24th September 2015
I didn't get much sleep camping in the woods, but was pleased to survive the night without any major thunderstorm. I took the tent down at first light, and was away by 7:30am.
I dropped down onto the big forest track, which was muddy from some rain in the night, and the first thing I saw were footprints. BIG footprints. Footprints wider than my size 46 shoes. BEAR footprints!
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| Fresh BEAR footprints! |
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| The bear prints continued along the forest road |
Apparently these woods are home to Brown Bears, which might have been some of noises I was hearing in the woods last night.
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| European Brown Bear |
It was quite exciting to follow the bear prints for as long as I could, although obviously I hoped they wouldn't lead to an actual bear. I assumed the bear would see me long before I'd spot them.
This is what Bear Country looks like:
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| Bear Country |
It was a relief to leave the dark confines of the forest, and break out into the cool fresh air and sunlight giving fine views northwards to Gramos, which was to be tomorrow's objective.
Little did I know at this point quite how vile the weather was going to be the following day for the traverse of those hills on the skyline:
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| Looking north-west towards Gramos |
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| Descending towards Drosopigi in the early morning |
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| Descending towards Drosopigi in the early morning |
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| Drosopigi |
At Drosopigi, at got ushered in to a bar to have a coffee with an old Greek guy called Louis, who had spent 25 years in Australia before returning to the village when his parents needed looking after.
He chastised me for camping in the woods, saying it was very dangerous. And when I mentioned where I was hiking, he said: "
I tell you. Do not go to Albania. They will rob you. And they will kill you." I thanked him for his concern, and his passing shot was to buy me an enormous bunch of grapes from a grocery van, just as I was leaving.
It was fun to stop for a chat. But it was also good to get going again. It's not always helpful getting drawn into other people's view of the world.
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| Bridge at Zerma |
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| Confirmation that they were Brown Bear footprints! |
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| Road to Kefalochori |
The road to Kefalochori was hot and unshaded. At Kefalochori, I stopped for a few minutes for picnic lunch. I didn't see any shops or cafe. Then continued northwards in the direction of Likorachi.
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| Kefalochori |
After Likorachi, there were a few kilometres of uphill bushwhacking to reach an unsealed road, which linked with the asphalt road to Aetomilitsa, which is very much at the end of the road.
Beyond Aetomilitsa lies nothing but the huge dark mass of Gramos. My goal for tomorrow.
Soon after I checked in to the
Grammos Guesthouse, the rain set in for the afternoon.
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