E3 in Western Slovakia: Some Comments

The E3 in Western Slovakia follows a series of ridges with many days involving total ascents of over a thousand metres. For this reason I found this part of the E3 strenuous as the ridge has many summits to climb up and down. Although much of the trail is through conifer forest, there are also long sections above the tree line, which in good weather give excellent views to the north and south. However good weather cannot be relied upon.

There are towns and villages on the route with accommodation, shops and restaurants namely Trstena, Zazriva, Strecno, Rajec, Bytca and Makov. Bytca and Strecno also have castles! However, on some sections it is necessary to use a mountain hut or wild camp.

Waymarking is generally good with signs referencing the E3 with timings to the next destination and stripes painted on trees in white and a colour, however there are a few sections where waymarks and signs dissappear so a GPS, phone App or map is needed. Trails are generally good, but forest tracks can be muddy and deeply rutted when there is recent forestry activity. Fallen trees also form obstructions. Trails often head straight up and down steep slopes and when wet can be exceedingly slippery.

The start of my walk through Wesern Slovakia is here.

The start of my blog on the E3 is here.

Kraków and home: Day 140 & 141

A day joining the multitudes seeing the sights of Krakow, followed next day by the trip home.

St Mary's Basilica at night.

I woke to the trumpeter sounding the hour from the top of St Mary's Basilica, a tradition going back to the 13th century when the Tartars attacked the city. This I learnt on a walking tour I joined which visited the main sites of the old town. We started in the main square by St Mary's in which the Cloth Hall stands. Here they once traded textiles, now the stalls sell gifts for tourists. Later we visited the University, or at least the part where it was first housed. Copernicus and Pope John Paul II studied at this university, but Marie Curie's application was rejected as she was a women (the Sorbonne was more enlightened). After climbing Wawel Hill we viewed the Cathedral, the adjacent castle and finally looked for dragons! According to folklore a dragon had to be killed in order to build a village on the hill. Everywhere was crowded with tourists and school parties. English was widely spoken.

Inside Wawel Castle.

Young people in traditional costumes putting on a street performance.

I sat for a while in St Mary's, admiring the golden altar and star studded ceiling. The many crucifixes I had been seeing reminded me of the Christian teaching that Jesus died so that our sins might be forgiven. I wondered what my sins were. My notion of God was vague but I have not killed anyone or stolen anything. I have not lusted after my neighbour's wife or their ass, and I felt I had honoured my parents, especially as my mother was dying. Maybe my sins were those of omission, such as ignoring beggars on the street (although giving money to a charity for the homeless).

Inside St Mary's Basilica.

Leaving such thoughts behind I joined a food tour (was that the sin of gluttony revealing itself, I was already two cakes into the day)? The amiable guide fed myself and several Americans who were on Grand Tours of Europe. There was cheese, sausage, pierogies, sour soup, potato pancakes, apple pancakes and a few other things. To drink there were small shots of quality vodka and a glass of beer. Suitably stuffed I spent my last night in Poland. 

Next morning I caught an early train to the airport, slightly concerned as it was from platform 4, whereas platform 3 had "airport" symbols. At the airport there was a long, slow queue while the border police took our finger prints and photographed us under the new European Entry/Exit System. As I had both taken when I arrived in Slovakia I wondered why the process was not quicker, or automated the second time. Finally I was landing at Gatwick, just missing an earlier train home.

E3: Hodslavice to Suchdol nad Odrou: Day 139

On my last of walking on this trip it rained but there was less climbing. Reaching Suchdol nad Odrou I caught a train to Krakow. 

Just like last night, I made scrambled eggs on toast and coffee for a "proper" breakfast. That meant washing up as well as packing before I rejoined the E3. When heading for my appartment last night I missed a short section of the E3 that followed a road behind the houses of the village. On that road I could see two spires, like many in the area they were elaborate decorative features. I walked back to the first, which housed a bell and was attached to a small building by a cemetery. Later I passed a shrine, sat in a village with an equally decorative and pointy spire.

Shrine with an ornate spire typical of the area.

Today's walk was a contrast to my hikes over the previous weeks. Instead of high forested ridges there were lower hills and more villages, areas of trees but also fields of hay.

The quiet road I followed.

Not all was easy walking. The path down through trees from the highest hill, Svinec, was steep, and continuing rain had made the earth slippery. My poles were essential to gain a grip as I progressed very slowly down the hill, fearing that if I slipped awkwardly my left knee could be very painful. The summit of the hill had not been rewarding as it extended into the clouds creating "white out" conditions. However among the long grass that covered the hilltop there were some interesting wild flowers: pink sainfoin, blue broadleaf speedwell and cream pincushion flower according to my App. When visibility was a little better I looked down on Novy Jicin, a sizeable town that the E3 bypasses.

View down to Novy Jicin.

Passing a hotel and restaurant I stopped for a coffee, and in a later village picked up a few pastries from the Coop for lunch.  The final part of the walk was through flat fields of grass rimmed with trees, a huge contrast to the mountains I had been climbing.

Thanks to an early start I arrived at the railway station at Suchdol nad Odrou with more than two hours before my intended train departed, one which would have taken me direct to Krakow. The lady at the ticket office suggested an alternative routing involving a change at Bohumin that would get me to Krakow much earlier. I bought the ticket but was nervous about catching the right trains. My train to Krakow was waiting when I arrived at Bohumin. It had an old style carraige arrangement, with six seater compartments. My reservation was in one that was almost full with people and all their luggage so I sat in an empty carraige for a while. However that soon filled up with people who had reservations for the carraige so I returned to where my allocated seat was actually located.

Krakow station was rather overwhelming. Lots of people marching with conviction criss-crossing the concourses, and I heard English being spoken for the first time in five weeks. Krakow is an international tourist destination so it was not surprising. Despite difficulties navigating a large shopping mall I exited at the right place thanks to signs directing me to the Old Town. Having found my hotel and showered I toured the streets looking for a Polish restaurant (why come to Poland and eat Italian food?). I ended at a rather posh one where they tell you about your glass of wine, justifying the cost as a celebration for finishing my walk and not letting my knee stop me. I ended at a bar, deep in a cellar, where a guy murdered popular songs on an electric keyboard. 

E3: Pustevny to Hodslavice: Day 138

A tiring day, but the rain held off and there were some good views.

Road out of Pustevny.

After going to bed last night I tossed around trying to find a position in which my left knee was not painful. Eventually I gave up and took a couple of painkillers, which gave me some sleep. Another early start as I had some 30 kilometres to walk and wanted to make sure I arrived at a reasonable time. The floor creaked in my bedroom as I moved around eating my breakfast and packing. I hope I did not disturb those sleeping next door. The breakfast bag which the hotel gave me yesterday so I could start early was huge and served me for later meals as well. The first part of the walk over the Radegast and Radhošt summits was excellent. There was a statue of Radegast, the ancient mountain god, and another of statue of Saints Cyril and Methodius, the pair who invented Cyrillic characters.

Saints Cyril and Methodius.

Gaps in the trees allowed for good views today. Towns and villages could be seen in the valleys each side of the ridge I was following. Beyond these to the south there were lines of mountains, but to the north I could see plains in the far distance. There were other hikers about, of both sexes, despite it being a week day. They were all faster than me, despite some being a little tubby.

View to the north.

Sadly, I had to descend to the Pindula Pass, where a road cuts across the mountains. My knee did not appreciate the descent and complained much of the day. Once I reached the road there was the inevitable climb up to the next part of the ridge. It was again a day where the route was trying to take me over most (although not all) of the summits on the ridge. All the ups and downs tires me and annoys my knee. On the plus side there were not many of the really steep ascents and descents that affected the first part of my trip. However I took a few more rests than was usual for me munching through the large tomatoes in my breakfast bag.

As the afternoon matured I descended to Hostasovice station, where I stopped for a cold drink. A little more struggle and I was in Hodslavice. As my accommodation was at the far end of town I had planned to eat at one of the two "restaurants" marked on my map on the way. Sadly no food was available after 3:00 pm. By then it was after 5:00pm and the Coop was closed as well. I was welcomed at the appartment I had booked by the owner. He was evidentally familiar with the lack of food offerings in the town and, without me asking, offered eggs, bread, butter and salt. Consequently it was scrambled eggs on toast for tea with a large, messy orange from my breakfast bag. I have spent some time booking activities for the next few days including my flight home from Krakow. However unless I catch the 15:34 train from Suchdol Nad Odrou tomorrow I will loose money on cancellations, and it is a 6 hour walk away.

E3: Makov to Pustevny: Day 137

The major event of today was reaching Czechia, the Czech Republic.

I again made an early start as I was expecting a long day. First I had to climb out of the steep sided, forested valley in which the village of Makov lined a busy road. Leaving the noise of the traffic behind, passing a few houses perched on the hillside, I climbed through the woods until I reached a summit. It was an area where trees had been cut down so I could see the track winding ahead of me to the next stand of mature trees. Some of the trees today, whether beech or conifers were extremely tall.

Tall beech trees beside the path.

My first milestone was reaching a trail heading west, where I switched from the red waymarked trail to a blue one, only to revert to a red track after a few kilometres. Beside me, at regular intervals, I noticed the white boundary stones with red tops that I had seen on the Polish border earlier on my trip. This time they marked the border between Slovakia (the "S" on one side of the stone) and Czechia (marked with a "C"). Following the border by occasional houses led me to the Bumbalka Pass and a major road. As I approached I could hear the whine of lorries straining as they were driven up to the Pass, where they left one country and arrived at the next without stopping. I had hoped for some refreshments but nothing was open. A stall might open on another day, but the  "Motorest" looked unlikely to open ever again. A backpacker, hitching a lift, exchanged a few pleasantries with me before running after a car that stopped for him.

The red route continued uphill along the border under the trees until it decided to commit itself to Czechia. I passed a closed looking hotel with a short ski tow before my route returned me to the road (on a yellow trail), crossing it I started on the ridge (on a red trail) which I would follow for the rest of the day. After walking uphill for a while I began the the usual trek up and down hills among conifers in various stages of maturity. At one point I heard the revving of a chainsaw and the warm, sweet smell of freshly-cut resinous wood. After passing warning signs I deviated into the surrounding forest, giving a man trimming branches off felled trees a wide berth.

Looking down to villages in the valley.

Reaching Martiňák where there is a "wellness" hotel, I stopped at the attached restaurant and bought a hot dog for my lunch. Perhaps my small dinner last night made me hungrier than usual as I was then drawn to a "sweet thing". I ordered a blueberry dumpling. The large fluffy white dumpling contained a blueberry compôt which also formed a purple, blue pool in which the dumpling proudly sat. During the morning my left knee had been giving me pain and refused to bend properly, causing me to stumble on rocks and tree roots. After lunch however it seemed much better which surprised me, as normally stoping for a while causes it to stiffen. Maybe the ibuprofen I had taken three hours earlier was taking effect or else it just liked blueberry dumplings!

Leaving Martiňák I started along a single track road in the direction indicated by a signpost. After a while I checked my GPS and found I was not on the route I had loaded for the E3 from somewhere on the internet. I climbed up through trees to what I thought was the correct route. This was marked with green waymarks. Checking the mapy.com App on my phone I found this was incorrect, the E3 should here be following red waymarks, my gpx track was wrong! So I had to retrace my steps to the single track road. This was an excellent route, at least for my knee, as the road was surfaced with smooth tarmac and contoured the ridge rather than attempting all of its summits. There were no cars, only cyclists freewheeling down the shallow gradient that I was progressing up. As I approached Pustevney, the E3 branched off up a side path, gaining height rapidly to deliver me to my hotel.

The old hotel was occupied by large numbers of excited school children, I had seen some of them out in the woods on my way. Pustevney is a curious place. Created by the Radhošt Mountain Society between 1891 and 1926, there were a few striking buildings with many decorative features in wood and paint. This evening there are many people about. Backpackers, cyclists, groups of men drinking beer, children and parents. Pustevney is, as was intended, a place for tourists. 

An old building at Pustevny.

E3: Bytča to Makov: Day 136

A day made easier as much of my walk was on quiet roads.

I had 30 kilometres to walk today and a boxed breakfast, so with no need for delay I was on my way by 6:30 am. Leaving Bytča via a suspension foot bridge, I was soon passing people walking their dogs or jogging in the suburbs. New houses mingled with an area of decaying buildings with smashed windows or collapsed roofs.

My route this morning was up a long valley, its sides covered with conifers. After a length of track beside fields on the valley floor, I joined a road at the village of Petrovice. There was little traffic. It was Sunday, people were walking to church. The houses were a mixture of modern, rendered buildings often in pastel colours and others made of timber, of logs roughly cut and jointed. Roofs tended to be of red or grey metal sheeting, but sometimes tiled. A little outside the village, under a shelter beside a taped off rectangle of grass, people were preparing for an event. Beyond the houses, where the forest came down to the road, there were a few boards with slits in. I had seen them before and wondered what they were. Google told me they were Ridex slit traps, which use a pheromone to trap bark beetles.

The smooth tarmac meant I was making good time, 4.1 kilometres per hour compared to as low as 2.6 when following ridges recently. Despite favourable conditions underfoot, my left knee was refusing to bend and generally complaining. I took an Ibuprofen and maybe this helped me reach today's destination. Inevitably there was a point where I needed to leave the road and climb up a track. Despite being uphill the route was good, the tracks not destroyed by forestry vehicles. Today was not a ridge walk but a means to cross the mountains from one valley system to the next. Although I was walking through conifer forest, there were plenty of gaps to see the view back, to the south. On reaching a ski tow, I could also see in a northerly direction, down towards Makov. On occasional meadows, the sparse, long grass was dotted with yellow, pink and blue from the buttercups, clover, speedwells and forget-me-nots. A few people were about on a Sunday ramble or bicycle ride. Despite a light shower which lasted long enough to put my waterproofs on, most of the day was dry and sometimes sunny.

Good tracks.

Houses in the mountains with the forested mountains beyond.

I had left Bytča on the green trail and later switched to red waymarks. Signs gave me the wrong impression of how far it was to my Penzion in Makov, a consequence of Makov being strung out along the valley, with a sub village called Makov-Kopanice for which timings were given on the signs. My accommodation was in another part of Makov a few kilometres further on, along a road frequented by cyclists and motorbikes.

Arriving too early to check in, I had lunch at the nearby "Motorest", a traditional Slovakian dish of potato dumplings with a sheeps' cheese sauce and bacon and sausage bits. It was fortunate that I had a good lunch as when I returned to the restaurant at 7 p.m. for some dinner, I was told the kitchen was closed. The waitress kindly checked to see if anything might be found for me, and the answer was tripe soup, there were no other options. Although not my favourite, this was my supper, followed by an ice cream, which did not require any cooking.

E3: Bytča rest day: Day 135

A day visiting tourist sites, drinking coffee and resting, which unfortunately does not appear to be improving my knee.

Bytča has three main tourist sites. The first was the Church of All Saints. Although 700 years old it has been subject to many changes, the interior looks Baroque. I sat for a while praying for my knee. Unfortunately the prayer was not effective as my knee stiffened as the morning progressed! On my way to the second site I passed an old Synagogue, abandoned behind fences, its rendering in disrepair. Dating from the 19th century, there are plans to repair the building and open it as a cultural centre. Opposite were the two other sites, Bytča Castle and the Wedding Palace. Both closed today unfortunately but the outsides were impressive. The renaissance castle from 1591 was square in plan with a pointy tower at each corner and another tower above the entrance, all ringed by an outer wall. George Thurzo built the Wedding Palace in 1601 for his daughters' wedding banquets in renaissance style. According to the internet there is a niche for the wedding bed where guests could see the marriage consummated. Not something I would fancy if I were the groom!

Bytča Castle.

Detail from the outside of the Wdding Palace.

There are at least two good cukráreň in Bytča, both of which I sampled. At one I had a Dubai cheesecake and the other a strudel, but not an apple strudel, maybe gooseberry? Most people however were enjoying Saturday with an ice cream.

One of Bytča's coffee and cake shops.

On my way to the centre I passed a graveyard. Many people were out polishing the granite slabs on their families' graves. Most graves had little lamps or flowers (possibly artificial), they looked cared for unlike some of those in Britain. Back at my Penzion there was another function in progress, with disco lights and DJ, but my mind was on the next three days, which would be long. I was hoping my knee would hold out.

E3: Rajec to Bytča: Day 134

After crossing the first mountain I climbed up to a ridge which I followed for many more kilometres as cloud and rain moved in.

I did not hurry this morning as check in for my accommodation this evening was not until 6 p.m., I also needed to visit the chemist to buy a strip of plasters. My wet left boot was rubbing the top of my toes making them sore. A length of fabric plaster solved the problem but it became wet and had to be replaced each day. I was running out of plasters so needed to buy some more. Showing the old packet to the shop keeper meant I soon had a new one.

Around 9:00 am I started off. My left knee was stiff this morning, so I swallowed an ibuprofen and until I stopped at Bytča, it did not complain too much. My day began with a climb up to the first summit, overtaking a group of young school children in a variety of cheerfully coloured clothing. A little after the path entered conifer fotest and grew steeper until I reached an observation tower at the top.  From the tower I could see the road on which I entered Rajec. The dark bluey green of the tree covered mountains contrasted with the more yellowy greens of the fields below.

Looking back at Rajec, the road beyond is the one I entered the town on from the mountains in the distance.

After my descent from this first mountain I followed a path through beech trees up to a ridge, which was my destiny for the rest of the day. At first I was pleased, no overjoyed, that the path took a lateral approach. Gradually gaining height by following a line along the side of the ridge, rather than going straight up the slope in the usual way in these parts. In this gentle fashion the top of the ridge was reached.

An enjoyable, gradual climb up the side of the ridge.

However once on the ridge, the path ran north along its crest, not deviating from the highest points except when impeded by larger outcrops of rock. The usual roller coaster ensued, the trail rising up and down each summit, often steeply, slowing me down as I negotiated tree roots, slippery earth and rocks. At first, between the beech trees that grew on the ridge, I could see valleys populated by fields, villages and houses strung out along roads. Later the cloud came in and with it cold wind and rain. My field of view was limited to nearby trees and cliffs or sharp drops to my left, and steep wooded slopes to my right. With the hood of my coat up I faced the usual problem of my glasses misting up. Often I left my hood down, exposed to the rain so I could better see where the path went. This was not always obvious. Picking the wrong path I arrived at the top of a cliff on a precarious animal track. Instead the correct path dropped through a cleft in the cliff to my left, squeezed between the cliff and a tree, and then dropped rapidly for several feet until it stabilised as a viable footway.

I had been following the green waymarked path out of Rajec, then switched to the red path, which I hoped would result in me leaving the ridge in a gentle descent. This mistaken impression was soon removed as I climbed among a selection of large rocks. Conglomerates containing rounded pebbles. Had they not been lost among very tall beech trees these monstrous outcrops would have been impressive features, and probably widely praised as a giant's rock garden. One area was used for rock climbing according to the signs, but today there were no climbers and I saw only one couple walking in the ridge in the wet weather.

One of the large outcrops of rock obscured by trees and mist.

After the red path had entertained me with its structureless rock columns I joined the blue path which led me gratefully down to civilisation. Leaving trees for meadows, then grass for roads I passed through the village of Hrabové. A busy road, now waymarked in green, led me the final kilometres to the town of Bytča.

Path across a meadow on my approach to Hrabové.

As I have decided on a rest day tomorrow when I could investigate the town more thoroughly, I merely stopped for dinner, the time now 6 p.m.. A kebab and chips sufficed, the guy serving proudly telling me they made their own bread. Leaving the town for my Penzion, a little way out, I noticed a cake shop still open. So I had a dessert of chocolate tort and an expresso lungo.

At my Penzion, a wedding reception was in full swing. Folk music was playing loudly, men in suits had abandoned their jackets and were smoking outside. Women in their best frocks sat at tables and children were screaming. Staff were hanging about, the meal service now over. One of them, who had a little English, struggled with my passport and the Penzion's IT system. Finally I was in my room and showering off the sweat of the day, looking forward to my evening phone call with my wife as my knee, having finished its day, became stiff and swollen. 

E3: Chata Javorina to Rajec: Day 133

Good and bad today in my descent to Rajec.

Breakfast at Chata Javorina was ham and eggs. I just pointed at what the people on the table next to me were having. I ate it looking out at the wet weather outside on the mountain top, raindrops on the window, cloud below. Forecasts have been deteriorating. Today was previously predicted as being dry but now has rain until later afternoon. A mixture of paths and tracks today. Things went well at first crossing a number of nearby peaks in intermittent rain. There were views of clouds below and clouds above.

Clouds below and above on the E3.

After the early peaks there were attractive paths lined with wild garlic winding through the trees. Areas of beech trees replaced spruce trees for a while. Beech saplings crowded the path in places, depositing their accumulated water on me as I pushed through. My glasses repeatedly misted up beneath the hood of my rain jacket. Sadly the path lost height, dropping down to 990 metres, after which there were uphill sections to reach the summit of Hnilická Kýčera at 1217 metres. A straight climb might have been acceptable but the trail went over a series of minor summits, up and down repeatedly in a demotivating fashion as I knew each descent meant an extra ascent later on.

Woodland walk up a hill among the wild garlic.

I finally reached the top of Hnilická Kýčera, the last of the high mountains today. The effort was not rewarded by a scenic view, I could see little except cloud and mist. Then I faced the challenge of going down. The descent was a wet, slippery, earth track that headed straight down the steep slope. There was no way you could go down it except on your bottom. Instead I kept diverting off the main track onto little paths people had made to manage a more controlled descent. I also trampled down vegetation off the path, breaking fallen branches underfoot, in an effort to achieve a grip, and get down with damaging my knee. Despite these efforts, in places a controlled slide was inevitable, I could see where others had done so from the skid marks. I yearned for the Alpine paths of the GR5 which zig zagged steadily up and down to passes higher than the mountains I have crossed today.

Steep, slippery path down from Hnilická Kýčera.

Eventually I reached Sedlo pod Hnilickou Kýčerou (at 1027 metres), a saddle where the E3 switches from the red waymarked path, heading south-west towards yet more high summits, to a green path going north-west to reach where the E3 in Slovakia connected with the E3 in the Czech Republic. A bell hung at the junction for some reason. At first the green waymarked track descended quickly, albeit with a few bends rather than straight down. It then settled into a good track at a reasonable gradient followed by a low gradient tarmac road. After the stresses of the ridge path it felt wonderful to walk on the even surface of the road, allowing my knee to relax a little. As if to agree the rain stopped and there were brief periods of sunshine, although the mountain tops were still wrapped in cloud. Several cyclists passed me first going up, then returning on the way down. Each side of the road, hugely tall spruce trees stretched up the steep valley sides. In a wetter area dark purple dusky crane's bill, mingled with chervil and gunnera.

At last a level track!

Leaving the woodland it was a final push to get to Rajec in time for a coffee and cake. I had the cukráreň marked on my GPS but when I arrived at the location it looked like a house typical of the area, with what looked like a garage door on one side, a door of the type that normally leads to an area behind the house. Closer examination revealed a sign with the coffee shop openning times. Being within these I openned the door within the larger door, and beyond I found an entrance to the coffee shop. The strawberry cheesecake and expresso lungo was worth the effort.

Afterwards I went to the accommodation I had booked. A single storey house, one room wide, also entered via a door in what looked like a garage door. Furnished with old pieces of furniture, faded photographs and interesting paintings, the owner helpfully spoke English. After a bath (the facilities dated from before the time when showers became popular) I went to a restaurant in the main square. Eating on the terrace outside I watched kids cycle and skate around the square. There was a "beach" volleyball court in the centre where youngsters were messing around without actually having a proper game.

E3: Strečno to Chata Javorina: Day 132

A short day as a severe weather alert made me choose to stay at a mountain hut rather than wild camping a further along the trail.

My path up through the forest.

The weather forecasts for today were for thunderstorms this afternoon. Being on an exposed ridge getting soaked was bad enough but the risk of lightening as well made me take action to mitigate the risks. This involved booking into a mountain hut, Chata Javorina, which was on my route and which I could reach by lunchtime. Unfortunately it means a longer day tomorrow, I may not get to Rajec, my destination, before the cake shop closes!

There was a misunderstanding over breakfast. I had agreed with a lady speaking a little English yesterday for breakfast at 7:30 a.m.. However the lady this morning had me down for breakfast at 6:30, she showed me the written instruction she had received. My food, fried eggs and ham, was on the table, but having been cooked an hour earlier was rather cold! I ate it nevertheless, and was supplied with a hot coffee. Language confusion is inevitable at times, one just has to accept it.

This morning consisted of a long climb. Over 1200 metres of ascent through the forest, with views back down to the valley where trees have been cut down. The landscape falls into two distinct categories: on the flat valley floors, towns, villages and farmland; covering the hills and mountains darker green conifers with the occasional open meadow in a lighter shade. I spotted a flower I do not recall seeing before, called spreading bellflower.

Looking back at Strečno.

Spreading Bellflower.

On my way up, a large forestry vehicle dragging a collection of tree trunks stopped. He said something to me but being in Slovakian I do not know what. I said I was English and he shrugged his shoulders and headed off. Maybe it was to warn me that trees were being felled up the track, I could hear the sound of the chainsaw but did not get close, or he could have been warning me of the weather forecast.

On a particularly long steep section I missed a turning. Having climbed to the top of the slope I had no wish to go down again to find the path. Instead I took the risky decision of following a track that went in the right direction (i.e. up the ridge). Fortunately it met up with the path I should have been on, otherwise I would have been really upset.

My first milestone was reaching the summit of Mincŏl, the third mountain of that name on this trip (it means "mint"). On the way up there was an unexpected old artillery piece, reading up on the internet it appears to commemorate the Slovak National Uprising against the German occupation of Slovakia in 1944. While I was pleased to reach Mincŏl before any rain, I was less pleased with having to loose height before climbing up to the next summit. On the way a couple of mountain bikes came towards me. I made sure to stand off the side of the path so that we did not become entangled, as they passed I think they were saying thank you.

I was hurrying to reach the mountain hut before the rain started. A few spots fell as I walked behind an enclosure containing large aerials and associated buildings. As I approached the hut the rain increased, instead of putting my waterproofs on I tried to jog being so near (difficult with a rucksack). Then once I was inside the rain immediately stopped! Since then the rain showers have come and gone, I have watched the rain moving along the valley from the windows of the hut. No thunder or lightening. At least I have saved myself getting wet.

Communication with the lady running the hut has been cumbersome due to my inability to speak Slovak. All mountain huts seem to have different ways of doing things which does not help. We have been using the translation Apps on our phones. However I managed to get a lunch of goulash soup followed by apple strudel. For dinner, fried cheese and chips. I thought I might have been alone in staying in the hut apart from the lady in charge and her small dog, but a few other hikers have now arrived. The television has been on in the dining room. Keir Starmer made an appearance on the news, but the main item was "problems with bears".

There has been rain, heavy at times, but it has now stopped raining. Fine weather is promised for tomorrow. 

View from hut window in a brief period of clearer weather.

E3: Pekelnik to Strečno: Day 131

Better weather today with good views from the high ridge, but a long, painful descent.

When I put my boots on this morning I discovered one of the laces had broken overnight while they lay in the "porch" area of my tent. Or perhaps not broken but eaten through by some tiny animal and then one of the two parts pulled out. I tied the two parts together and hoped that there would be no further breaks.

In the night, leaving my tent for a call of nature, I saw a fuzzy orange moon, and far away in the valleys, lights from distant villages. Sadly, when I woke in the morning this scene had dissolved into a white mist. Starting early the mist cleared as I walked. Wisps of cloud kept crossing my view driven by a cold wind, especially when I took out my camera to capture a scene, but when the sun lit the forested valleys above the cloud filled lowlands, with "islands" of hills poking through, it was amazing.

View to the north of "islands" poking through the clouds.

In the mud of the path I could see the footsteps of the people who had walked by my tent last night, and later this morning met a group of eight heading for one of the higher peaks. A few others were out walking lower down. Knowing that I am not the only person in the mountains gave me a sense that I am doing something that others appreciate too. Among the things to appreciate in these high mountains were the flowers, such as the blue trumpets of the southern gentian in clefts of rock and the purple orchids among the grasses.

Mountains and orchids.

I made the steep climb up to Malý Kriváň (1671 metres) and from this summit could see three peaks ahead of me on the ridge. The middle one was most concerning as it was a large stump of rock with scrub sized pines growing where they were able. This peak was called Biele Skaly and I approached it with trepidation. I could have bypassed it on a yellow trail, but I had memories of tree roots from the previous day and the path did not look well developed. Fortunately it was not raining today as it was a scramble up and down Biele Skaly on bare rock. Not difficult, there were plenty of hand and foot holds, but it was unexpected and progress was slow as I was being careful, thinking of my age and lack of agility. 

After the final summit it was a steep drop down to a glade where Chata Pod Suchým was located. This was a mountain hut offering accommodation and food. However, when I looked in there seemed no-one around. I continued on the ridge, at first pleasantly flat but then heading down steeply on a rough path. My knees were suffering and were not pleased when I spotted the river and the road beside it. My accommodation was at the same level as the river, and although the river and road were nearby (I could hear the cars) they were a long, long way down.

A long way down to the river and my accommodation for the night.

Cursing the prolonged, steep descent and rough rocks I finally reached Starý Hrad (Old Castle). A square tower and a few walls remained of this fortress, which dates from the 13th century. Once I reached the comfort of a flat road beside the river I could see the castle which replaced it on the far side of the river, called Strečno Castle. Its ruins looked more extensive. 

Starý Hrad (Old Castle)

I crossed the wide River Váh on a bridge for pedestrians and cyclists, cars have to use a ferry. Turning towards Strečno on the opposite side I spotted a stall selling ice cream and coffee, at which I indulged while watching passing cyclists. There were many about, there seems a good cycle path beside the river.

Now in my hotel which is above a Pizzeria, where I of course had pizza for dinner.

E3: Zázrivá to Pekelnik: Day 130

Although it rained all day I found I managed the long ascent better than I expected. 

One of my clearer views today.

Suprisingly, my left knee did not have much fluid on it this morning. Maybe the effect of an early finish yesterday followed by use of my compression sleeve? First job this morning was to buy some food at the Coop for breakfast and wild camping tonight. After doing that I managed to buy an Expresso Lungo at the bar next door from the lady cleaning the tables.

Today was a walk along a ridge, called the Malá Fatra, over numerous summits. I decided to divert around three of these summits. The first hill was a diversion to avoid a bit of the road walking, which made little sense to me, I just followed the road. In doing so I passed three cabins selling local produce such as cheese and also coffee and tea as a sideline. None of them was doing any business on a rainy Monday morning. Feeling sorry for them, and because a bit of caffeine is no bad thing, I stopped for another coffee at a stall with chairs, sheltered from the rain by umbrellas, just before I left the main road.

Continuing up a side road and then a good track, I was pleased to gain height on a good surface for a while, although sweating with the effort in my waterproofs. Reaching a point where the E3 (waymarked with red) climbed over two summits I decided to follow a yellow route around them. I did not feel too guilty about this departure from the E3 as the visibility in the mountains could be measured in metres, there would be no views from them today. In addition the path over one of the summits was closed according to the "Mapy" app. It was a route involving ladders. Even if the path was open, climbing up and down ladders plus the associated rocks in the rain did not seem prudent. I had feared that my yellow route might be blocked by fallen trees but it proved a pleasant and easy path to follow. Although there were some significant uphill sectioms much of it contoured the mountainside which I particularly appreciated.

After rejoining the E3 I took another opportunity to divert around another summit on a yellow trail. This time I was not so successful. There was much climbing over the gnarly roots of trees on the side of the steep slope, and outcrops of rock requiring hands as well as feet. The continuing rain made everything slick and to avoid an accident I was forced to move at a crawl (sometimes literally), carefully picking where to place my feet.

A trail I took to avoid a summit proved rather taxing with all the roots and rocks.

On rejoining the E3 there followed a steep downhill path. Water was running down it turning the earth into a surface impossible to avoid slipping on. I diverted onto the surrounding vegetation among the trees and made full use of my trekking poles, placing them ahead of me for support as my muddy boots were not gripping. Fortunately the path flattened out and I then made good progress along the ridge. There were numerous summits with rocks poking through, and the stones made for better grip. Each side of me the ridge dropped away steeply, disappearing into white mist. The ridge was free of trees and being so high up, on a clear day the views must be magnificent. I will be continuing along the ridge tomorrow and hopefully visibility will be better then. 

Following the ridge through cloud.

Now I was on higher ground there were flowers I had not seen before, such as delicate blue Alpine Snowbells, white and yellow Mountain Avens and blue Alpen-Kreuzeblume.

Alpine Snowbell.

The highest peak I reached was Chleb at 1646 metres. After the peak there was a saddle, Snilovské Sedlo. Unlike previous days I encountered no shelters or covered areas where I could have lunch out of the rain. As Snilovské Sedlo was at the top of a couple of ski lifts I was hoping for something there, but the two cabins were both padlocked. I was forced to content myself with a "Snickers" eaten quickly before I became too cold.

Having crossed Pekelnik summit, the point I planned to reach today I started looking for a place to camp. Finding a flat area, sheltered somewhat from the wind coming over the ridge, I decided to pitch there. It was only 4 pm but the rain had now penetrated my waterproofs and I was beginning to feel cold, nor was I sure that any flat spots would be available later, much of the ridge is quite sharp. In addition tomorrow's forecast was better, so maybe I will be able to see the surrounding countryside.

Despite seeing no-one other than a shepherd with his dog and flock of sheep shortly after leaving the road, a few minutes after getting settled into my tent someone walked by talking to his phone or a companion. He did not stop. I was a little concerned as I had seen signs including the no camping symbol, but having not seen anyone I had not tried to hide my tent from the path.

All my stuff is damp.