Well where to start...
Is wanted to go to Banska Bystryca and I let Osmand calculate ab route. Is was really amazed about the route it found, I myself did not even, dare to look in that region for a route. My first reaction was, "is that rideable?", and I decided to go and find out. If I can't go through the High Tatra, it would be great not having to miss the Fatra too. The small asphalt road from Patrizanska Lupca leading south west into the narrow vally was a good choice for a start. At the end of it I saw snow on the mountain cretes, but calmed myself, by thinking, that there will be a way around. Five motorised vehicles passed me, I counted, all of them did not seemed in a rush, and respected me. It was very nice. Here and there I spotted what looked like dogs houses, but they were access points to drinking water from sources. They were even equipped with cups. The asphalt rode became a natural road and finally turned into a single trail. All rideable until the last 150m in altitude were left. So I started pushing wolter, then it was more like dragging/carrying. At some point I decided to go ahead by foot to see if it'll get better. So on the crete there was more snow, than what I've dragged wolter through already and it all looked stunning; the small snow drifts, the view... My god that view. I could overlook a huge part of the Slovak mountains: the High Tatra in the north east, before it the Small Tatra, in the north, the small Fatra and in, the south the "Erzgebige". I looked at the trail going along the cretes. It was of course snow snow covered, but I thought, well, after the mountain top ahead, it'll get rideable again. So the thirst for adventure let me take the decision to carrie wolter and the luggage the last bit to the crete. So I waked back and stared pulling. Finally I took the luggage in one go and the bike in another. So I walked these last 100m of altitude three times. I lost a lot of time. So I had 3 hours left to make almost 10 km of this crete trail. I started pushing wolter, loaded again through, the snow. On the next high point of the trail it went down and I could ride again. But the next high point revealed, that there will be a lot of up and down, in the snow. There were clouds and the sun greeted from between those from time to time. I heard only the wind and my steps and the view... This amazing view. Slowly I edged closer to exhaustion. So I tried to think again. It took me almost two hours to make half of the crete trail in these conditions, basically I completely underestimated this strech and was bearly advancing. So I started to push myself harder. But each time it went up in the snow, I needed to stop and breath every couple of meters. There was no way, the terrain with snow, and my heavy travelling device would let me find rhythm and continuity. So within the last hour it stared to dawn one me, that I will be, stuck in the middle of the crete trail at dusk. There was no trail heading back down into a side valley to shortcut. Then I stood before a longer strech upwards again, I thought maybe this will be the last one afterwards only downhill... So I left woltet again and went looking. The answer was no. Here I almost lost my calm. But I just got nervous and did not lose my grip. So I had to do what I was carefully avoiding so far: Camping above 1500m a.s. in the fucking snow. I was not even, sure if my sleeping bags still holds me warm with temperatures bellow 0°c.
So I went back to where I left wolter. My feet where soaking wet. Just bedore this upward strech of the trail there was a protected spot behind bushes. The wind otherwise went fast over that crete. I put up the tent in record time. Keeping the heat together was my greatest worry now. And I just managed to sit on the air mattress, having changed the wet cloth from the belly down by dry socks and a pair of long underwear I had left. Beeing wraped in the sleeping bag I started cooking tee with some snow. To my amazed even after sitting for half and hour, I felt comfortably warm. Then I heared water drops falling and realized that these where feom the melting snow on the bushes. Having already mentally prepared to put, the, alarm every hour to check for snowfall during the night, I got calm again. So I sipped at m Roibush and smoked while getting back to a peaceful state of mind.
Is wanted to go to Banska Bystryca and I let Osmand calculate ab route. Is was really amazed about the route it found, I myself did not even, dare to look in that region for a route. My first reaction was, "is that rideable?", and I decided to go and find out. If I can't go through the High Tatra, it would be great not having to miss the Fatra too. The small asphalt road from Patrizanska Lupca leading south west into the narrow vally was a good choice for a start. At the end of it I saw snow on the mountain cretes, but calmed myself, by thinking, that there will be a way around. Five motorised vehicles passed me, I counted, all of them did not seemed in a rush, and respected me. It was very nice. Here and there I spotted what looked like dogs houses, but they were access points to drinking water from sources. They were even equipped with cups. The asphalt rode became a natural road and finally turned into a single trail. All rideable until the last 150m in altitude were left. So I started pushing wolter, then it was more like dragging/carrying. At some point I decided to go ahead by foot to see if it'll get better. So on the crete there was more snow, than what I've dragged wolter through already and it all looked stunning; the small snow drifts, the view... My god that view. I could overlook a huge part of the Slovak mountains: the High Tatra in the north east, before it the Small Tatra, in the north, the small Fatra and in, the south the "Erzgebige". I looked at the trail going along the cretes. It was of course snow snow covered, but I thought, well, after the mountain top ahead, it'll get rideable again. So the thirst for adventure let me take the decision to carrie wolter and the luggage the last bit to the crete. So I waked back and stared pulling. Finally I took the luggage in one go and the bike in another. So I walked these last 100m of altitude three times. I lost a lot of time. So I had 3 hours left to make almost 10 km of this crete trail. I started pushing wolter, loaded again through, the snow. On the next high point of the trail it went down and I could ride again. But the next high point revealed, that there will be a lot of up and down, in the snow. There were clouds and the sun greeted from between those from time to time. I heard only the wind and my steps and the view... This amazing view. Slowly I edged closer to exhaustion. So I tried to think again. It took me almost two hours to make half of the crete trail in these conditions, basically I completely underestimated this strech and was bearly advancing. So I started to push myself harder. But each time it went up in the snow, I needed to stop and breath every couple of meters. There was no way, the terrain with snow, and my heavy travelling device would let me find rhythm and continuity. So within the last hour it stared to dawn one me, that I will be, stuck in the middle of the crete trail at dusk. There was no trail heading back down into a side valley to shortcut. Then I stood before a longer strech upwards again, I thought maybe this will be the last one afterwards only downhill... So I left woltet again and went looking. The answer was no. Here I almost lost my calm. But I just got nervous and did not lose my grip. So I had to do what I was carefully avoiding so far: Camping above 1500m a.s. in the fucking snow. I was not even, sure if my sleeping bags still holds me warm with temperatures bellow 0°c.
So I went back to where I left wolter. My feet where soaking wet. Just bedore this upward strech of the trail there was a protected spot behind bushes. The wind otherwise went fast over that crete. I put up the tent in record time. Keeping the heat together was my greatest worry now. And I just managed to sit on the air mattress, having changed the wet cloth from the belly down by dry socks and a pair of long underwear I had left. Beeing wraped in the sleeping bag I started cooking tee with some snow. To my amazed even after sitting for half and hour, I felt comfortably warm. Then I heared water drops falling and realized that these where feom the melting snow on the bushes. Having already mentally prepared to put, the, alarm every hour to check for snowfall during the night, I got calm again. So I sipped at m Roibush and smoked while getting back to a peaceful state of mind.
