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Vratna valley, Terchova
So our base for the next 5 days was here. With the weather still good, we made our way up Boboty peak as a warm-up for the larger peaks. The climb was 400m, but very steep. The descent involved a bit of clinging on to a chain over a bit of rock.
The day after we went via Stefanova for the climb up to Poludniovy Grun and the 1608m Stoh. It was tough going, as it was very steep, and I got very hot on the lower slopes, carrying all my crap. Maybe it’s because I was brought up in the Yorkshire Dales, but waterproof, spare food, jumper, all seem essential to me, unlike this wee Polish lass who wandered up in plimsolls/pumps and no rucksack. How she got up is a mystery - I had boots and a stick; in the snow/mud patches I needed the stick, as my feet were moving but not with any purposeful direction. Once on top of the summits we were treated to wild snowdrops and crocuses as well as a stunning view. In the distance the Tatras appeared whilst the mountain ranges ran on to the horizon.
Gentians
growing by the path, below Boboty. We lost height descending to a saddle before the climb/slither up to Stoh. Near the top the going got easier, and it resembled a Pennine moor as we were above the tree line. The sun made an appearance, possibly due to us letting Lucky, the toy duckling out (this sun god reputation may have something in it). We basked on the summit before some clouds trundled over and brought some hail, temperatures on the top were about 8°C.
On the way down, we had the chance to do a bit of sliding on the moorland bit but it got more tricky as the slope steepened, trees got in the way, and the snow patches got really deep. At about 1200m we met a main path and joined the crowds on the path back down to Stefanova. We found a café which was emptying out and after we ordered food we were joined by Toddlers United with their parents, really encroaching on our personal space by surrounding us. But there was to be no escape, back at the hotel the May holiday was in full swing and so we were treated to the 2008 Polish & Slovak worst brat competition
Going up
This was the easy way up, apprarently. which involved running and shrieking down the 2nd floor corridor at 10pm.
The hotel was fine, big rooms comfy beds, nice view, expect for some small drawbacks. It was run by Skeletor, (that bony character out of the He-Man cartoon from 1980s) a bloke with a shaved head and a dodgy suit who barracked his staff, and watered down the orange juice and coffee. The last bit was a guess after Kasia saw him pour something into the coffee machine, but after I went and overfilled my cup this hypothesis proved to be correct. I expected caffeine blast; what I got was brown water. Skeletor almost denied us our first breakfast. After we got down for breakfast at 0942, we found the restaurant firmly locked. Reception hadn't told us that breakfast was only until 0945. Then Skeletor turned up and demanded to know we had not already been in for breakfast! After we explained he reluctantly opened up the restaurant for breakfast. No lazy Sunday breakfasts with Skeletor!
After the high peaks, the next day we made another walking trip over the pass to a green valley the other side of Stoh to finish in Kraľ ovany at
Daphne
growing on the summit of Boboty the end of the Orava Valley. Our little Polish guide book (bought in that brilliant map shop in Białystok bus station) did us proud, and it was indeed a beautiful valley and we had the path to ourselves. Lucky was once again positively utilised as only at the end of the walk did the rain start. We hopped on the Orava train before a mad dash with 30 other people under and across the tracks at Kraľovany for the Zilina fast train. In Zilina we had chance for flavoured hot chocolate, and Violet Chocolate is something to be experienced, but very difficult to describe. Violets, really. Connoisseurs of that renowned 1970s confection, Parma Violets, won't be too far off.
Misty Mountain Hop
Our last full day of hiking presented us with the tempting ridge of the western side of the Vratna valley. Kasia reckoned we could do it and be back in time for a 5pm massage. The weather was a bit uncertain, I had no access to a forecast but we decided to go for it. We caught a bus down the valley and then made our way up. When we got high up
Going down
There is a bit of chain to hang on to on this the drizzle started, but hey, we had the waterproofs. Then we followed the path through snow patches, still fine, though the slope was such that a careless step and one could enjoy a long slide down with a high risk of woody material entering one’s bodily crevices. We plodded on, the drizzle more persistent until the waymarks and then the footprints in the snow abruptly ended. Oops. At this point Kasia suggested I get the GPS out, just in time for us to see the horizon, and just about everything else disappear in fog. Fuft. Handily, Slovak maps are designed for GPS, and so we worked out that we were 100m lower than we needed to be. That was useful, as it goes against the grain to go higher when the weather deteriorates. We ascended some more to the 1400m level and found some more footprints, and shortly after the waymarks. Which was nice. But we were losing time, so after finding our way to the high point and the paths’ junction, we slid down (again, making for damp boots) and took the next path going down into the valley. Neatly missing a convenient bus, we hammered down the road
Snowdrop and crocuses
Groing wild, on the summit back to the hotel to be back with 20 minutes to spare. So we weren’t late for the massage, which by then, was well needed!
Somewhat knackered, we were somewhat put out to find that the restaurant had been closed for Sunday evening. It was a long way to the next one! The dopey bar lad said there was no chance of it being opened, but we might get something from a microwave. Whoopee. Fortunately, I reckoned it was definitely worth ignoring Dopey, and got Kasia to ask the lass at the desk who duly informed us the chef was on his way!
Back to Blighty
Starting our return journey, we got the bus to Zilina and the express to Bratislava. We found our way to the hotel in the old town. We knew it was near a pub, but we didn’t know that it was actually above a strip joint! However the real disturbance came from a café which insisted on broadcasting music from a speaker in the atrium, and that carried all the way up. Nothing for it, we hit town for a tour of the castle and a view over Austria and
View of Rozsutec from Stoh
The Pennine type terrain above 1500m. Hungary and the odd beer. Earplugs came in handy.
Next day we got the plane and flew to Manchester, and finally the train back to Leeds. Full circle.
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