Out of the Smoke, Into Community

6:36 AM

Back on the trail at six. It’s going to be a long day, because I have two passes to cross.

There’s dry lightning—bright white flashes hitting the mountain tops. Just like that, at random.

The trail seems endless and is heavily overgrown. You have to pay close attention, because the path is hard to see; there are rocks, holes, and it goes straight up. All the right ingredients to seriously hurt yourself.

8:07 AM

After a few hours of scrambling, I finally climb out of the valley. The vegetation thins out and the air becomes lighter.

8:37 AM

When I look back into the valley, it doesn’t look very promising. Smoke is still hanging where I slept last night. There must be a fire somewhere nearby.

9:30 AM

And so I keep gaining elevation. Still, something feels off; I see white smoke clouds sinking back into the valley, and the further I go, the larger the plumes become.

9:55 AM

I decide to check in with home to see if any new fires have started, because I’m completely cut off from the outside world.

10:28 AM

Meh, I don’t like this. Warm air waves roll over me, and suddenly it starts hailing. What’s going on? Visibility keeps getting worse.

I meet a single hiker who says there’s a fire, but with the amount of water I’m carrying, I could probably put it out.

I hear that Glacier Pass is closed. I was already heading straight for it and had started climbing. As a precaution, I abandon that route and look for an alternative. I find one—but it means backtracking a bit and climbing again.

13:14 PM

Now I truly enter no man’s land, making the crossing toward Holmer Village, a Christian village on the other side of the lake.

13:26 PM

13:55 PM

At last, I’ve passed Cloudy Pass and have a clear run toward Holden Village. All that’s left is a 15-kilometer descent.

Behind me, I see a wall of clouds and smoke rolling over the pass. I’m heading down.

It’s a completely different experience when you leave the smoke behind and enter a clean valley again—flowers, bees, and of course mosquitoes and flies buzzing all around you.

14:42 PM

15:04 PM

When I look back, I still see a wall of clouds and smoke. Thankfully, I’m away from it now.

15:15 PM

Streams turn into waterfalls, waterfalls turn into rivers—and those rivers need to be crossed as well. It’s a matter of keeping moving without thinking too much. Step into the river up to your knees and make sure the strong current doesn’t knock you over.

16:39 PM

16:50 PM

It’s only a short stretch now, but I’ve been walking nonstop for 12 hours. I start to believe I’m approaching that point where you could just keep walking forever without getting tired.

18:58 PM

I arrive in the village of Holmer Village. While I look around for signs or directions, I still don’t really know where I’ve ended up. Someone approaches me and offers help. I ask where I can eat and sleep.

“No problem, just follow me,” they say, “but hurry—everything’s about to close.”

I end up in a large hall with round tables where a buffet is being cleared away. Someone quickly serves me two plates, and the man I met earlier in the valley recognizes me. He immediately gives me the trail name FireWater, because with 3 liters of water I could put out a fire.

I quickly shovel down some nasi and spinach salad—no time to waste. Someone else writes down my details and assigns me a room.

In between, I hear that there’s a service at 7:30 PM and that you’re supposed to eat ice cream at the snack bar at 8:00 PM.

“Okay, okay. First, a shower.”

Today I covered a total of 36.36 km in 12 hours and 33 minutes, with 1,525 m up and 1,610 m down.

19:41 PM

Where on earth have I ended up now? 🤔
Lutheran Church.

20:52 PM

It’s a friendly, welcoming village run by volunteers. It’s truly one of those communities where everyone knows each other. Still, I choose to be alone for a bit—I need to lie down and recover.

The day was long and heavy, but we made it.