Day 21 (July 29)

Escaped from the crowded bunkroom at the crack of dawn and hit the trail. Excellent to be up early -- the crowds are still snoozing and the animals are out, we saw marmut and reindeer. The mountains continue to grow higher and higher, great views from the ridges but the peaks themselves completely socked in fog.
After a bit the trail becomes a road -- someone has arranged these mountaintop rocks, many of them as big as us, into a paved highway. We followed these up the famous peak Chopok, where we had an excellent lunch in the chata at the top. Energized with cabbage and ham, we decided to make a long day of it and hiked all the way to the village of Čertovica, where camping is allowed. Missing the thrills of a private room with plumbing, though, we opted to stay in the pension instead.