Day 23 (July 31)

Up at the crack of dawn for our last day in the Nízke Tatry, a series of jagged peaks leading to the last of the range, Kralova Hola, which towers over the town of Télgart. Stark, beautiful sky and valley all around us. Just as we began the final climb, a crazy cloud jumped onto the mountain and belted us with freezing rain and hail from every direction. No lucky shelter for us this time -- we were drenched and chilled in minutes. Barely able to see the trail in front of us, we still had to keep moving just to keep warm.
Just as quickly as it had come, the storm tumbled off to the south, leaving us fresh, clean, and a little dazed for our climb down to Télgart.
We arrived at the town hotel. I thought that the cow tied out front was a good sign, guaranteeing fresh milk and cheese for breakfast. No, looks like the cow is the only one home. Also contemplating the cow was another hiker, Alica from Bratislava going west, and together we found lodging in a pension a little further down the road.