Yesterday in a wonderful day an even nicer tour happened. So early I think we started the tour only in Jugova grapa less than thirty years ago with the late Tomaž Vrhovec. I was offered absolute comfort - transport from the house threshold to the ramp in front of Aljaž Lodge, rope in Janko's rucksack, Jurček even offers to carry the big bottle of water for me, which of course I refused, well what kind of mountaineer would I look like then?
Yes, even two guys assisted me this time and very pleasant and kind ones. The only pity is that on that day I somehow didn't have the right feeling and freshness, and expected body strength, as also the arm strength all day wasn't in place. I only hope the cause is the early rising and skipping breakfast
Anyway, there wasn't much deviation from my imagined timeline of the hike, I was most afraid of the return from the bivouac down, nevertheless we would have caught the second last bus transport if we depended on it.
We turn off headlamps after a good half hour of walking, we didn't turn at all towards the bivouac, the window was closed. I put the first bottle of liquid under snow half an hour before Škrlatica's scree. At the boulder below it I take a short rest. Two ladies are already descending after it, a bit later I realize they are very fit. At the first fixed rope I leave the poles, which is definitely a mistake, as two steep ascents still await me, this stupidity of mine is mitigated by Jurček and I'm back in the saddle. Short stop on Škrlatica's shoulder, then descent into Kotel, where I change clothes and put the second bottle into the 'fridge'. We hit the wall entry first,
on the saddle between the Rokavs (2520m) we are already before nine o'clock. With an almost empty rucksack I climb even the harder sections without bigger problems, the route is nicely shown by cairns and every year more bolts that shine nicely already from afar. On the summit we take our time, as it isn't chasing us anywhere. For the first time, as I walk up here I put on a harness, we use the rope on three pitches, the guys nicely take care that the gear on me is intact. The sun is strongly beating, I can hardly wait to set off into the wall of Middle Rokav, where climbing in the shade on cold rock is a real pleasure. Unfortunately short, but sweet. The descent from the saddle bothered me a bit - small holds, bad steps. Unfortunately the anchor is only in the upper part, the lower part, where it would be (for me) necessarily needed, probably can't be made due to the rock composition?? Under the wall I cool down nicely in the snow and slide down the steep scree to completely dry clothes in Kotel. Again uphill, I 'send' the young guys, full of energy, also to the summit of Škrlatica, so they wouldn't get too bored
A long descent follows, first to the bivouac, in between I only pick up the liquid cooled to a few degrees and slooooowly towards the car.
And the rope is home again, the uncertainty of the next trip with it increases from year to year.