As we crest the mountain and head down into the valley, another amazing European sight confronts and confounds us.
Through the gorge, Jenni shows her mettle. On the way down, it was a lot tougher. Perhaps by this time we'd had sufficient practice. The couple behind us, the only ones on the trail back to our commencement, made us smile, particular the woman. Understandably, she was nervous. (The assisting chains had been removed. See picture below.) On one occasion, I recommended she take it slowly to which she reacted by making the 'sign of the cross' on her chest. We saw her do it a number of times. There's probably much praying taking place in this 'religious' section of the tough hike. It reminded us of a saying of Hillel, the sage, which we've modified, with respect. When he was asked whether he would teach someone the Torah (Hebrew Bible) while standing on one foot, we might answer this way, in these circumstances: "All you need is a good-gripping pair of boots—the rest is commentary." Well done, Jenni.
These are the chains which were removed prior to our hike. A message, perhaps? (Copied from a blog)
Partway-down the 1,800 feet descent to the valley on a very tough trail.
We were walking up a steep incline for a change, today—that’s all we seem to do (and enjoy them)—and thought how fortunate we are to be able to ‘suffer’ in this way. Strange as that may seem, it’s indeed a blessing and we are most grateful. To be able to feel ‘good’ pain is something to strive to achieve. There have been some nights when every muscle and bone seemed to be crying out for relief and yet one feels so uplifted, yet sore. There are explanations for this and we have provided opinions in our writings over the years so we won’t bore you further. We won’t even advertise our book.
We have also noticed that should we wish to become European, we’d have to adopt a few different customs. There was a time when I would certainly not relate to the concept but over the recent past, we both have a fascination and fondness for this continent which has a history of both greatness while also having plumbed the depths of human behavior. That’s some serious stuff but while we study and are aware of history, we believe strongly that each person should be treated on his/her own merits. The behavior, good or bad, of one’s ancestors belong to that generation and the past.
Getting back on track, it seems the first step we need to take and adopt is to smoke. Many Europeans smoke and on the trails too. We often see them stop for a rest and light up. Secondly, the wonderful mountain environment in much of Europe provides hotels, doms, refugios and other establishments where a person can eat, drink or sleep. Many hikers and most cableway riders stop at these places and drink beer and stronger alcohol at all times of the morning. We question this custom but do not judge—it’s difficult enough being sober on these mountains. Thirdly, our old favorite is we will need to adapt to the custom of using hiking poles. We think those changes in our lifestyle will bring us into the European fold in reasonable fashion. Fortunately, this continent was designed for mountain people.
We were disappointed with this wonderful but quite tough hike for two reasons. The first is that we wished to sleep over at the chateau in the valley. Without resting the night, we were not able to attempt the mountain hike that leads from the lake at the chateau. It's such an inviting hike as one can see the path cut into the mountain leading to the peak. It would have meant something like a ten-hour day of hiking—almost impossible for two softies. Instead we just stared at the twisting path winding and wending its way up the mountain and thought, ‘Next time’. Unfortunately, the hotel had no accommodation for the nights we were available. The other disappointment, as vegetarians and Jenni almost one, would be missing the unusual menu offerings. We’ve never seen anything like it and it had our mouths watering. The options included raccoon, guinea pig, ostrich, porcupine, Marovian sparrow and other delights. The vegetarian dish, which had us beat, opened with chicken soup. Heck, we have a lot to learn. Nevertheless, the day was spectacular but tiring as we gained close to 3,000 feet of elevation on a tough track and absorbed delightful scenes and sights.
We also met an interesting pair of young couples from Latvia and Czechia. We had a delightful period of discussion and some laughs with them and surprisingly, they could not stop hugging us, when it was time to depart. I’ve told Jen we ought to think more about using deodorant in the future (in the wilds), notwithstanding it attracts bears.
As we approach the Chateau, the lake shows us some of its magic.
On the way down, could not resist some rock-climbing.
The quality of the growth, the colors, density are unrivalled as seen from part-way down toward the chateau.
Chamois corner, what a delight.
"Yes, you." For five weeks, we've had our eyes searching for chamois but to no avail and then ….
'You wanna come down and repeat that, sweet-face?'
'You can run but you can't hide' (Fighting talk.).
Reflections and colors mix to create beauty.
City of Poprad, the largest settlement around the Tatras seen from the lowest ridge.
Watch for rockslides, another of Jenni's 'favorite' hazards.
Absorbing nature.
Observatory at Skalnate Pleso, some 3,000 feet above the town, Tatranska Lominica.
Zelenom lake, a delightful place but deep into the mountains and not accessible without much time.
Cheers,
Jenni and Jeffrey
No comments:
Post a Comment