(source: John Nicholson)
Today it was to reach 37 degrees Celsius a ‘perfect day’ for walking, at least we still weren’t carrying everything. The thought of getting rained upon sounded like a blessing rather than a reason for putting on waterproofs.
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This was the proper walk, civilization was to be left behind, a bear guard would have to be mounted with bear drills every time the kids started to get a bit bored or at least too far ahead of us old folk. The drills consisted of everyone freezing, putting their hands up to look big, being quiet to be inconspicuous (yes we did wonder too) and moving together to look bigger (and more conspicuous?). But these drills seemed to work, at least we laughed a lot and they seemed to frighten bears away from our path as the news of these exercises spread through the population before us. The best defense is just to make noise and we were naturally good at that so any bear within 50km would just put on its ear protectors and leave the neighborhood. I would have loved to see a bear, at a distance.
(source: John Nicholson)
The walk was mainly in the trees, but what trees. Being English to me they were big, medium sized and small trees (I am taking this bear thing too far?). But the more educated among us assured me that the Beach Oak forest with spectacular stands of beach were very pretty. Views of the forested Small Carpathian Mountains and the Austro-Hungarian plain, each time the trees (still just trees to me) opened up. Civilisation was so far behind that we stopped for a kofola (I don’t get any money for this advertising) at Biely Kríž and had a chat with the locals there. I don’t think they believed us about what we were planning to do.
After walking through some more trees. Of different sizes, we got to Pezinská Baba, now I know what the world will look like 20 years after human kind. It was a bit deserted, a chat at the hotel on the road indicated that the bus would come as per the timetable. Leaving us with just enough time to miss the train from Pezinok back to Bratislava.
A bit of hitchhiking and a very nice young lady took us to the train station where we boarded a double-decker train back to town.
I am so glad we didn’t meet a bear! We need to do our drills.
Distance walked: 27km (54km total)
Meters climbed: 706m (1,827m total)
Walking time: 7:51 (15:55 total)
Start point: Kamzík, buffet
End point: Pezinská Baba, 503 crossing
Via: Biely Kríž - Forest Cottage drinks and snacks
General Comment
More trees.
And the bit about Hot – but worse.
All day in the forest.
Ben Nevis – 1,344m the highest mountain in the UK (although this might change). Just knocking them down.
By John Nicholson
