Slovakia: Day 10 - Half day hike to Dlhe Pleso (1939m)

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 10.

7/8 Day 10: Half day hike to Dlhe Pleso (1939m). Rained heavily midday and spent the rest of the day in the hotel.

Food
(1) Lunch at restaurant in Hotel Sliezsky Dom - Chicken soup with bread EUR5,80
(2) Dinner at Tourist restaurant - Halušky (Potato dumpling filled with sheep cheese, bacon pieces and spring onion) EUR11,50 

The Story

07082026: Buffet breakfast spread was the same as yesterday. I had my two cups of coffee and lots of juice to keep me hydrated. It was predicted to rain between 11am and 4pm. So, we hurried with our breakfast and started the hike by 9am. We saw some hikers yesterday hiking back from the route so we wanted to do the same. It is a route from the lake near the hotel. It is a short route and way better than the routes we hiked when we stayed at Zamko mountain hut. As in it is less straining to the legs. Either we got used to it or we just got more skillful? We did not have a destination and just wanted to see what was at the top. Later, I found out that we hiked up to Dlhe Pleso which was not 2000m. Sad. We wanted to hike higher than Teryho chata (2015m). 

The day started sunny. My travel companions were skeptical of the rain. I know it is going to rain because the weather forecast says so.

Walked under some cliffs and thought that this can serve as a good shelter if it rains.

Skies still look blue.

Then, the grey clouds started rolling in. It was 9.35am.

At the top, it is a wide area and it is a slight uphill which is not stressful for my legs. It took me 1 hour 15 minutes.

We reached the lake (Dlhe Pleso) where we decided to turn back. I was getting cold, the wind was cold, and the grey clouds were approaching closer.

Managed to take a photo of the lake and Tatra mountains in the background. It would have been a majestic view if the skies were clear. 

Now, we cannot see much of the trail. I felt raindrops on me. It was 11am. The weather forecast is correct. 

We took shelter under the cliffs when the rain became heavier. When the rain stopped for a while, we continued our hike but I was not fast enough so I got caught in a very heavy downpour. My hiking shoes and pants were soaked wet. The shoes were waxed but the water came through from the socks. I had my poncho on me so my top was dry.

Back at the hotel, I asked the staff if there is a drying room for shoes, thinking that the hotel would have something similar or even better than Zamko mountain hut. But no, they don't. I was disappointed. A hotel is not better than a mountain hut. However, the staff lent me a shoe dryer where one plug in the socket and two rubber pods are inserted into the shoes. He told me that it will quicken the drying process. There is also a heated drying rack in the bathroom. It produces a lot of heat and one can feel the difference when one enters the bathroom. It is like a sauna inside. We switched it off before we slept and our clothes were dried the next day too.

I am inspired to get a shoe dryer now. Very convenient.

For lunch, I had chicken soup. Clear soup and very boring taste. Not recommended at all. I should have taken ghoulast soup instead.

Booked spa at 2pm after lunch. Then, we lazed in the hotel room listening to the rain. For dinner, I had halusky at the tourist restaurant. It is more expensive here compared to the one I had in Kosice for EUR9,50. Being in the mountains is always the reason for everything being more expensive.

Saw a picture of Tatra mountains that surround the hotel. Our hotel is in the yellow box and we hiked to the blue box today.