We spent a good eight hours hiking through the Slovenský raj today. It was seriously hard going.
We began with a long climb to the Tomášovský Výhľad look-out point, with gorgeous views out across the wilderness.
From there, we hiked down to the gorge of the river Hornád. The gorge is so sheer in many parts, that no ground trail is possible. Instead, the park authorities have drilled into the side of the gorge and inserted small metal platforms, the size of steps, which are held by rods. One literally has to hug the wall of the gorge, hopping from platform to platform, whilst not paying much mind to the sheer drop just centimetres away from the edge of one’s foot.
To make matters worse, the metalic grid surface of some of a few of the steps is worn out and giving way, and the rods of others are buckling under the strain of the hordes of visitors of summers past. At times, the rocky wall of the gorge juts out at chest or head level so far, that it overhangs the platform at that spot. This forces the intrepid hiker to clutch a chain running along the face of the gorge, and lean with all one’s weight fully backwards, out over the gorge, whilst tucking one’s feet under the overhang and ambling over the platform. In my case, that meant that Eloïse, strapped to my back in her baby-carrier, was completely suspended over the sheer drop to the river below; not an experience I want to repeat at any time in the future. I’m not afraid to admit that I was, at one point, quite frightened. I’m curious how many people take a tumble off these aging platforms in any given year.
Anyway, the hiking was such heavy going, that we had to veer off from the route we had planned to follow and take a shorter route back, although that meant negotiating a long, steep climb to the top of one of the hills. An hour later, we arrived at the top, Wiesje fast asleep in her carrier, but her mother and father drenched in their own sweat and gasping for water. We had used up all of our water and were very hungry by that point, but thankfully there was a place here where we could buys snacks and rehydrate at our leisure.
Once we were refreshed, it was another two hour walk back to where we had parked the car in Čingov.
I was left feeling like we had cheated ourselves by taking a shorter route back, but in truth, we would have been in trouble if we had gone the long way, as we had run out of water and it was an extremely hot day today. Not only that, but the route we did take ended up consuming eight hours of our day; we’re just not very fast hikers and Eloïse slows us down yet further.
Tomorrow, we head for Starý Smokovec, where we’ll spend three nights in the snow-topped High Tatras (or Vysoké Tatry, as they’re known locally). That will be the high point of our trip, literally speaking, if not also figuratively.
On the way there, we’ll pay a visit to the Dobšinská ice cave.