Hiking to Sľubica

Hi,

It’s a beautiful autumn day, and we’ve set out on a trip. We decided to climb the highest peak of the Branisko mountain range — Sľubica.

In the morning, we arrive at the picturesque village of Vojkovce, where our hike begins. We meet a local resident who asks us if we’re afraid of bears. As long as we don’t see them, we’re not afraid, I thought to myself. We take his question with humor and continue along the village road.

However, the road soon ends, and we enter the forest. It doesn't take long before we come across a small water reservoir. It’s my first stop. I take out my camera, and the first shots are captured.

The forest is pleasant. Quiet. Only the birdsong occasionally echoes from the treetops. An ideal setting for relaxation.

The trail begins to climb more steeply. Dry, freshly fallen leaves crunch under our feet. They smell wonderful and perfectly complement the peaceful atmosphere.

After a few meters, we arrive at a clearing. Here, we see how the sunlight plays with the autumn colors on the tree leaves. At times, I feel like I’m in a fairy tale — as if a painter had painted those trees.

For a moment, I admire Mother Nature’s artwork — and I don’t yet know what awaits us next. We enter the forest again, and the steepest part of the hike begins.

During this climb, we recall the words of our friend. He told us to truly enjoy the trip. I have to say, we’re really enjoying this ascent. But we know that with every step, we’re getting closer to our goal.

And here it is. Our goal. The peak of Sľubica. At an altitude of 1,129 meters above sea level.

And what a view...

Nature has prepared a breathtaking show for us. An inversion has caused fog to remain in the valleys, while the mountain tops are bathed in sunshine.

In the background, we see the High Tatras, and if you look closely, you’ll notice Spiš Castle rising from the mist.

This is why it was worth the climb. I love hiking.

To be honest, there’s a cold wind blowing up here, but I still don’t feel like going back down. I already mentioned a fairy tale — but tell me, isn’t this place like something out of one?

On the way down, we can still see the fog swirling in the valley. And those colorful leaves...

We descend along a different path and through a different forest. Although it’s also deciduous like the one we hiked up through, there’s something different about it. The first sign is this anthill. We didn’t see a single one on the way up, and here we see several large ones.

It’s autumn — mushroom season. We didn’t see any mushrooms on the way up, but now we admire these beautiful specimens. It’s probably because of the direction this path faces.

We reach our car. We’re full of experiences and happy that we spent such a lovely day in nature.

Thank you