I woke with the sun pouring through the open doors of my tent. It was a beautiful start to the morning. A slight chill in the air and golden light framing the mountains. I had a quick breakfast, packed away and set off along the ridge line. It was to be a very long day today with some seriously steep miles to cover. I was running low on water and soon came across a lake that had shrunk to a muddy puddle in the dry summer. I filtered from that as I had no choice. The trail continued along the ridge then started to make its way down into the valley below. I passed some other hikers camped just a bit lower and continued down and down the mountain pass.
Once I reached the bottom, I found a cleaner flowing water source and filled all my bottles and drank as much as I could. It was starting to get very hot and I was thirsty from the descent. I soon hit a little track that took my down into the village of Zarunica. Guardian dogs followed me all the way down the road and through the village making me feel slightly nervy, but they seemed to be friendly enough. I soon came upon what is called Oko Skakavice, or The Eye. A crystal clear, blue, fresh sprung lake. I took my pack of for a rest here, and spoke to some others hikers who were hiking a section of the trail. I got some photos, had a snack, and kept on hiking.
I hiked into the national park and up through the mountains that would turn out to be one of the biggest highlights of the trail. It took me up through mountainous valleys, birch and beech woodlands and through open grassland. By now the temperature had reached 34C and I was doing my best to stay covered and protected from the sun. I was also struggling for water. But no matter, there was to be a big lake in the next valley where I could fill up water and hopefully stop for a swim. Well, the abnormally hot and dry summer had completely dried up the lake. So I had to push on. Again, I started climbing up a steep granite pass. There was no water on the map until I had almost made it to Theth. I was running out and starting to worry. Thankfully, as I scrambled up the last of the pass through a rocky ravine, a pipe appeared from a spring in the side of the mountain. I took time to fill my bottles and drink as much as I could stomach. Once down into the next valley, I found some shade and stopped for lunch.
Finally I reached the top of the last pass before heading down into Theth. I started down, scrambling down the steep mountain side. As I rounded the corner I was met by an Italian carrying his bike up. What kind insanity drives a man to do that! He was on a long distance bike packing trip but had to carry his bags and bike through the mountain. As I was talking to him, I also got talking to a Kiwi hiker on her last day on trail. She had been hiking with her mother and was finishing that day in Theth. We chatted all the way down the mountain about hiking, life at home, our dream trips. The usual hiker chat. We parted ways once we got to Theth and I entered the town to finally get some gas. I was so tired after covering steep mountain passes all day. I am definitely unfit! After searching all the shops in town I only found one that sold gas, but it was about 5 times bigger and heavier than I wanted or needed. I stubbornly was unwilling to carry it. So, grabbed a coke, some cheese to supplement my lunches and took of up the next pass in search of somewhere to camp.
I brimmed my water at the river to hopefully have enough to dry camp. The trail went up and up the seemingly steepest side of the mountain. Dogs were following me again, pestering me for food. One didn't look so friendly so I just kept my head down and hiked. By the time I reached the woods I was dragging. A few steps, a drink of water, pause to get my breath back and so on. Eventually I met a couple on a day hike that informed me that just a few hundred metres more climbing would get me to a big flat meadow.
After the longest 'few hundred metres' of my life I appeared in the meadow. I soon found a flat spot with a view to camp, set up my tent, cold soaked my meal and tried to eat it without the stary dogs taking it. There were a lot here. Soon two German sisters on their first day of the hike joined me and camped in the meadow. We chatted long into the evening as the sun started to set over the distant mountains above Theth.
