Descent from the Carpathians

On Saturday, June 30, 2018, I cautiously look out of my shelter just before nine o'clock. Not surprisingly, the view is still gloomy. However, this does not change the fact that we are planning to continue our march today. So we have a leisurely breakfast. Rango is so kind to give me a piece of his abundant portion of chicken meat, which I bake with cheese and enjoy with the last bread. Shortly after eleven-thirty, our things are packed and we can set off refreshed and well-strengthened. My laundry, which has been hanging under the pavilion for a day and a half, is still wet. At least I can 'dry run' a part of it. After an hour and a half, we have completed the 7 km descent to Putyla and we stop at the first store. As it turns out, the reception here is very reasonable and I can upload pictures for two travel reports. In the meantime, I treat myself to several cups of coffee and something sweet. We attract some attention again and are lovingly taken care of. I receive some socks as a gift (people can't stand bare feet in these temperatures) as well as some raspberries and a bowl of borscht. The typical Eastern European stew is much tastier and more lovingly prepared than the soup that was served to me in Lviv - truly good home cooking. The hours pass by quickly and we only continue on our way shortly after five. We go another 8 km to the east via Parkulina. Along the way, the view to the northwest regarding the weather is very promising. It seems to be clearing up. At an altitude of over 1000 m, I set up my tent in a small weather shelter around seven o'clock. I am very happy to have a dry place to spend the night, as the ground around it is already quite saturated. I hang up my laundry (hope dies last), have a small dinner, and go to bed at nine o'clock.

On Monday morning, after breakfast, I first repair my tent. I had to go out during the night and stumbled over a guyline. There was a short 'pop' and my skylight was gone. So we don't start until around one o'clock, but during the forced break, we can enjoy the first rays of sun in a long time. Very pleasant. To continue to the east, we have to cross another mountain ridge. During the first hour, the path takes us to an altitude of almost 1300 m, in pleasant hiking weather with a mix of clouds and sun. Then we walk along the lower part of the ridge, completely soaked paths and through a kind of high moor. Despite all caution, hiking in dry shoes is no longer possible after an hour and a half, and to make matters worse, it starts raining again. It somehow fits the situation that the only way that can lead me down to Dolischnij Schepit has long been unused, hard to make out, and completely overgrown with all kinds of vegetation. In addition to my soaking wet shoes, my pants are now soaked up to the waistline. On this stretch, I am thoroughly fed up with the external conditions - what am I doing here, actually!? After another hour, the weather improves again with the trail. The sun makes an appearance and my mood improves a bit too. Shortly before five o'clock, we reach the village and I treat myself to two cups of coffee and some sweets at a store. After half an hour of catching my breath, we walk a few more kilometers along the village. We cross the Siret River before setting up our camp just outside the village. We can end the day in sunshine and forget about the hardships of the afternoon.

Tuesday morning starts sunny, and I take advantage of the morning to dry the last damp items of my luggage. We start again around one o'clock and climb what is probably the last major climb of our eleven-day Carpathian expedition. We ascend the 1000 meters in altitude quite quickly. Along the way, I find it hard to resist the offer of raspberries, and the big guy has to wait for me a little longer from time to time. After an hour and a half, we are already descending again, but I can't find any path other than a forestry road. It is very steep and eventually leads us into a small gorge from which there is no escape until the next larger mountain stream (about 1.5 km away). I can only keep my shoes dry for a while, but eventually a rock wobbles more than I can compensate for and I find myself in the water. But that doesn't spoil my good mood anymore, as I have dry reserve shoes to slip into later. Once we have crossed the gorge, we continue eastward along a well-developed trail. Along the way, I fill a bag with raspberries for breakfast the next day. After about 10 km, I end the day's stage. When I look back, I see the big guy hobbling badly, looking for soft ground. I set up the tent about 3 km before Hylcha on a meadow, and we enjoy a relaxing end to the day.