Lazarow World-Hike-About

Popradske Pleso (lake), an hour-and-half up from the trailhead. On our return from the peak 1,650 feet above, the sun shone for nearly 10 minutes. (See below for a view from top). After arriving in Slovakia from Hungary via Austria, it became clear to us that the high Tatra Mountains, together with the villages and towns below them, make for an extraordinary experience. What we do find confusing is the weather. When we left Hungary, we'd like to believe the country was suffering from a heat wave. Temperatures reached 96 degrees F. The following day, the high of the day nearly halved when we crossed into Austria. We traveled to Slovakia, through Bratislava and headed north. We climbed high, this time in the car and then after cresting the mountains, dipped into the valleys far below. It looked like we'd be spending near on 3 weeks in the middle of nowhere. After nearly two-hours of slow travel, and stopping at a large supermarket to replenish stocks, we made our way thr...

A view from the top, some 3,800 feet above sea level. To stand so high is an amazing feeling. Bear in mind, it's all elevation gain. Taking the gap. We arrived in the town of Seline, one of many small enclaves abutting the Paklenika National Park, a massive canyon surrounding by mountains comprising dolomite and limestone. It's an incredible region, effectively an extension of the Velebit National Park. As expected and to be welcomed, each country operates its parks differently even per region and not un-expectantly, no two countries function in a similar manner. This makes the set-up, set-out, rules and such like different for most parks we visit. The unique aspect of this park is it has a fortune of trails and sparsely used from our little experience. (On this day, we saw three other hikers who had followed a long way behind.) However, the trails are extremely long, the underfoot is particularly tough on the feet but the place is magnificent. The karst formation ...