The breakfast at the cottage starts at 6.30 am and we slept at the floor of the dining room so we were awake already as early as 6 am. The breakfast (included in price) was really rich, with all kinds of food – we ate properly for first time in 24 hours, the day before we didn’t feel like eating. We left the cottage at around 8 am. As soon as we started to walk it was clear that Ivos knee is not ok, the path was mostly about jumping down from one rock to another one and sometimes climbing using chains and already the first part that was supposed to take one hour took us two.
Before getting to Strbske Pleso (the Mountain lake of Strba) it was obvious he cant continue this way and we decided that he will end there and I will go alone. That also meant that I was carrying all my stuff, food that was originally meant for two and now even the stupid tent, pretty nice load. After a goodbye beer (with little dizzy head) I started to half-walk-half-jog down the hill to Tatranska Strba.
My feet were already starting to hurt and it took me a while to warm up into a steady speed. From there started the first painful asphalt road leg – 17 km of hard surface. The village of Liptovska Teplicka was not marked correctly on my map – it took an hour longer than it said. The top frustration came when I saw a sign and came to it expecting to tell me I already came to the village and instead of that it informed me that I have to walk another hour. The marking in the village (when I finally get there) is poor and nobody can give me proper advise on the direction so I loose some time also there. If I didn’t have the maps I would be screwed.
When I finally get to the crossroad from where I am supposed to go uphill its nearly 7 pm and the sun starts to set already. I start to go as fast I my tired body only can up the hill, but more and more frequently the idea comes back that I should give up the goal of getting to the peak (where there is a tourist sleeping hut) and spend the night somewhere earlier. I wanted to prove myself that I can do it, so I continued. At 7.55 pm I nearly cant see the road because of the darkness and come to a wooden hut – I think an empty hay storage. I give up and decide to sleep there. I finally eat something proper again – a can of beans and I can tell You that its truth that hunger is the best cook – it tasted amazingly good! At around 8 pm in nearly complete darkness I notice a guy riding bike down the hill without any light – mega dumb! I lay down and try to sleep I lay down and try to sleep I lay down and try to sleep but am waking up the whole night because of wind and strange noises, I don’t really feel safe there.
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