#3: [08-Jul-17]

#1: [08-Jul-05]

29-Apr-2007 – The story continues from 53N 26E, a confluence point that we had visited in the morning that day. We then had our lunch and a little sightseeing in the beautiful town Slonim (see picture #4 & #5). From there we took road no.54 up to the village Mizdvichy. The last village before reaching the confluence is called Seljawichy (Russian: Селявичи), ca. 2km north-east of the confluence. We passed through the village and continued on a small road for another kilometre, until the road became impassable. At this location (900m from the confluence) we parked the car and followed a track through the forest. After a while, the track turned away from our destination and we started hiking cross-country. Our first approach ended in a swamp, but a second approach where we left the main track 300m further east was successful.

One fact gives the confluence a speciality: all the pine trees around it have cuts at their trunks, from where the trees' resin flows into jaws. Each tree has two of these jaws bent around his trunk. The resin of some pine species is important as the source of turpentine. Turpentine has been used medically since ancient times. Applied externally to the affected areas, turpentine is a highly effective treatment for lice (fly babies).

Probably the best time to visit this confluence is May to September. The reason is that we have seen strawberries, blueberries and red or black currant around the confluence. April was definitively too early, but if not crowds of confluence hunters take them all, you may enjoy some fruits on your hike.

CP visit details:

• Time at the CP: 3:00 pm
• Hiking time: 30 minutes
• Hiking distance: 700 m (beeline)
• Distance to the road: 1 km
• Distance to houses: 2 km
• Topography: flat
• Minimal distance according to GPS: 0 m
• Position accuracy at the CP: 8 m
• GPS height: 178 m
• Vegetation: Predominant are pine trees. Also some birch and beech trees are inbetween. On the bush layer red or black current, blueberries and strawberries.
• Weather: sunny, 16° C (felt temperature)
• Description of the CP: In the western part of Belarus. Mostly areas of cultivated land but exact location is in a forest. Swamps nearby.
• Given Name: The Resin Pitch Collection Confluence

Story continues at 53N 24E.