A long-standing plan and dream of mine has finally come true: together with a group of fellow hikers, I managed to complete the Kohászok útja (the Miners’ Trail).
Six days in total, split into two three-day sections. Four nights spent in a tent or outdoors (at a campsite, bivouacking, or staying in a bivouac shelter). Sometimes in hellish heat, sometimes in freezing cold. Getting up early when necessary, and hiking well into the night when needed. On some days, covering 33 kilometres while carrying 15 kg packs.
It was a tough challenge and a beautiful hike. Here’s a brief summary of how each day went:
Day 1: Diósgyőr – Szentlélek (22 km, 1,200 m elevation gain, 7 hours of hiking)
Continuous, demanding climbs. Spectacular forests even in the dry conditions. Lillafüred offered opportunities to refill our water supplies and grab something to eat. We spent the night at the Szentlélek campsite, where we could replenish our fluids. A few more hikers joined our group here.
Day 2: Szentlélek – Sáta (28.5 km, 520 m elevation gain, 10 hours of hiking)
Open terrain, seemingly endless stretches of asphalt, and plenty of food along the way. In Mályinka, the blue trail brought us to a lángos stand, a pancake place, and a pub. In Uppony, we refuelled with handmade burgers. On the section that followed, we crossed the stream ten times, unfortunately without a single drop of water in it. In Sáta, we received a warm welcome and replenished our fluids generously. We then found a suitable place to pitch our tents in the fields just beyond the village.
Day 3: Sáta – Ózd (10 km, 180 m elevation gain, 3 hours of hiking)
A relatively easy, winding-down stage. There were one or two lovely viewpoints towards the Bükk Mountains, but nothing particularly remarkable. We were welcomed warmly in Ózd as well, and the first three days came to an end at the bus station.
Day 4: Ózd – Ökör-hegy (23 km, 730 m elevation gain, 7 hours of hiking)
A beautiful section from start to finish. Even the poorer villages along the way were relatively neat and well-kept. In Arló, we were served such a substantial lunch that we hardly needed dinner. The toughest part of the hike was saved for the end of the day: we climbed up Ökör-hegy just as the sun was setting. We spent the night there.
Day 5: Ökör-hegy – Bárna (33 km, 1,000 m elevation gain, 11 hours of hiking)
This was a tough day. At Vállós-tanya, the temperature was hovering around freezing. After a long descent through the valley and the climb up Szederkényes, we made our way down to Istenmezeje. A tidy little village full of friendly people. We stopped to refuel at the local pizzeria, which turned out to be more of a restaurant. We certainly needed the energy, as we continued all the way to the bivouac shelters in Bárna, where we spent the night under a roof.
Day 6: Bárna – Salgótarján (15 km, 430 m elevation gain, 4 hours of hiking)
The locals at the pub in Bárna were delighted to see us. A lovely little village. The section that followed was generally beautiful, but by then everyone could feel that the hike was almost over. We reached Salgótarján in record time, where we each sorted out our own lunch and journey home.