Hillbilly travels: Slovenjsky Raj National Park, Slovakia

Wed 20th – Thurs 21st Aug
Lip healed and tummy back in eating action. I was ready for another country so we hopped in the van and rumbled our way through the beautiful Hungarian countryside towards Slovakia.

But our bad luck streak wasn't over yet.

Just outside the border, Bevan started hollering and flapping his arms. After a few terrifying seconds of swerved driving and cursing, he pulled a wasp out from his lower back. We had spent 5 months living in the great outdoors and suddenly we'd both been stung by wasps within 24 hours.

But our back luck streak wasn't over yet.

I'd be getting ahead of myself if I jumped into that story just now, so let's just say that Bevan ended up in a Krakow hospital for 2 hours with his hand bandaged from fingernail to wrist. For the details, check out my Tatry National Park entry, but for now let's focus on Slovensky Raj.

Bevan in Slovensky Raj National Park at the start of our hike

Slovensky Raj is a national park that hasn't been discovered by the American legal system. I reckon it's only a matter of time before there are law firms set up at every exit, ready to help injured Americans file claims against the Slovakian Government. Let's hope that no one files a lawsuit any time soon, because the risk is exactly what makes Slovensky Raj so much fun.

Climbing ladders over the waterfalls along the trail

Picture one of those high ropes courses in the mountains, minus the safety harness and Outward Bound instructors, and you'll have an idea of what lies ahead for you at Slovensky. Okay, it's not that bad otherwise it'd be shut down by now but it's pretty much as close as you can get without having to attend one of those company “team bonding” outings.

Locals stepping over the steel grated path that clings to cliffs along the gorge

The majority of hikes traverse through narrow ravines where the trail is only wide enough to allow one hiker to pass at a time. I use the term “trail” loosely here, as it changes from flat wide dirt to scrambling rocks, to walking across very shaky steel grated steps hanging from a cliff, to climbing cliffs on rickety ladders. It's an adrenaline rush around each corner and after 6 hours of hiking, the trail was rarely boring.