The trail from the village of Planinitza to peak Tumba in Cherna gora mountain is one of our most favourite routes for mid-spring and autumn. Last year, however, we hiked it in December on a cold and cloudy day and it wasn't the best of hikes. This year we chose a sunny and warm October work day and it was glorious!
Because this trail is very unpopular, it was not a surprising, that we didn't meet anyone during the almost 5 hours we spent in the mountain. The tracks from Giginski monastery are fairly often frequented on weekends, but yesterday there wasn't a single soul besides us, roaming the trails of Cherna gora.
The delicious summer berries are long gone, but the mountain was abundant with autumn harvest of all kinds, like parasol mushrooms. We did actually consider picking some, but since we are not mushroom experts, in the end we decided not to risk it.
There were also plenty of wild apples and pears, which are actually absolutely non-edible - not poisonous, of course, but sour and astringent.
Hike info:Date: 18 October 2024
Destination: peak Tumba (1129 m)
Mountain: Cherna Gora
Total length: 14 km
Elevation gain: 230 m
Total duration (plus picnic): 4 hours 40 min
Average difficulty: 3 / 10
We did snack however on sloes, which were surprisingly sweet and less acerbic than is typical for this berry, and also hawthorn and dogwood berries. There's always some peculiar feeling of satisfaction, when one can eat fruit directly from the tree, even when the fruit is just some sour, slightly astringent berry :)
On the peak - we had a very long picnic there, enjoying the views and most of all - the warm sun. These warm autumn days are counted and one must make the most of them, while they last!
Me-made items, worn on this hike:
Husband: boxers, Burda cargo pants
I: lingerie, Sabrina Slims III, Burda blouse, Central Park knitted hoodie
And back along the same tracks, alternating here and there just for the fun of it
It was a perfect day and absolutely worth the long drive!
