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Maybe my best and most beautiful slovakian biketour was finished in the last day before arriving at Budapest in 1998 because of a fault in manufacture in the tyre.

Crossing the Carpathians by bike 1999

Gyorgyigabor
2004-02-05 19:58:20

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In Slovakia because of the dark clouds and the light rain there was no other choice than to go on cycling in the Orava valley. There would had been no worth in cycling to between the mountains, towards Zuberec. We fell asleep in our tents next to the Orava fortress.

11th day: a „marathon-long” day: Oravsky Podzamok - Budakalász (H) Early in the morning, about 5 am I couldn’t sleep more, because on the voices of the rain. The fast and not suitable tent-setting up resulted that because of the rain more and more water appeared inside the tent, next to me. While the other two guys could sleep, I had to decrease the place on which I was lying or sitting. At half past 6 am I succeded in convincing the others of packing and going on. After I made me ready – as we had spoken – I cycled towards Dolny Kubin. Although we had spoken that I would stop at the first bus stop, I found only open air bus stop, so I cycled to the center of the town. I didn’t want to stand in the rain during waiting for them. Only five of them arrived at the center; one of them missed. We had bad luck. As a result of the fact that I didn’t stop at a bus stop, an other guy, Laci who left also alone didn’t stopped in the town. The boys were angry with me, and I didn’t wanted to stop too often and wait too much in the rain, so I talked with them that I would cycle on alone. I said goodbye to the others with a little bit temper: „-I try to reach Hungary (190km). If the weather doesn’t become better, I wouldn’t stop in Zvolen, where we had planned to sleep. If the weather become better we would meet in next to Zvolen, because in that case I would be able to dry my clothes.” I didn’t want to get cold because of the too many stops. I wanted to move my body and cycle on.

I felt well on the ascent to the 725m high pass towards Ruzomberok; on the climb I couldn’t feel the cold. The lower section went through a meadow, then the road went to ...