E phatlaladitšwe: 25.05.2023
It's still so cold up here. I could have sworn it snowed. But I must have just dreamed it. I continued around half past eight. Another six to seven hours of walking through difficult terrain, few markings, hardly any paths. Instead endless fields of rubble, scrambling, unstable gravel slopes, and two major passes that need to be crossed. Together with yesterday, 2,000 meters of altitude, critical water supply, and no shade. But the mountains here are breathtaking and the effort is easily worth it. You can imagine something like a lunar landscape, but this is indescribable. A desert in the mountains, dry, rough, bright, and so calm. It's the feeling of experiencing everything. Today I also met three hikers who were coming towards me. There was a lot going on 😁. There is an emergency accommodation with 4 bunk beds at Katsiveli Refuge, but the shack is indescribable. Maybe during a thunderstorm, blizzard, or hurricane. So I prefer to use my tent. The second night in the mountains. Tomorrow I will reach Katsiveli Refuge. To my surprise, I had some signal in between and my request from the day before yesterday was confirmed.