Target! Solisco Peak: Picture taken the day after the hike. (On the hike-day, clouds covered everything.)
The season is 'a changing'. The long views were blocked as we spent most of our time in the clouds; the close views made up for it.
Finally, reaching the peak of a great hike, the leaning tower of...won't say it. It looks awfully lonely on its own in the fog.
Hard to resist although the falloff was about 2,000 feet.
We realized many years ago, should a person wait, to go out into the wilds or on an adventure, until the weather were to improve, then that person would spend an awful amount of time waiting and basically, miss out on most opportunities. We estimate over the years, by venturing out in less than ideal weather, we have succeeded in enjoying ourselves at a ratio of better than 9 out of ten times. It's most interesting how bleak weather can change positively. Furthermore, each type of weather produces different challenges, views and experiences.
We introduced this lead-in because during the duration of the hike to the peak, the visibility beyond forty-fifty feet was non-existent. Of course, that did not make the hike any easier, but it did change our focus, causing us to view different sights, be a little more cautious and enjoy the cool and damp atmosphere. We certainly lost out on the normally glorious views of the lake below, a distinctive blue that creates its own charm.
By the time we reached the chairlift station and hut, we were cold and the thought of a hot beverage was pleasant. However, the chairlift did not seem to be in operation so we were disappointed. Nevertheless, we approached the chata, peered through the window and confronted a well-lit interior with a handful of people partaking in lunch and beverages. Good news!
We enjoyed what was mountain tea rather than our usual mint or black tea, mostly because that was the only offering, and then headed to the peak. The day's accumulated elevation gain amounted to some 2,800 feet, a tidy sum in those conditions. Because of lack of visibility, we never were able to anticipate the destinations, the chata first, the peak next. It was quite a sight when we noticed the cross appearing faintly through the fog which meant we'd arrived. What a nice sight. It's not often, almost never, that the peak surprises us.
Meantime, keeping the head down like any good golfer, Jenni swings and reaches the peak. Now she begins a search for her ball amongst the bunker of rocks. Her next move (stroke) should be entertaining.
The flora just keeps on getting better.
The tricky way back although Jen reaches a comfy section.
'Okay, so you made it. You know the more tricky part is coming down. Did you bring a flashlight?'
Shortcuts are always steep.
Years ago, someone accused us of using 'photo-shop' to show our positions on mountains. I try not to be offended but from time-to-time the policy fails, certainly following that accusation. Come to think of it, we endure quite a lot of criticism, much implied rather than spoken directly. Perhaps it's apt to confess, finally; see photo below.
"Confession": While we may purport to be out on the mountains hiking and sweating, the reality is we take cable-cars up to chatas like this one and drink, eat and watch TV. On busier days, we watch paint dry. Back to the photo: Jenni on the way to powder her nose' or something similar before we bunk down to work off a heavy lunch. Wake us to catch the last car down, will you?
Looks like we did not ride this one down, Jack.
Picture of Strbske Pleso, taken the day before, from another peak. On this hike, it was as if the lake did not exist because of the heavy fog.
Tranquility supersedes the dullness of the weather.
Cheers,
Jenni and Jeffrey
More natural wonder and tranquility following a tough day.
One should expect erratic weather this time of the year and unfortunately, our expectations have been met. Following a few incredible sunny days, we had some rain and lots of fog for this hike. Below us, following a near on 3,000 foot climb, was the very attractive Strbske Pleso, a lake of shimmering, metallic-blue water. Unfortunately, other than when we set off on the hike, we never caught even a glimpse of it. In fact, once we had risen some 200 feet, there was very little we did see in the distance.
We were immersed in clouds which is a different feeling in and of itself. Sometimes a little eerie but always special—a feeling of isolation while wrapped in a damp blanket. Fortunately, the hike is superb, the climb testing and the overall experience, despite a lack of views, wonderful. We suppose that's a test to determine whether a person hikes only for sights and views. There are always compensations and one important one was the autumn coloring of the thick vegetation surrounding us as we tended to tread carefully on a tricky path, especially on the way down. At the top, there was another interesting challenge which proved to be enjoyable and we trust the pictures illustrate the point.
On the way down, Jen asked what that thing was which looks like a massive diving board, which it's not. Once again, a better description is by way of an illustration which is shown in the opening photograph. So I thought I'd explain it to Jen—please feel free to eavesdrop although good advice dictates that you should go find something more stimulating to do...take out the garbage, maybe.
As most people know, here in Slovakia, there is no death penalty for serious crimes. Following the demise of communism, it was decided to give people a second chance. The powers that be considered showing some compassion in contrast to that of the former system. However, they did not want to give these criminals a free ride completely. The system devised, to my recollection, was as follows:
A criminal had a choice. He could elect hanging or take a chance at his own risk in respect of death or injuries suffered. In the latter case, the person would sign a waiver undertaking to pay his own medical expenses. It was comforting for prisoners to understand that in the case of death, the state would cover funeral expenses. Many a criminal was heard to muse over having at least one thing less of concern. The person was taken to the base of the massive structure, known as the Marie Antoinette Big Dive, or the French connection, being 'le bigge droppe' and jump off the board from the top, landing on the grass and compacted soil below.
There were two classes of offences: The first was the class 2 or lesser crime. Punishment would take the form of being pushed off from the top of the structure by the dropper or le droppe. In the case of the more severe punishment, the person had to walk up the steep incline rather than ride the elevator as was the case for the lesser criminal. Also, the person then had to jump without assistance, that is, without being pushed. This was called the 'solo or le solo mia', an Italian-French derivative. It's a known fact that there is less stress when one is pushed rather than having to take the initiative oneself. Once again, this illustrates the compassion of the authorities.
Well, Jenni asked, I answered. As they say in showbiz, "You pays your money and you takes your chance".
A second cheers to all. 😂😂😂
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