A friend of mine works for Much Better Adventures and recently went on a trip to Slovakia to climb mountains, ladders, and gorges. Her colleague Dani Redd chronicled the journey:
The first ladder we encountered was a horizontal one, spanning the river that ran through the gorge. My head swam slightly as I looked down at the water flowing underneath me.
“Don’t look down – just look at the next rung. Always look at the next rung,” our guide Patrik advised from behind me.
I did what he advised, concentrating on where I needed to place my feet. But even so, I felt slightly dizzy when I stepped back onto the path. A body is at its most vulnerable when there’s nothing to hold onto.
We were in Slovakia, traversing Suchá Belá Gorge in Slovak Paradise National Park – a landscape which was, so far, living up to its name. Trees bedecked with the tender leaves of spring rustled gently on either side of the path. The river running alongside the path was crystal clear, gleaming gently in the dappled light. Sometimes the path even crossed the river, meaning we had to hop from one boulder or fallen log to another. Let’s just say it’s a good thing my hiking boots were waterproof.
(This wasn’t sponsored btw!)
Hiking related: Liam Brown hiking 156 miles in the Outer Hebrides in Scotland and backpacking through Britain, from John O’Groats to Land’s End