Yesterday I tackled a somewhat more strenuous tour:
Plan was to visit Mrzla gora, Rinke, Skuta, return via Dolgi hrbet to Mlinarsko sedlo and descend from there past Češka koča.
With a good amount of water in the backpack I start from the parking lot at Jezersko - first across the meadows to Mrzla gora. I'd say a mountaineer can hardly find a nicer spot. The initial part is a bit crumbly, on the second half the scrambles are stable and the ascent flows nicely. The view from the top is among the best in Grintovci (does it still belong to the Grintovec group?). I'd gladly take time to praise it properly, but better not to advertise it too much.
Then I return to Jezersko sedlo, from where I climb to Koroška Rinka. The ascent isn't too much to my liking, as most of the path climbs through gullies and over occasionally annoying crumbly passages. Even the few people you meet there are proper mountaineer types. The view along the way is unique and you happily watch how Velika Baba becomes smaller and smaller - until it seems almost insignificant. The summit is a spectacle: from it Skuta and Štajerska Rinka truly shine.
Here I start realizing that maybe I need to shorten the tour a bit: heat and initially heavy backpack have done their job. Time-wise and fitness-wise it's not looking as good as it did when I naively studied the map at home on the comfy couch. So I decide to skip Kranjska Rinka. On descent to Mali Podi I take it a bit across, realizing that concentration is dropping from sun and fatigue. So I toy with the idea of bypassing Skuta; I already have those dark thoughts known to solo hikers and two nice goals in the bag - if I end the tour there, it'll be a proper outing.
But when I spot the beautiful east side of Skuta, the desire awakens that I must go up, even if I collapse. I think: if I refuel properly, grit my teeth a bit and descend to the west where I know the path, it should almost work. I cheer myself with the beloved maxim - if I've made it this far, I'll continue.
Before entering I hesitate a bit, then to work; when I bite into the steepness, legs are lighter like by miracle and in an hour plus I celebrate the summit. Not too bad. Panting, I enjoy the views satisfactorily.
At rest I deliberately sit so I don't see Dolgi hrbet, which should be the grand finale. That's telling in itself. Up there water and joy for exploits are almost gone. After fairly sober consideration I realize I really don't feel like straining more, so I conclude to bypass it. I head towards Mlinarsko sedlo, but somehow manage to turn towards Veliki Podi, which added a nice extension. Why stop for two minutes, check the map and return to the right path, when exhausted I take a "shortcut" almost in the opposite direction?
Morale visibly drops. Haven't had water for a while. Luckily find a melting snow patch and thus avoid near-certain death. Well, at least certain thirst.
Descent from Mlinarsko sedlo to Češka koča is quite tedious, strenuous, long, unnecessary and long again. Legs soft, soles worn, will diminishing with each step.
At parking lot a bit after dark, which confirms I rightly skipped Rinka and Dolgi hrbet.
Here I thank all that's holy for the idea to take the lounger. On it I moan a bit, then happily home.
Nice tour. Next weekend something shorter.