No suncream required for this trip, but I was very glad that I brought a spare pair of socks.
As usual, we all met at the main train station. Good to see a healthy gathering of people and we managed our first success by actually all getting on the train. It wasn't long before Luke came looking for beer, Alan was tucking into boiled eggs and sausage sandwiches, Mark rummaged through his 5 kilos of provisions, and the waft of Becherovka drifted through from the adjacent carriage.
As is typical on these trips, we moved quickly between big trains and small trains, arriving in Vrchlabi about 7.30 in the evening and headed directly for something to eat and drink. As the time came closer to start the ascent, it was hard to believe I'd brought so much as the weather was very mild. It was also hard to believe that Drew had brought so little.
Very soon after leaving the pub, we started to climb. I wasn't sure how some people seemed to be able to speak while going up the hill. I was happy simply to be able to keep moving and was very happy to have a short rest after a short while and good to regroup. Eventually George appeared with cries of "Heart attack, vomit, no more, Alan is gone" which was really bad news as that meant the sausage sandwiches had gone with him and I had the brown sauce all ready for sarnies at dawn.
Everybody else was still together so we set off again, finding and losing different parts of the group, wondering where people had gone and hoping they were on the right track. I focused on the continuing process of one foot in front of the other and wondered whether staying in the pub with Alan might not have been such a bad idea, but then received an Alan update at 23:47 "All shut up. Having a nice walk. Feeling a bit better so may walk back to Prague." 16 km up a hill or 160 to Prague??? Carry on walking. In truth Alan started his career as 'bezdomovecs' and seemed happy with life - there aren't many homeless wandering around with half a dozen premium sausage sandwiches in their bag and he was blissfully unaware that those on the mountain were speaking af the famous Vrchlabi bandits who rob and kill travelers and throw their bodies in the river.
The full moon we had looked forward to wasn't available for help, so čelovky were in being used. One foot in front of the other. After canoeing, I didn't want to be at the back, but I certainly wasn't at the front. Alan update 00:26: "Well at least I'll spend the night 'pod na nebe hloubokem'. Just found a chocolate machine. Fantastic." No chocolate machines where I was. No trees any more. Still no moon. Only clouds. Some small raindrops. Some persistent small rain drops. Some larger and more persistent raindrops. Everybody stops and digs out their plaštenky. Except not everybody had a plaštenku. With plaštenkou or without, there was only one thing to do at this stage and that was to keep walking. There was no cover, no buildings, and no sense in going back to Vrchlabi unless you were REALLY desperate for a hot chocolate.
Alan update 00:56: "Started to rain. Hope it holds off for you."
Alan update 01:27: "Be careful. It's absolutely pissing down here."
Keep walking. Kept pissing down. Cats and dogs, and a couple of rabbits for good measure. Oh, and did I mention the fog? Or was it just that we were in the middle of a cloud? The rain ran down the pláštěnka and soaked my trousers, but no point in worrying about that. At this time there were about 10 of us together (Andi, George & Jana, Petr, Gabi - with her sister's plaštenkou, Andrea & Miša, Fiona, Elisa and Fernanda) and after seeing a sign saying Lučni Bouda was 5km away I started to count my steps. 1,2,3,5…
A short stop for some Slivovice and energy and then on towards Lučni Bouda. Horrible terrible. Cats, dogs, rabbits and some caribou. A steeper part of the climb. Cloud with some extra fog added which meant the čelovka wasn't very effective - it was useful for seeing the drainage gulleys so we didn't fall over them, but at this stage Fernanda and I were the last two in the group with Andi trying to keep sight (unsuccessfully) of somebody in front. Thoughts started to creep in. "I'm not going any further. I'm going to sit down here," but I remembered George's warning that he would have to shoot anyone who couldn't go on.
About 3:30, we arrived at Lučni Bouda. We couldn't see that it looked like this:
but we were lucky enough that they tolerated our mad exploits and served us hot tea (or cold beer if you could handle it). It also became clear that not our whole party was here. Apparently the camping crew (Luke, Drew, Ben and Eliška) had stopped and pitched their tent some way previously, and quite a few of the others had decided to sleep here until the morning. Dilemma time! Continue to the top or head for bed?
It was a difficult decision as I still had dry boots and it was only 4km to the top, but I looked at the map, saw that the last part to the summit was quite steep and decided that bed was the best idea for me. Disappointing not to be at the top with George and the rest of the dawn climbers, but better that than being shot and missing pub night.
Even in the morning after breakfast, there was still a lot of discussion about what to do. Some (with wet shoes) wanted only to go straight to Spindleruv Mlyn, some wanted to climb to the top before returning, but after a quick look on the internet, the easy way to finish the trip was to go to the top and head down the 'židlový vytah' to Pec. So we all did and as we left Lučni Bouda at least it wasn't raining.
Alan update 10:07: "Just this minute got home, avvin a cuppa. It must have been tough. Good luck". So good news. He survived the bandits.
Elisa update (on behalf of her hikin' trio) 10:53: "Wer on a bus back 2 Prag w/george - we live to tell the saga" (I'm waiting to see it on the blog!).
About the same time as this last update was received, the sleeping party arrived at the top and paused a while to take in the views, but not very long as there were no views to take in, and then headed back down the mountain on the židlovém výtahu.
By half past one, we were on the bus back to Prague and everybody from the sleeping party started to sleep more, but one last update at 14:18 from George's bath.
On returning to Prague there was time for a quick beer and cake at Florenc. Krakonoš liker was enjoyed with Alan after the Bohemians game on Sunday and on Tuesday we finally heard news that the camping party is sill alive.
Congratulations to everybody, particularly those who survived with a smile despite not having the right equipment, and to Chris (Australan) who completed his 2nd Fuji.
I'm looking forward to Svatojanske Proudy
Blade
The funniest story I´ve read last five years :-))))