Take a spoonful of Austria, add a pince of Iceland, and finish with a drop of New Zealand – and you get Lagodekhi National Park.

My hike today took me through a very Austrian forest of oaks, birches, ash and maple trees. Even my pollen allergy felt right at home. At the end of the hike, a waterfall was awaiting me.

In turn, the path leading there had a definite New Zealand touch: It led along (and sometimes even in) the river valley. There was even a river crossing without a bridge at which I was only partly successful: On the way in, I got across quite well, as there was a big boulder to jump on close to the other side of the river. On the way back, however, no such boulder presented itself, and I had to use the short tree trunk wedged between two rocks midway in the river. Unfortunately, it was not stable enough and started to move as soon as I put my foot on it. Luckily, I had been smart enough to grab a dead branch to use as a stick. This way, only my shoes and my left trouser leg got wet.

All in all, it was a nice hike, but without much mountain views. For that, you probably have to do the three-days-long hike to Khala Khel Lake. However, I did not have enough time for that – at least if I want my other travel plans to happen. Well, maybe next time…