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.
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. 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.
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 (ie up the ridge). Fortunately it met up with the path I should have been on, otherwise I would have been really upset.
The 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 the enclosure containing large aerials. 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 diing 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.
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