Khaatalsperre

On 26.05.2018 (Friday) I wake up for the first time around seven o'clock. It is still nice and cool in the boofa, so I decide to doze a little longer. At eight o'clock, little Laura from the neighboring tent wants to get up and makes herself noticed. Time for me to get out of the sleeping bag too. During breakfast with my climbing friends, I get some valuable tips for the High Tatras and Mount Elbrus. Peter was in the national team during the GDR era and therefore has a wealth of experience, at least when it comes to the mountains east of us. After packing up our stuff and saying goodbye to my hosts, we head down along the Meergründel to the Schrammsteinbaude. We work our way up to Falkenstein through the shooting ground. The Elbleiteneweg trail takes us safely to Wildwiese and we march to the lower Affensteinweg through the Wet Valley. From there, we follow the Königsweg trail to the Quenenwiesen, where I had hoped to find some refreshment at the Kleine Zschandbach. Unfortunately, the ongoing heat and dryness are already noticeable here, and there is not a drop of cool water to be found. Nevertheless, we stay in the shade for a good half hour and relax a bit. Then we follow the Zeughausstraße to the Zeughaus, where we can fill up our water supplies. I briefly consider treating myself to an iced coffee, but €4.90 is too much for my budget. We go down to the Kirnitzsch via Flügel E, where we take another longer break. I rinse some clothes and cool off in the stream. Rango also takes advantage of these opportunities for refreshment without being asked. Since this spot is unfortunately not suitable for overnight stays, we continue a bit towards Hinterhermsdorf in the early evening. We find a suitable camping spot on a meadow below the Tellerhörnel and set up for the night. The Dorfbach also seems to have clean water, so it's a good spot all around.

Sunday morning starts off very relaxed. I use the morning sun to charge my smartphone, refresh myself in the Dorfbach, and have breakfast in peace. By eleven o'clock, all our things are packed up, we put on our backpacks, and continue on. After about half an hour, we reach the idyllically located Hinterhermsdorf with its cute wooden houses. But I can't really enjoy the view because the thermometer already shows 28 °C in the shade. So the nearly 2 km through the village are quite uncomfortable. But we reach shaded forest again via Neudorfstraße and can follow a small stream towards the Czech border. In the Czech Republic, the temperatures are more pleasant, and we continue along the Křinice until we reach Kyjov. We arrive in the small town around three o'clock. Right at the entrance to the town, there is a small restaurant where I treat myself to an iced coffee for 40 Kč. I leave Rango in the shade with all our stuff and take the opportunity to take a little detour to the nearby Khaatalsperre. The originally designed waterbody for rafting now serves as a recreational area and fish farm. I quickly find a cozy spot for camping and have a chat with some locals, which also gives me some courage. So the decision to catch up with the fat one and the luggage is quickly made, and half an hour later we take our place right by the water. We spend the afternoon swimming and reading by the water. In the early evening, I set up the tent and retreat early.