We step off the train at Lipno nad Vltavou around 15:45 and start walking towards the hills. I'm excited and I have big plans in my head. I know that crossing the entire Šumava is probably too much, but I hope that we might be able to reach Kvilda. As always, I am slightly overestimating our abilities and aiming too high. Jan thinks my plan to cover 99 kilometers and end at Modrava is a bit ambitious and tries to explain that we are here to enjoy it too and that maybe, just maybe, my plans are a little too big. But I feel the happy fluttering in my heart, the anticipation and enthusiasm with which I am able to tackle anything in front of me with vigor. First of all, let's go, quickly, up, there, where the peaks are, where the view will be...
"I saw a rope on that rock," Jan says as if it's nothing. I'll sharpen up.
"What do you mean? Do you want to climb up there?" I ask surprised.
"We don't have to, but we could," he replies casually.
Of course, you can't resist that. When Jan wants to climb or go somewhere, it's an irresistible offer. And so, right after the first two kilometers, we climb the rock, enjoy the sun, the views of the sparkling Lipno dam, and relax, feeling great. Our little adventure is off to a great start.
After passing Predni Vyton, we find a nice meadow and consider setting up our tent, but then I check online that in CHKO, we're only allowed to bivouac – no tent or fire. Even though we haven't seen anyone around, we decide to play it safe and head into the forest to pitch our tent. There's something comforting about being alone in the tent, feeling the familiar embrace of camping. It feels great to sleep in the tent again.
We put backpacks on our shoulders and walk. Jan's walk becomes comical for a moment, more like a duck than a human. I can't help but laugh, but my laughing stops as soon as we come across the first snow behind Zadní Zvonková towards Hochficht, which was left here after the recent return of Mrs. Winter. On the forest path, you can see that although summer has been here since February this year, winter has returned to us in the last week and it even snowed heavily in the mountains. Someone even took out the cross-country skis yesterday, as can be seen from the remains of the melting tracks.
The progress slows down and Jan begins to doubt whether we will be able to reach the top of Hochficht. My dream of 100 kilometers dissolves with each meter where our feet sink deep into the snow and then sink into 5 cm of water hidden under the slush. My shoes are clattering, splashing, and pools of water are forming in them. First a few centimeters, later twenty centimeters of snow, which melts quickly, because the temperatures are well above zero this weekend even at night on top of Plechy. We're moving forward, but our speed really isn't as fast as it used to be on dry land. 1.5 km before Hochficht, Jan seems to pass out. He doesn't want to go to the top, which of course makes me a little sad. When I say a little sorry, I mean very disappointed. Jan eats a package of nuts and a banana and after 10 minutes he seems to be full of energy again, but we are already on our way to the lower area beneath Plechy, skipping the top of Hochficht (Smrčina). Maybe he will finally learn that low blood sugar is a killer condition for him :).
8 kilometers through a boring forest, walking on the snow, not seeing the top of the mountains. Who could wonder that my mood drops to sadness. Then the snow disappears, we find nice sunny place for our tent, take off our shoes after 40 kilometers walk and everything is immediately way happier.
In addition, I was warm at night. The night temperature didn't drop below 0 degrees even on the top of Plechý, so I had a pleasant time under the peak in our sunny clearing in two sweatshirts, sweatpants and a sleeping bag with an extreme temperature of -10 degrees. Unfortunately, the ankle started to hurt again after yesterday, so after packing up the tent, we set off on the road looking like a duck (Jan) and a shot limping deer (me).
In the morning, I know I would like to get to Plechy, to get at least some mountain tops. But let's start the day calmly. So we stop at Rejdiste for a hot chocolate, fill our bottles with water from a spring that has a bit brown color, because of the peatland above. The guy at the hut Rejdiste tells us that he drinks it for 30 years, so we risk it. First we get to Plesne jezero. Surprisingly, the walk is nice and easy, with only a bit of water and snow. Compared to yesterday totally different story. That is why I manage to persuade Jan to walk on towards Plechy.
Confused spiders are running around us on the snow, wondering who gave them snow here in the middle of summer, birds singing, buds happily sprouting on the trees, and the way to the top and along the border most of all resembles a gurgling stream, as the snow from last week melts quickly . The shoes clatter merrily, but at twenty degrees it doesn't matter too much. Going up is actually quite easy and we don't get even much wet feet. On contrary we get nice view up there. Then the fun starts. The trip between Plechy and Tristolicnik is full of melting snow, rather pools than a snow so it is basically impossible to keep your feet dry. From Tristolicnik we are already quite tight with time so we almost run down, which is rather difficult as instead of the path is running a spring.
Having this 3 days long date, 3 days just for ourselves was great. And the funny experience with snow added pleasant memories to it all. I like to check my own boundaries and see who I really am if I am not just mother caring for kids. Looking forward for our next date.
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