Update: Back to Romania on Thursday

Today I bought my ticket back to Romania for Thursday - it'll be a loooong bus ride! Incredible that it will be September, when I finally return! Autumn is coming while I still have about 2000 km to go through the mountains to Istanbul! At least I gained enough body fat within the last weeks, so I should be ready for colder temperatures and snow ;)

When I start hiking again in Brasov, it will be 4 weeks that I was bitten by dogs!!! My right leg and hand are great, and there is only one wound on my left leg that is still open! But my left leg hurts a little and I can't lace my shoe without pain. Hiking will be slower than usually and with days becoming shorter, I wonder if I can make it to Istanbul at all before winter! But I guess first of all, I will have to see how comfortable I feel around dogs, this time being armed with pepper spray!

At least I got a corona vaccination last week! I had some side effects, spending the next day in bed but I feel fine again and hope that the vaccination won't only save me from getting really sick but will also allow me to travel more easily in the future!

There will be some last hectic days (as usually). I want to buy a new cell phone today. I had ordered a new one over a week ago, but it was never sent, so now I have to buy whatever I can find in the store and of course get all my things transferred from the old phone onto the new one etc! I hope to get my last doctor's bill today (might have to call them AGAIN) to finally apply for the refund with my health insurance. And then I'm curious to hear if I have a chance to send in my 'old' (4 months old) cell phone, whose battery is basically dead! Tonight I'll visit a friend overnight and after hearing that the trains will be on strike again tomorrow, I guess I have to figure out how to get back home on Wednesday and to get to the bus on Thursday morning...

Grave chapel from the distance - there was too much rain and I was too lazy to walk there within the last days!

Update: My first little hike

The last days, my dog bites improved but I also had moments where I was thinking of going to the doctor again and worried, I might have gotten an infection. My left leg was swollen to an elephant size and I got a rash all over my body with some spots itching like hell. I guess its the Antibiotika.

Yesterday was already better and although I hardly slept because my body was so itchy last night, it was better this morning. I still have 3 wounds on my left leg, that are open and a few little ones on both legs, where I put bandades on but otherwise it seems to be healing fine. I can walk relatively well on the flat and paved roads of Stuttgart, just the deepest wound on my left leg hurts quite a bit.

So I decided today to make a little training hike in the direction of the grave chapel. What usually is a return trip of a bit more than 2 hours,  was rather a day trip today. Lots of breaks and sweat, but I made it!!!! :) :) :) Also thanks to some apples, pears and blackberries on my way that gave me new energy ;)

Now I am confident, that I can leave again soon to continue my hike through the Carpathians. But of course I still need more days before I am fit again. I also want to get a Corona vaccination while I am here but I need to wait, since I had the rabies shots and you have to wait 2 weeks before the corona vaccination. I also hope that my immune system is better by then. Also, there are still several things I want to buy or order here in Germany, e.g. shoes and pepper spray :)

I am wondering how I will feel, seeing the first shepherd dogs barking and running at me. I'm sure my heart will race like crazy but I also think I will get used to dog encounters again. I am planning on getting 2 cans of pepper spray and rather use them too early than too late ;)

Todays hiking goal: the grave chapel in the back

Made it :)

Update: Healing and already thinking of going back...

Yesterday, I visited the doctor after arriving in Stuttgart. He looked at the wounds and was in general happy with them. If I don't get an infection, I should be fine in about 2 weeks. That made me think... do I really want to cancel my hike to Nepal, just because of some stupid dog bites?! Isn't that chickening out, when there is a bit of trouble? 

Now I am actually thinking about continuing my planned route through Romania and Turkey, when I can walk again. I know, you probably think that I am crazy, and I guess I am, but of course I will take pepper spray and use it - no doubt!!! I don't want to end up with dog bites again, but think it is a calculable risk when taking pepper spray! Otherwise I wouldn't go!!!! 

But I will have to see, how the healing goes. At the moment I enjoy being home, relaxing,  being cared for, eating lots of good food and lots of ice cream ;) I'm sure I will gain the weight I lost in the last months within the few weeks I am here and will be happy to walk again!

Yeah, this is how a meal should look like ;)

Out for a little hike with my boyfriend Gerald (waldbegeisterung.de) to get fit again

Hiker hack: Pros & Cons of the MSR Hubba NX tent

My home for several months: MSR Hubba NX

Since I have lots of time, laying around, waiting for my wounds to heal, I thought I'll make a new hiker hack. This time about the pros and cons of the MSR Hubba NX, a tent I am using since a few years.

I don't want to give recommendations, promote this tent, be overly objective or give a complete list of its features. I like the tent, but of course, it also has it's cons and since I haven't owned many tents in my life, I don't have many tents to compare it to. But I still hope I can give you a few ideas, if this might be a tent you want to use and if so, what I found helpful while using it.

Here comes the list of pros and cons, with some further explanations:

+ low weight: with less than 1300 g it is super light

+ free standing: great when you end up having to camp on a concrete floor or if you're too lazy use your tent pegs in nice weather

+ lots of space and a big apsis: amazing how much space this tent offers, which is nice on rainy days and you can sit in it or lay totally stretched out without touching the tent wall. I also like that I can put my backpack into the tent without problem or in the apsis.

BUT, this also means you have to find a relative large campspot!!! I still often don't clear enough space when setting it up, although I know it is longer than I think. But the space totally outweighs this point for me!

+ seperate inner tent (mosquito tent) and outer rainfly: I love sleeping  directly under the sky and this tent offers me the opportunity to do so without getting bit by mosquitos and having all my things kind of organized in a closed space around me. I usually pack the rainfly somewhere into my backpack instead of somwehere outside, (where I put the inner tent and tent poles) so I won't rip it, when I have to fight my way through overgrown paths or the bush! The separate rainfly can however also be a con (see below) when it is raining a lot!

+ connected tent poles: I like the fact that all tent poles are connected, so you can't loose single parts, as the MSR Nook I used before had a single pole that I was always worried to leave or loose.

+ MSR contact and replacement: I had contacted MSR and got a quick reply as well as new tent poles and patches for my mosquito tent without problem or any additional costs. However, this was necessary because a tent pole broke in a storm (see con 'windstability' below)

+ low condensation: so far I haven't had problems with condensation since the air circulation is good and there is so much space that the sleeping bag doesn't touch the tent wall.

- "high" price: I wouldn't say the price is overly high for a good tent, but with 350-400 € it is also not cheap! However, if it is a home for several months, it is worth spending a bit more money!

- broken zippers of inner tent: I guess most people won't use their tent to the extend,  that this becomes a problem, but the zipper of the inner tent is very flimsy and LATEST after 1 yr of continues usage, it will brake. Sad, because then the mosquito net is of no use anymore. I guess a little bit of a more sturdy zipper would do the job and not even add too much weight. Of course I still use my tent, but it seems they want you to buy a new tent, because the zippers are not covered in the guarantee. Sad and unsustainable, if people just buy a new tent because of that!

- rainfly touching inner tent opposite of entrance: on the opposite of the tent entrance, there is no apsis at all, which would have been a useful. You couldn't use the apsis, but it would provide mire dpacw between rainfly and inner tent. Thus, when the tent isn't on a totally flat spot (which it rarely is), the outer tent likes to touch the inner tent. First I added a little string on the bottom of the rainfly, where you put the tent peg. This already helps. But you have to make sure the rainfly is really in the middle of the little pole that is across the long poles. It also helps to put something heavy into the inner tent on that back side (e.g. water bottle), so the inner tent is under tension and not touching the rainfly. Sometimes other parts of the inner tent on the top also touch the rainfly, but you can move the clips of the inner tent on the tent pole to find a position where it doesn't touch the rainfly. But also here: if the tent is new, it isn't a problem! 

- limited windstability: I have used it even in strong winds, so the windstabiluty is not really bad, but it has some limits! In a crazy storm in the Grand Canyon a tent pole broke and I know from a friend, where it broke in Patagonia. I guess if you want to go to places like that with insane winds, you should rather look for a tunnel tent!

- summer tent: it isn't a tent for winter use and also not perfect when conditions are to toooo wet. In New Zealand I once had to use a cup to get the water out of my tent, because it rained so badly when I set it up. Although the setup is easy and quick, the separate rainfly takes a bit to put on and during that time, the inner tent can get wet. I wouldn't see it as a big problem, because that doesn't happen too often and you can dry the inner tent with a towel and it's all right! Also the tent floor isn't totally waterproof and when applying pressure, it can get wet inside. But also this isn't a big deal when sleeping on a pad!

As you can see from my points, I personally like the tent and think it is in general very good. But depending on where you go or what tour you are planning, another tent might by more suitable!

Update: A big thanks to wonderful people

Today I want to say a big "THANK YOU" to the people that helped me during all of my journeys!!!!

So many times, somebody gave me a lift into town, made a detour just to make sure I get where I need to go, gave me food, told me interesting stories or listened to me, whenever I had the need to talk an communicate all the things I lived through, gave me a hot shower, or even a bed for the night, washed my clothes and took me sightseeing or told me some highlights of the region. 

You always hear only about the bad people if you listen to news. But there are so many amazing people out there, who are helpful and there for you. I hope I can pass on some of the good experiences I made!!! And so should you, because if everybody does, the world might become a better place. Or you even become the start of a series of good experiences ;)

Today I want to give a special THANK YOU to my new 'Romanian family', who was helping me and took me in without questioning it. Driving me to the hospital, organizing everything I needed, feeding me and cheering me up :)

Domni, Vick and Flori - thank you guys, I am very glad you were there for me!

Update: Flying home on Friday

I visited the doctor again today and he was happy with the wounds! But it will take some weeks to heal, so I can properly walk again. I should come back the next two days and better not go home before. Since a direct flight from Bukarest to Stuttgart goes only every second day, I booked a flight for Friday morning. Until then I will stay with this lovely family and get all the help I need from them!!! Incredible.

I will have to see how long the healing takes, but I am sure I will be back in the mountains again soon :)

Vicu is pretending to go for a hike with my backpack :)

Update: I am "walking" again or rather limping ;)

I am not sure how to continue that blog, so I will call it update for now :)

The night was not too bad, but I still didn't sleep much. In the morning I managed to go to the loo with the one crutch! 

Before heading to the hospital with a potential doctor, we called there. And they said we should wait and call later again. I already thought I am not going to see a doctor anymore, when it was coming close to noon. The family organized an ancient looking walker for me so I could move. Suddenly they came and said: quick! So we jumped into the car and headed into town. It is over 50 km (one-way), so about 1 h later, we were there. And I really got to see a doctor. Again, no English and he seemed annoyed and impatient. Taking off my bandages relatively brutal... Again: utting gaze with disinfectant into the wounds, new dressings and off we went again. I will have to be back tomorrow for the same game and maybe some stapling. But he also said I should walk to prevent thrombosis. After all the pulling on my legs and pain, I was actually able to "walk" even on my left leg! And knowing I should, even if it hurts was good. Otherwise I would have naturally tried not to walk. 

The drive back was fun, because we were all relieved, I chose some music, we stopped for veggies and fruits and back home they cooked food for all of us!

Some resting, walking, sleeping and the day was over. I am feeling much better, have people who look for me and are willing to drive me again to the hospital tomorrow and I can move again. Feels good :)

We will see what the doctor says tomorrow, if/when I might go back to Germany. Otherwise I have a little home away from home here ;)

This morning - by now I have less dressings :)

Day 106: A sudden end to my hike...

I slept late, because I had too much sugar at night. This morning started with oats that tasted like soap. But I couldn't afford to throw them away so I just ate them! 

Then I  hiked up towards Mt. Siriu, through a beautiful beech forest. Back again in sheep land, it was cold, windy and grey. Clouds were blown over the mountains and I was happy about my wind jacket. But the day got better and nice sunny. I managed to follow the trail most of the time and even dealt with 2 sheep encounters, slowly thinking I might be able to handle it. Views were gorgeous and I stopped for pictures a lot!

Just before I wanted to stop for lunch, I passed a summer sheep farm. The house was far away, no sheep in sight and just 2 dogs running at me. I was able to handle the aggressive one with stones. But then there were more and more dogs running towards me and I saw the shepherd AT LEAST 100 m away, thinking it's OK to just stop and wait so the dogs will bark at me, he'll come to lead me around the sheep and that's it. But the dogs came running at me, barking, not impressed by me first talking to them, tben pretending to pick up stones and throwing my backup as they came MUCH too close! I was surrounded by at least 10 barking and very aggressive dogs, one bit me and the others joined in. I hit them with my hiking poles but it was a closed circle and whenever I hit in one direction, somebody bit me in the back. No chance until the shepherd, running to the scene, was there...

I was standing there, bleeding and all he did was yell at me why I walk alone and that I should have seen there is a dog... I yelled back!!! Full with adrenaline, I didn't realize how bad my injuries were.  At first I wanted to continue, but when I saw all the wounds and when the adrenaline wore off, I realized that there is no way. Standing there, crying, looking at the shepherd kind of: and now??? He looked away, wanted me to go go the house to wash the wounds. His father came and send the shepherd for alcohol to the house. Meanwhile a car stopped. Soooo lucky!!!! All I saw this morning were 2 quads and the 2 sheep flocks.... and there wouldn't have been cell reception! The driver looked at me and wanted to bring me to a hospital. I still refused, thinking it's not THAT bad. His sister driving with him spoke German!!!! Can you believe it?! That's just like a miracle. I could actually talk to somebody, who understands me!!!!

I looked at the blood and wounds (especially one big one on my left leg), couldn't walk anymore and agreed to go to a hospital. I am so greatful for these people and meeting Domni, who speaks some German. It was a rough drive down to a paved road and in total at least 40 mins. 

The hospital staff was totally unprofessional. 3 people using alcohol to take off all the dried blood, putting bloody things everywhere, standing each other in the way and not even seeing all wounds. They put dressing on, gave me a tetanus shot and send me to another hospital that is specialized in infections. Thankfully, Domni stayed at my side and her brother drove to the next hospital. 

I had wounds on both legs, but the left one was so bad it hurt too much to move it at all. I could stand on the right one though. Plus one bite to my right hand. Again, up in a wheelchair to the next emergency room. I met the first person that spoke English, but it was "only" a nurse. They gave me a rabies shot and prescription for antibiotics, my stomach and the pain. I insisted on somebody looking again at the wounds to see if I need stitches! But they said they couldn't do it, if I would need them, so they sent me to a THIRD hospital!!!

In the third hospital (a private one) there was no doctor, but the nurses promised to look at my wounds. Do I have to mention that nobody spoke English?! But they did a MUCH better job!!!! Taking their time, really using gaze with alcohol, looking at each wound, putting it into the holes (up to 2 cm deep) and putting professional dressings on. They said I should come back the next day so a doctor can look at me!

Domni and her brother said, they will take me to their home! Isn't it amazing????? It was already about 8 pm, when we finally where at their house, nearly 1 h drive from the last hospital and with a quick stop for my medicine. I was wondering how we will do it, since I couldn't walk at all... And as great as it is, that Domni speaks German, she doesn't speak it too well and I always had to ask 10 times for her to give me any information e.g. about what the nurses said and so on. So I didn't ask anymore but waited and thought they will come up with some idea.

This family is very creative. They drove up as close to the house as possible, got a office chair and helped me get the 2 m into it. Then they rolled me to a room with a bed. Gave me soup, brought me to the bathroom and back to bed. They found a very old wooden crutch and somehow we managed all this together, since the office chair didn't work at the doors.

Tomorrow they will drive me to the hospital again and then we will see! I don't think the doctor will do anything because I guess its too late for stitches then, but it won't hurt if they look at it again! I was at first thinking of staying in Romania, but I am afraid the healing takes longer than I want to and according to the doctor here, I need rabies shots again in 3, 7 , 14 and 21 days. Although I still need to find out if I can skip it because my last rabies shot is 4 yrs old. But I think if I can get crutches, I am able to take a bus to Germany. Sitting is no problem, as long as I don't move the left leg! But maybe I will have to stay a few days in a hotel or something in Ploiesti until I am more mobil and it hurts less. Let's see tomorrow. 

I am still going to keep hiking and follow the mountains, as soon as I can. But I think my Nepal tour isn't going to happen!!! Romania alone in summer is certainly not going to happen anymore. And since its not a continuous route, I don't think I want to do the parts that were anyways not real highlights. But first, I have to get fit again!

So all in all: it hurts, it's not fun and really annoying, I cried a lot but I was totally 'lucky', am fine so far (if I don't get infections) and hopefully will be hiking soon again :)

Clouds in the morning - windy and cold!

Beautiful views!

Some of the dog bites, driving to the first hospital...

... and more

Day 105: A maintained trail and road walk

The thunderstorms kept going all night. When I woke up, it was still wet but there was some sunshine. I took my time to get ready, hoping the vegetation will dry a bit. But with rainpants and -jacket, it was all right to walk through the wet bushes. I continued following the well marked (and recently remarked) trail. I couldn't believe my luck. The trail was really maintained and cut open recently. I had expected to take hours for the 3 km up to Mt. Penteleu, reading a blog from a Czech guy who walked there 2 years ago. And it would have taken hours, but like that it was so easy. Honestly, I was totally amazed and happy. In addition, the views were great and although it was windy and gray, it stayed dry. 

After Penteleu, I was hiking down on different forest roads towards Lake Siriu and got only drizzled on once. I passed the Pruncea wayerfall, which seems to be a popular spot to visit. Because I needed food, I walked to the eastern most side of the lake. I found a store and finished 1 L of milk in no time. Since it had neither oats, cereals or bread, I continued to another store, where I bought 1.5 kg of oats, which was all they had! And of course lots of cookies ;)

It was already late afternoon, but I decided to do the 14 km road walk around the lake. It wasn't very nice: busy, narrow and paved, but whatever. However, the construction work made cars come in waves or blocked off one lane, so I was able to have some quiet times. I also listened to some music and that helped :)

Now I am camping on a little ledge (about the size of my tent) in some beech brushes. A bit dark but I am tired from all the road walking today. Already yesterday I felt my feet, because  I can feel every little stone through the shoes. However, they are still holding up!!! About 5 days to Brasov, where I want to rest and buy new shoes. I am also supposed to get new hiking poles there!

A beautiful morning

I couldn't believe it: an actual maintained trail!!!

Mt. Penteleu (1772 m)

Nice views - must be amazing in better weather

Love that you can see how the rocks were 'folded' ;)

Cascada  Pruncea

Lacul Siriu 

Day 104: Forest fight

Days are visibly getting shorter, as it was still dark when I woke up. I started on forest roads until Varful Lacauti (17777 m) with its weather station. I passed a refugio and despite of a sign, there was neither marking nor trail later on. The former forest road was blocked by lots of dead trees with no real option of going around, because there were more dead trees... I was fighting for hours without much progress!!! At a shelter, the trail disappeared into the bushes, so I made up my own trail. When I got back to the 'real trail' there wasn't much trail. But I came across some forest roads and descended on them to a wide and dusty forest road. I had planned to continue on it instead of fighting my way through the forest, but there were 2 trucks and 1 jeep passing by within a few minutes, all leaving me in a dust cloud. So I gave the trail a second chance ;) And it was a nice little 4WD track through a beech forest. Soon however, it disappeared again and I descended on random forest roads, until I was back on track and on a nice forest road. When the gpx track and trail on my map were about to leave that road, into nothingness, I decided to take a detour of about additional 6 km, walking on forest roads in the valley instead of hiking the main ridgeline. Not my favorite thing, but better than the fight against dead trees and slow progress with little food. I guess the trail was already bad for years, but with all the dead trees from the bark beetle, it's really horrible in some spots.

When I was nearly back on the main ridgeline, I found trail markings and a good trail. It was sheep land again and when I saw a sheep flock, I was expecting the next dog attack. But to my surprise, the dogs did not bark at all and seemed rather afraid of me!!! I had waved to the shepher and he had given me the sign to proceed, walking even through the flock!!! It was incredible :)

I continued, stopping for blueberries and setting up my tent in the forest. I was surprised by the severe thunderstorms at night, which made a little light show but maybe it won't rain too much tomorrow then. I don't really have the food to enjoy a tent day or spend an additional day at all.

Nice trail in the forest

Mt Lacauti

Back in sheep country

Day 103: Low on energy

It was a hard day today, because my energy level was low. Yesterday was a long day (kilometer-wise) with at least 1000 m ascent. But I also think it's because I don't eat enough. I decided to resupply a few days later than planned, so I had already eaten too little for 2 days. Today I also had the problem, that the next water I knew about, was about 28 km away and already starting hiking in the morning I was thirsty and had less than 0.5 L...

The morning was mainly through open area, with some steep little ups and some loss of trails. At my lunch break I ate 3 packages of cookies, which helped tremendously (but also meant I would have to hike) and watched the clouds building little towers.

When I made it to the water source after lunch, it just started to rain and I was lucky that there was an old house, where I could hide. After some short showers and less than an hour I continued, heading into the forest. Although, the forest at the beginning was pretty much clear-cut and several spruce trees in the forest are dead due to the bark beetle. But it was easy hiking on forest roads and there were tons of blueberries, so I stopped a lot to snack. Apparently I'm not the only one who loves the blueberries, since I saw lots of bear shit and tracks on the forest road. And onceI heard a big animal running away through the bushes, which disn't sound like deer but might have been a bear. But it was too hidden and far away to spot.

I wanted to continue a little further, but it started to drizzle. So I set up my tent basically next to the forest road, trying to avoid the proximity of too many dead trees. It didn't rain much, so I'm a bit sad about not having a better campspot. 

My shelter during the rain btw, is for means spring :)

Lots of forest!

Some energy and water on the way

Day 102: Delicious fruits and a real trail

I wanted to start early, since the weatherforcast said rain and I wanted to get at least some hiking done. But I didn't hear my alarm, so I started at about my usual time. 

First it was road walk, where I passed a first world war graveyard. But also on the road, I didn't quite proceed as I had planned. There were trees with ripe little plums! Perfect, since my breakfast (onsisting of 1 bowl of cereals) was not much.

I left the road and hiked up for a long time. It was a beautiful beech forst and after some time it was even a really nice and marked trail. It seems like it is well used, since there were little paths through the burning nestle fields, around the few fallen trees and there were even little ledges to walk on steep hills! So nice, I had missed that. And no risk of running into dogs! Some more stops for raspberries and when the forest opened up I could see Lacul de accumulare Poiana Uzului.

The weatherforcast had said heavy rain in the afternoon and it looked a lot like rain!  Inbetween I had some open parts and was afraid to get rained on. But I made it to the refugio without getting rained on. Nice, even with a wood stove, but also some mice. It looked like rain but wasn't too bad, so I decided to continue. When the forest parts ended and about 5 km of meadows started, I was reluctant to continue. But the sky looked better and it was still so early! And I knew that it doesn't help to procrastinate the meadows, because I would have to do them in the morning, when the shepherd are maybe still in the houses and not with their sheep and dogs. So I continued.

Apart from 2 really relaxed sheep encounters in the morning, I had 3 more in the afternoon, all very nice. Seems like the dogs here are not so crazy :)

The valley opened up

Delicious plums

Beautiful beech forest and a trail

Lacul de accumulare Poiana Uzului

Lots of forests

Refugio

Day 101: Forests and some road walk

There was a light drizzle this morning, so I turned around again for a bit. I followed the trail marking and was pleasantly surprised, when it went into my direction of the longer route. It was nice that most of todays hiking was in the forest and I saw 2 foxes! At first it was a really good trail, but I lost it twice in the meadows, always avoiding or being confrontated by dogs. No way to look around, go back or search for the correct trail. At those moments I just try to get away as fast as possible. And I did go the right direction, at least looking on my gpx tracks or trails on my map. In reality there were no trails! The first time it took me nearly an hour to accept, that (however hard I try) there is no trail and the map is wrong. The second time bushbashing was even more frustrating, knowing there is a beautiful trail out there somewhere... 

I made it to Ciobanis, getting rained on only once. From there there was no marked trail through the protected Nemira Lapos forest, but a big 4WD track. At least at the beginning. Again, I followed the gpx track, onto a path that got smaller and disappeared. At some point I found the big 4WD track again, partly completely blocked by trees.

In La Oclos, I followed a real (unpaved) road along a stream. There were some power plants once in a while. Since it looked like rain and I was not really willing to continue 8 km until a trail goes steeply off, I found a kind of protected campspot right at the road. While the last 2 h of road walk, there were only 3 cars passing me, there have been already 2 cars and there is one truck unloading something directly at my campspot... oh and the mosquitos are really bad!

Tomorrow it's supposed to rain, but I hope I can at least find a better campspot if I really have to spend some time in the tent.

My feet yesterday night, so I had s good wash today!

Still wet in the morning

Open landscapes just make better pictures ;)

Road walk along a stream

Day 100: Nice views and procrastinating a decisions

I had planned to sleep without rainfly, but there was a short  and unexpected thunderstorm yesterday night.

This morning I dropped down a dirt road into the valley in order to get more food. There was obviously something special going on, because lots of people wore traditional clothing.

On a nice path, I walked up the mountains on the other side of the valley. Open meadows and hardly any sheep, mainly fenced in cows.

In the afternoon I came to Mt Viscolul, which seems to be popular as there were several people and cars. At the refugio, there was a map of the area with marked trails. I looked at it and now I'm not sure which route to take of the 4 I have. I had considered to take a long route and bought lots of food, but on the map it looked like there are no trails for a long time and other parts are on the road. The short route seems to be on trails and is MUCH shorter (like 100 km). I tend towards the short route but I wonder why 3 out of 4 routes seem to take much longer routes all more or less in the same direction. Did I mention that I hate decisions?!

So I camped really early, despite beautiful weather and sufficient energy, because the routes will split soon and I didn't wanted to decide...

Quick shot of people passing by in traditional clothing

Leaving the valley and the town of Lunca de Sus behind

Beautiful views