Hikers Fail To Research Route Properly, Quickly Regret It: ‘Mordor’

A video showing a treacherous hike in bad weather has gone viral on TikTok after poor forward planning left a group facing daunting terrain.
The video was posted by Max Wallenfang and has racked up 1.4 million views since it was first shared on July 21st.
The clip shows a hiker struggling to navigate the side of a mountain in rough weather while her boyfriend records. The uneven surface proved difficult for the woman in the video who is seen holding onto chains on the side of the mountain with both hands as she slowly navigates the section of the hike. Wallenfang shared the video with the text overlay, “Told my gf [girlfriend] it’s gonna be an easy hike…”
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Wallenfang and his girlfriend were hiking in the Prielom area of the Tatra Mountains in Slovakia with friends when the video was recorded.
The video creator told Newsweek that they were on day three of a six-day hiking trip in the High Tatras. They had “beautiful” weather that morning, but when they were at the top of the pass where the video was taken, they could see rain coming so they threw on appropriate gear. They felt comfortable enough to continue, using the supportive chains that were attached to the side of the mountain in that section.
Wallenfang’s video was posted with the caption, “I did not tell her that. I honestly didn’t research the route enough upfront. There were only a few pictures on [travel-planning site] komoot and I did not expect any Via Ferratas on our trip. Mistakes were made and I learned from that. She absolutely killed it this day, and I’m proud of her.”
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The Via Ferratas is an infamously dangerous hiking route in the Italian Alps.
Slovakia is a popular destination for tourists interested in hiking. Located in Central Europe between Austria and Ukraine, its capital Bratislava also proves popular for city breaks, with its castles, museums, and restaurants.
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TikTok users took to the comments section of the video to share their thoughts. DeeDee wrote, “I pray I never find a man who puts me in this situation.”
Finally an EdD commented, “May a love like this never find me,” while Sei said, “If this is love I do not want it”.
@staemmerbill3 asked, “Why are you taking her to Mordor?”
Meanwhile, Oh Gewd Lorde said, “My guy gets nervous just thinking about me standing on a ladder bc I’m clumsy, he would NEVER do this”.
Another, Annika world, said, “I just did this hike!!! View’s so worth it.”
Xollos commented, “Oh, I remember that place! That’s where Frodo and Sam got lost on their way to Mordor!”