Today was hard work pushing through the snow up a number of ascents but covering a lot of ground.
I woke at 11:30 pm last night and it was snowing. After tightening the guy ropes I soon fell asleep again, thankfully of my -6 deg C rated sleeping bag and torso length airbed. I woke again at 5:30 am. Snow coated much of the tent, making curious sliding sounds every so often as it gathered around the base. After decamping and admiring the various animals (turkeys, ostriches, a donkey etc.) kept by the monastery in the pens next to where I camped, I was kindly offered coffee while the animals were fed and then started on my way.
The first sight, a little way up the wooded valley, was a cave in the limestone tufa where a saint once lived. After that the path became steeper as it climbed a ridge between two valleys and my going slowed to short sections followed by rests. On reaching the head of the valleys I spotted my path and headed down it. Unfortunately it became very overgrown and I had trouble even finding the trail in the snow in places. Eventually I reached the more defined track down the other side of the mountains into the village of Rakova Bara.
As I walked through the village, in the snow I mistook someone's back yard for the road. I then had trouble convincing the owner of the yard (and then his wife, daughter and a passing friend of his) that I actually knew where I was going. After shaking off my help, who were encouraging me to take a road route to Kučevo, I found my planned track out of town into the surrounding hills.
A long climb followed as I pushed through snow, thicker the higher I reached, to the next summit (Rakobarski Vis). Looking back I could see some great views of snow covered mountains but I was struggling with breaking trail through deep snow in areas where it had accumulated. Eventually I reached the summit. There was an aerial and a building associated with it and although the building was closed the steps made a convenient place to sit and eat some lunch (a roll, cheese and oranges, I had already dealt with the chocolate) while thinking what a lot of snowy mountains I could see, a number of which I would have to climb over.
After a ridge walk across open land, trying to keep to where grass stalks indicated the snow was not too deep, the route took me downhill into the village of Duboka, heralded by a cacophony of dog barks. Apparently a Vlach settlement according to my notes, it was much more spread out than Rakova Bara.
Inevitably there was another climb out of Duboka, and time was moving on. I rang the hotel in Kučevo and as they said they could accommodate me I pressed on. After a lengthy, up and down trail, the snow covered roofs of the houses of Kučevo were a welcome sight. Just as I entered the edge of town the street lights came on, looking like brilliant jewels in the valley below among the winter gloom.
Hotel Rudnik, where I am staying, had some bad reviews online, and so far they appear justified, although the waiter and general troubleshooter is very helpful.
33.7 kilometres today with a lot of climbing (1300 metres according to my GPS). A gpx file of my route can be found on Wikiloc.com, and WanderMap.net. The route can also be downloaded from Viewranger.com as johnpon0027.
I woke at 11:30 pm last night and it was snowing. After tightening the guy ropes I soon fell asleep again, thankfully of my -6 deg C rated sleeping bag and torso length airbed. I woke again at 5:30 am. Snow coated much of the tent, making curious sliding sounds every so often as it gathered around the base. After decamping and admiring the various animals (turkeys, ostriches, a donkey etc.) kept by the monastery in the pens next to where I camped, I was kindly offered coffee while the animals were fed and then started on my way.
The first sight, a little way up the wooded valley, was a cave in the limestone tufa where a saint once lived. After that the path became steeper as it climbed a ridge between two valleys and my going slowed to short sections followed by rests. On reaching the head of the valleys I spotted my path and headed down it. Unfortunately it became very overgrown and I had trouble even finding the trail in the snow in places. Eventually I reached the more defined track down the other side of the mountains into the village of Rakova Bara.
As I walked through the village, in the snow I mistook someone's back yard for the road. I then had trouble convincing the owner of the yard (and then his wife, daughter and a passing friend of his) that I actually knew where I was going. After shaking off my help, who were encouraging me to take a road route to Kučevo, I found my planned track out of town into the surrounding hills.
A long climb followed as I pushed through snow, thicker the higher I reached, to the next summit (Rakobarski Vis). Looking back I could see some great views of snow covered mountains but I was struggling with breaking trail through deep snow in areas where it had accumulated. Eventually I reached the summit. There was an aerial and a building associated with it and although the building was closed the steps made a convenient place to sit and eat some lunch (a roll, cheese and oranges, I had already dealt with the chocolate) while thinking what a lot of snowy mountains I could see, a number of which I would have to climb over.
After a ridge walk across open land, trying to keep to where grass stalks indicated the snow was not too deep, the route took me downhill into the village of Duboka, heralded by a cacophony of dog barks. Apparently a Vlach settlement according to my notes, it was much more spread out than Rakova Bara.
Inevitably there was another climb out of Duboka, and time was moving on. I rang the hotel in Kučevo and as they said they could accommodate me I pressed on. After a lengthy, up and down trail, the snow covered roofs of the houses of Kučevo were a welcome sight. Just as I entered the edge of town the street lights came on, looking like brilliant jewels in the valley below among the winter gloom.
Hotel Rudnik, where I am staying, had some bad reviews online, and so far they appear justified, although the waiter and general troubleshooter is very helpful.
33.7 kilometres today with a lot of climbing (1300 metres according to my GPS). A gpx file of my route can be found on Wikiloc.com, and WanderMap.net. The route can also be downloaded from Viewranger.com as johnpon0027.
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| My tent in the morning after a snowy night |
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| Country I was walking through |
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