Krokonoše Mountains

Up for 7:30 breakfast but only 10 mins to eat it as we needed to walk to the town centre to get the bus up the Krokonoše Mountains to Špindlerův Mlýn. The bus driver ‘went absolutely spare’ when we gave him the only cash note we had - a 1000 Koruna (=$A63). I don’t blame him but that is what the ATM spat out and we didn’t have a chance to change it. I was worried he wasn’t going to let us on the bus but luckily for us he did.

At Špindlerův Mlýn we had to take another bus - I didn’t know this - and we were fortunate that a nice couple understood the word ’bus’ and much gesturing with hand signals pointing up (that is, pointing to indicate we were heading higher up the mountain) they showed us where the next bus stop was located and so we arrived in Medvědín.

My notes said cable car here but I didn’t see it initially. I found an Info Office but nobody ‘at home’ although a sign on the door indicated someone was going to be back soon - but maybe that was yesterday?

Indeed a girl DID arrive and she spoke English - a plus! We got a map but MF1 lost it in the first half hour...

The cable car was really expensive but I was thinking of everyone’s legs - and the time. I was unsure what was ahead so took this option; the cable car took us us up from 702 to 1235 m and saved quite a lot of walking - up. Good!

This is a popular ski resort in the winter and a walking and mountain bike riding area in the other months; there are heaps of cyclists.

Our walk will take us from here to Labska Bouda then on to the Pramen Labe - the Elbe/Labe Spring at 1380m, the source of the river.

It was a lovely walk especially starting early in the day while it was cooler.

I am surprised how warm it is. No need for those wooly hats and gloves we packed. We were peeling off clothes in no time as we climbed up and then down to Labska Bouda.

At the first high point there was a memorial and a nice young couple explained this was for 2 cross-country skiers who got caught in bad weather in 1913 and perished. They also explained to us the solid structures that we could see; these are bunkers from WWII; we are very close to the Czech-German border.

At Labska Bouda we enjoyed a raspberry lemonade and shared a piece of cake.

We then ascended some more to the Pramen Labe - which was dry! (but further back along the track was a covered cement well where one could hear water rushing through. I think the source had been diverted - possibly for the use of the hotel there or maybe for reasons of biosecurity!!)

Lots of people here; and we ate our picnic lunch at one of the picnic tables. There is a wall here with the crests (in mosaic) of each town that the Elbe passes through. At one end of the wall is the crest of Vrchlabí - where we stayed last night and will again tonight - and all the towns along the way to Cuxhaven at the North Sea. Anyway, we have got here! Mission accomplished!!!!

It was a steady walk back to the chair lift - 6.5 kms of hot slog until we descended back into the shade of the lovely forest area.

What I was struck by - and it was the same on the other Czech walk we did at Pravčická Brána - the number of elderly people (many with physical difficulties that would stop many people at home from undertaking such activities) plugging along these walks. They seem to be a stoic bunch. There were also young couples walking with babies and one young pregnant woman who must have been 6-8 months.

The sign indicated that the next lift down was due at 2 p.m. when we arrived there - we made it with 10 minutes to spare and enjoyed a good coffee. It seems the chairlift runs only every half hour for 10 mins: no info. on the Internet when I was researching this.

I am now ‘marking time’ while the boys return to the top. MF2 dropped his camera off the lift on the way down - near the top. The young lift guy wasn’t going to let him return without buying a new ticket but the older lift guy relented. The two MFs have gone on the next lift. Goodness knows how this will work out. No doubt a story awaits! I can hear the lift re-starting just now so I wonder if they’ll be on it? With camera? Will they even be let back on by the lift guy at the top? We have found them a dour lot - sometimes friendly, sometimes not.

They have emerged off the lift, smiling, with camera. Seems the lift guy from below had conversed with lift guy at the top in terms of letting the MFs use the lift. They had to walk down the ski slope from the top of the lift - about 50 m - and then back up again. Camera was in a padded bag but still got bent and knocked around a bit but works still - and of course there are the photos.

This has of course mucked up our timing for getting back early - oh well. Now we are waiting for the bus to arrive.

Still waiting ... it seems that the timetable at the bus stop bears no resemblance to actuality; we have just missed a bus by 1 minute and now must wait an hour for next one. Bus FINALLY arrives to go to Špindlerův Mlýn where we wait another half hour or so for bus back down to Vrchlabí. The working out of bus timetables and bus stops has been the biggest challenge of the day; not understanding the lingo is a real disadvantage; and very few people speak English.

However, the light at this time of day is very nice and it is a pretty trip back down the mountain, although the bus is incredibly crowded; probably OVER-crowded by our standards.

Back in town, we look for an ATM, passing a large group of labourers renovating the main square. Most of them appear to be migrants; very hard workers, but using no protective masks and some were coughing, no doubt from the fine dust that was hanging around in the air from the pavement stone they were chipping at.

It’s a pretty town: lovely Baroque architecture.

We enjoyed another hearty meal - and off to bed early.

Walking distance: 13 kms plus (‘plus’ especially for the MFs who had to walk part way down the ski slope at the top of the chairlift to retrieve the camera!)