Daily Distance – 24km
Daily Ascent – 1380m
Daily Descent – 340m
Total Distance – 442km
Distance Remaining – 571km
Today has been a day of two halves. On the one hand I have met many friendly animals today, on the other, I also met a cantankerous idiot of a hut proprietor, which has resulted in me bivouacking in the woods tonight. The most frustrating thing? I am almost certain that his claim to be fully booked was a total fabrication. Gareth managed to secure a room earlier in the day, which continues to be half empty. Perhaps a tour bus is going to arrive which curiously only booked in the early afternoon, but when I left at 16:00 the place certainly looked empty. The tarp is certainly paying its way as my emergency, stealth shelter. This is now the 2nd time that I am pitched up in an area too small and uneven for a tent.
Now that school holidays have commenced, booking accommodation is becoming increasingly difficult. I had a stroke of luck being able to book a place in a hut on Sunday as it is booked almost solid for weeks. I am waiting to hear back from a campsite in Königssee about availability as I couldn’t reach them by phone, but I am starting to become worried about finding somewhere without paying a ridiculous nightly rate. I have been looking forward to seeing the famous Königssee and would like to spend a day sightseeing before moving on. This accommodation battle is really becoming tiresome now. It can be difficult enough predicting where I will be in a few days time given the changeable Austrian weather and uncertainty how my legs will feel on any given day. Booking multiple weeks in advance is a virtual impossibility without running a very real risk of arriving too soon or late.
On a more positive note, this morning I was set upon by a St Bernard who would not accept me passing by without paying the toll of several minutes of cuddles. His disgruntled barks followed me down the road for several minutes after leaving. I also encountered two horses who were curious to taste the handle of my trekking poles, and later also my shirt. Fresh from this triumph of equine fraternity, this afternoon I even persuaded several donkeys to stop blocking the path.
Animal failure of the day: the ants sharing my bivouac site have laughed in the face of my cinnamon repellent. Maybe these are tougher ants than the last set.
No fun not knowing if you have somewhere to rest your bones – invest in cinnamon ++ or propriety killer.
Pleased yo are keeping up with the local four legged creatures.
What a miserable devil! I’m sorry to hear the cinnamon isn’t working. Must have been horrible. But the dog sounds lovely. I hope things work out with accommodation but the bivouac looks pretty neat.
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