CD Carpatia Divide - Polskem s Ferem

„Karpatské hry“ by M. Nevrlý is my favourite book. So, when I found out that there Carpatian Divide exists I wanted to be part of this trail. The border between Poland and Slovakia always magnetize me. 620 km and almost 18 000 elevation meters was attractive.

And here I am in Ustroň on the west and I want to reach Muczne on the east. There are five National Parks on the way: Babiogorský, Gorzanský, Pieninský, Magurský a Bieszadský. Amazing! We only have four in Czech Republic!!

And how was it? Overloaded by elevation meter, I never rode so many hills up cross vertically to contour lines (my gps worked perfectly at this time, so I saw how my way cross the contour line up and down, up and down again and again). A felt weak and lost between contour lines. I wish I was stronger to ride everything and wouldn´t get lost between the free rocks on downhills. But it is typicaly for all Divides to realize your weaknesses and work on them. On the other hand I met my old friend @kasanic.fero there and felt that he covered my back, we spent a lot of time together and had a fun and shared the experiences like wet sleeping bag, depression on the way, beauty of nature, refreshing in the streams and rivers. We share it. The highlights of CD was for sure every singletrails that we met, especially Tabakowy and Lechnica Trails. The canyon of river Dunajec was amazing and the east mountains - Bieszczady was very close to my heart.

128 hours and 39 minutes of bikepacking in Poland. I got what I wanted.

P.S. Thank you to @pavol_hlavac that the finish line wasn’t the end. The two day ride from Bieszady, cross Poloniny to Vihorlat was an epic end of this year summer adventure.

And the song of this bikepacking adventure, that I song down the hills? Still Young by The Cat Empire. Especially: “It´s while you´re still young, find your heart and find your soul, now where have you gone? No matter where you´re going, and no matter where you´ve been…”

And Thx Juliana Furtado - my first female bike – that we got used to each other and didn´t kick me out of saddle too often. Congratulation for her first bikepacking adventure with me.