looking out at the distant Tartras, was run by the PTTK, the Polish Society for Tourism and Sightseeing. As well as maintaining a network of huts they were also the originator of the waymarks and directional signs. A hiker who was also at the hut yesterday spotted me and said "hello". The hut was popular with both hikers and mountain bikers. Many parts of today's route were also bicycle trails, and in the winter, used for cross country skiing.
Hikers I met on the trail would say "hello", but in Polish. My phrase book says hello in Polish is Cześć (sounds like cheshch), which I did hear, but more often people said "Dobry", as far as I could tell, which means "good", it is easier to pronounce and I assume is short for "Good Day".
After the morning's exertion my left knee was suffering, not fully extending with each step. Tracks with loose stones, from a few inches to several inches in size were the main problem, they forced my knee to bend sideways and then the rock might slip away further annoying my knee. My progress was slow as I carefully picked my way through the rocks, or walked on adjacent rough ground. However, I was not going to let it stop me and there were many sections of hard earth where I could move faster with confidence.
Later in the afternoon, I deviated from the red stripes marking the Beskid Trail and followed yellow waymarks down to Sczczawnica. The town is squashed into a valley with parts built on its steep sides. It is another place with Spa facilities dating from the 1930's and places like an "Inhalatorium", with saline inhalation on offer. It is now a tourist town with hotels, restaurants and hiking opportunities. I liked some of the old, slightly delapidated wooden buildings at the edge of town with lace curtain. I wondered how often they had to treat the brown wooden cladding to preserve it. Nearer the centre the old villas with fancy woodwork around their balconies had been renovated, painted and converted to guesthouses, shops and other facilities. Their red metal roofs were moulded around a complex array of dormer windows.
After showering I rinsed some clothes, a task made more difficult by the lack of a plug in the washbasin, a frequent omission. Then I visited a restaurant. My chicken filet with mashed potatoes and salad was fine, yet everyone else's dinner looked better. Sadly I did not discover which items on the menu they ordered. Google Translate was essential to understand the Polish menu but it was difficult to know what the translation meant. As people wanted my table I paid and walked down the road to a stall selling gofrys (waffles) and had one with cream for dessert. Even then someone else did one better and had waffle with fruit and cream, I just do not have the words or actions to ask.
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