The weather forecast was good and we wanted to do one more long walk before we left the High Tatras. We took the train to Stary Smokovec and then the funicular to Hrebienok, joining the Magistrala trail (a footpath that runs below the High Tatras peaks all along the Slovak side) where we left it on Thursday. We walked west through forest full of fungi and then emerged into the open with lovely views south to the Low Tatras and up into the High Tatras peaks. The Low Tatras come much closer to the High Tatras at the western end and, as we sat eating our picnic, we saw them moving away to the east and into the haze. The footpath had been ascending steadily, often over very rocky terrain. Jumping from one large rock to another reminded me of childhood (and, to be honest, adulthood) trips to Portland Bill where I would spend ages jumping from one huge rock to another. These rocks had been deposited by rock falls, filling the depressions in the mountain side.
The path levelled out and then descended to Velike Pleso a small, pretty lake with a waterfall cascading down a rock face on to its northern shore. The view would have been even more picturesque if it had not have been for the ugly modern hotel on the lake shore. Still, it was possible to stand with our backs to the hotel and admire the views north over the lake and then south to the next range of mountains. It appears that Pope Paul II (Jan Pavol II) visited here in July 1995, hopefully to admire the views and not to stay in the ugly hotel!
It was at this point that we started our descent, traversing the slope through the forest with occasional pauses for wild raspberry foraging (not as successful as Saturday). As we approached Stary Smokovec we crossed many mountain streams and springs, which should have been in the forest but it had been totally devastated. Uprooted tree stumps lay amongst the overgrown forest floor and there were only a few trees standing. We learnt later than a vast area all around here and around the campsite had been hit by a massive storm and many thousands of trees had been felled within 20 minutes. Both the Czech Republic and Poland provided troops to help in clearing the timber and it will be 20 years before the area reclaims its former forested appearance.
We arrived at the Stary Smokovec railway station to see a train waiting at the platform. It left as I emerged from the ticket office with our tickets! Still that gave us 50 minutes to sit at our favourite station café and indulge in delicious, thick hot chocolate.
We arrived back at the campsite, completing a 15 km (9.5 mile) walk, feeling much fitter than on Thursday.
Photos: A rather good example of the Fly Agaric mushroom; This flower is common on the mountainside and appears on postcards and tourist literature of the area – I must find out what it is; The lake at Velike Pleso.
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