What can happen in the mountains at night?

Are you afraid of darkness? How would you feel in the mountains at night? Would this be an interesting experience or a scary one? In the dark, surrounded by animal sounds coming from far away. When each rustle causes a wave of thoughts in the head of what it might be. And what if you meet a stranger on the road?… It would not be a very pleasant experience if I was alone in the forest at night. It would feel like a horror movie.

So, what would you say to a friend who suggested going on a night hike? Would you like to try it?

I got this invitation from my friend and, of course, we decided to try it.

From the very beginning, the night hike did not really look as very nice trip for me but I was seduced by the opportunity to watch the sunrise at the top of the hill. It was the main goal. Since I love the early mornings and the sunrise it looked like a perfect adventure.

Hiking is one of my favorite activities but I had never tried it before at night. When you go to such a trip with a group of friends everything seems fun and much easier. So that’s why we decided to try it.

This left me with a very big impression, so I think it’s worth sharing.

So early Sunday morning having dressed properly and taken some food we met with friends near the mountain and all the fun started.

It was completely dark. From the beginning, the light of the full moon lit up the path, the road was wide and there seemed to be nothing difficult. A little bit later the road narrowed, it had started being hard to see where we were going and we turned on our flashlights. It is probably then when all the fun and difficulty started.

My friend said that she had chosen this route in Wikiloc.com (trails of the world guide) that was not too tough and could be overcome by children. I still do not know how those alleged super strong and powerful children look but for us some road parts were really hard. While we were climbing, the trail was becoming steeper and steeper. Luckily it was dark and we did not see how steep and high we were.

My husband has vertigo and I a little bit as well, so in the dark it was easier to get there. I still do not know if this could be possible to do in the day time when you see the whole height.

For me, the scariest moment was when we needed to climb vertically. It was completely dark and we had two small dogs, for them it was impossible to do on their feet. Thus, in the most difficult climbing parts, we carried dogs on hands and passed them further a friend on top. Just because of good teamwork we could do it. By helping each other we were able to overcome the mountain and the most challenging travel stages.

When we got to the top of the mountain I was very happy we had done it. It was a big challenge and when you overcome it you feel very good emotions. And one more cool thing was that my friend calculated time very well and we were on the top of the mountain at the right time. As soon as we got to the top of the hill the sunrise began. It was one of the most beautiful sunrises I had ever seen.

Having had some breakfast and enjoyed the landscape, we came back on a simpler trail.

I am grateful to my friend for her invitation on this adventure. It was well worth every step. Although we were not those strong children who can easily overcome this mountain. I was very happy with the route and I would like to repeat a night hike like this again.

If you would like to have such a fun experience, here are my tips:

• Dress up properly and conveniently
• Good shoes are important as well
• Bring a small comfortable backpack
• Take some food and water
• Bring a good flashlight
• Be sure to choose an appropriate trail (we used wikiloc.com)
• Calculate time (how many hours you need to get to the top of the hill and not miss the sunrise)
• Bring a group of friends and good mood

So what can happen in the mountains at night?
A really good, nice and fun adventure.