My route today visited four ski resorts, starting with Ovčárna, then Červenohorské Sedlo, Ramozá and finally Paprsek where I am staying the night. None of them were large, not disgracing themselves with two many runs destroying the forest. At this time of year they attracted hikers like myself. On the trail were lots of people, most with daypacks but a few with multiday camping-sized backpacks. A few dogs joined their owners, straining on their leads and looking inquisitive at the new sights. I exchanged Dobrý Dens and Ahoys with those whose eye I caught. In the afternoon, on a good section of track, there were two large parties of cyclists. In winter I might have seen cross country skiiers as the signs indicated I was also on a skiing route. Although I was told the amount of snow had been disappointing in recent years.
Tracks varied from tarmac to gravel to scattered lumps of rock that tried to trip me up. I played a game of trying not to displace any fragment of loose rock by carefully placing my feet. One downhill section was heavily eroded, slowing me down as I picked my way over protruding lumps of schist. At the other extreme there were lengths of boardwalk. By walking on the planks of wood, one avoided damaging the fragile peat bog, formed in poorly drained land between the trees (a sign informed me). Unfortunately nature was decaying the planks of wood so one had to be careful of tripping where rotten pieces had collapsed.
There was a long stretch marked with boundary stones, numbered and many marked "BB". A helpful sign with a paragraph in English told me that these marked the borders between three ancient estates dating from the 14th Century, estates owned by the Liechtensteins, the Žerotins and the Bishop of Wroclaw.
I passed two small buildings looking like shrines. In the first there were plaques on the wall with the names of people and for some, the years they lived between. A place commemorating those who died in the mountains maybe. The second structure was above a spring with pictures of the Madonna and Child and a rope ladder leading to a loft where I suppose you could sleep in an emergency. The spring was emitting only slow drips. An elderly lady sitting nearby pressed a bottle of water into my hand and spoke at length in Czech. It seemed rude not to accept the bottle although I had plenty of water, but then maybe it was Holy Water from the spring the lady had patiently collected, blessed by the Madonna.
A curious wayside monument expressed gratitude to the 2,500 Czechoslovak airmen who served in the RAF in World War 2. Google Translate struggled with the last sentence, it probably refered to how they subsequently suffered at the hands of the communist regime in Czechoslovakia, who viewed them with suspicion. Periodically there was a view of trees spilling down the sides of valleys and in the hazy distance, fields and towns.
I am now at the Hotel Paprsek. Yesterday I gave much thought as to where I should stay. This hotel was a bit far to walk at 32 kilometres with a thousand metre total ascent (i.e. a lot of hills to climb), but the nearer alternatives were booked, or in one case required me to walk an extra 2.5 kilometres for the key. Wild camping was an option but the various signs telling people not to leave the trail would by implication discourage camping. Despite this I passed a number of people with camping gear. I rationalised that staying in a hotel helped the local economy, and anyway, rain was forecast for this evening, rain which is now falling fast outside my bedroom window. I managed the 32 kilometres pretty well, having left before breakfast. The breakfast box the hotel gave me had plenty for both breakfast and lunch. I walked about 10 kilometres before I ate my breakfast so as to break up the length of the day. The final climb, a kilometre or so before the hotel, was the most difficult, it was steep, the became steeper and I was tired, however I was pleased I managed it.
I am now feeling rather full. For dessert this evening I had Blueberry Dumplings. The menu offered options of one, two or three dumplings. Thinking this must mean they were quite small, I ordered two. A mistake, they were huge. I did eat them but it was really too much of a good thing.
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