On the wooded back of Tepke and Purga

Itinerary:

• From the Bableves csárda, we follow the K mark of the National Blue Trail eastward, then northward via Tepke and Purga all the way to the Garábi saddle.
• At the Garábi saddle, we switch to the K◼ mark and walk down to Garáb, the tour's endpoint.

Detailed description of the route:

Normally, we start from the Bableves csárda located between the Kozárd junction and Alsótold, which, besides being a stamping place on the National Blue Trail, is an excellent opportunity to discover Palóc gastronomy. It would be a pity to miss this chance for refreshment and resting along the way.

We leave the main road behind and set off on the K marked dirt road in the small forest behind the Bableves csárda. Our path slowly ascends in a basin surrounded by mountains, dissected by arable fields and meadows, heading towards the foot of Tepke. The mosaic landscape is primarily due to the tectonic forces shaping the area's furrowed terrain. This volcanic range, related to the Mátra, was fractured and displaced from its original position by plate movements. Between the volcanic blocks lie turtle-shaped basins of soft marine sediments, providing excellent opportunities for local agriculture and animal husbandry.

Historically, a defining feature of the region was the sheep flock and cattle grazing in the mountainous meadows. In Nógrád county during the 19th century, animal husbandry flourished with tens of thousands of primarily racka and merino sheep and several thousand Hungarian spotted cattle grazing the grass. The livestock was then driven to the towns in Upper Hungary for sale. In 1910, the number of horses, cows, oxen, and calves driven to the Losonc market was 11,793, while the number of sheep and goats exceeded thirteen thousand. Although their numbers have decreased nowadays, grazing cattle remain a familiar sight near the foot of Tepke.

At the edge of the pastures, advancing towards the main ridge of the Cserhát covered with continuous oak forest, the lookout tower of Tepke’s summit stands out from the wooded ridge. After about a kilometer, the fields fall away; we enter the light oak forest which forms a defining scenery of our tour from here. The dirt road rises slowly but steadily along the wooded side of Barát Hill. Upon reaching the ridge, we meet the Mária path (marked with P and ᵯ). Thus, we continue climbing towards the Tepke summit along the National Blue Trail and the Mária pilgrimage path through oak woodlands interspersed with clearings.

At the top of the hill, a small clearing welcomes us where we can comfortably rest on one of the benches and admire the wider area from the defining 25-meter-high lookout tower. The metal structure enticing us upward was converted from an oil drilling tower with planks and steps, undoubtedly contributing to the site’s uniqueness. From the top, we have a perfect view of the main mass of the Cserhát, softly undulating hilltops, and the basins dotted with arable land and pastures, as well as broad valleys. Perhaps the most impressive view from here is of the Mátra, the western little brother, with volcanic peaks rising one behind the other forming the mountain ridges. Over the wide Zagyva valley, the jagged ridge of Muzsla and the steep cone of Ágasvár rise; behind them, the broad block of Galya-tető towers, while the view ends with the fading transmitter tower of Kékes in the distance. To the northeast, numerous ridges roll towards the Medves plateau at the foot of the Mátra, which on clear days blends into the undulating sea of mountains in Upper Hungary.

We climb up to Purga

From the Tepke summit, the ridge leads us through a charming, old oak forest where the tree trunks are covered with bright green moss a meter high and patches of grey-green lichen reaching up to the canopy. The rich undergrowth typical of oak forests is only interrupted by fallen, old trunks breaking the pleasantly winding ridge path.

The oak forest characteristic of the Cserhát region was an essential livelihood resource for the local people. From the structure of houses to furniture to the smallest everyday tools, people were surrounded by the forest’s wood. Beyond wood, the oaks’ abundant acorns also contributed to the village’s well-being; pigs were driven into the forest to feed on acorns, mainly during good producing years. In old times, a separate profession was the swineherd living a nomadic life in the forest with the pigs. Moreover, according to Béla Mátyás’s description, before the mangalica breed, the region reared a black-haired, wild-boar-related pig with great resistance in the 18th century. Additionally, the swineherds living in the forest were believed to have supernatural powers in folk belief: they could heal and even harm people or animals. Most older swineherds were rumored to be witches; it was said they could not die as long as they passed on their knowledge.

The flat back of Purga, crowned with moss-covered rocks, is the highest point of the Eastern Cserhát, from where our path gently descends. The winding trail among old trees passes a natural observation point on the Macska-hegy’s northward turning ridge. Below us lies the small village of Garáb nestled at the foot of the mountains, the endpoint of our route, while at the end of the ridge opposite us, we can glimpse the pastures and houses of Hollókő, a UNESCO World Heritage site. On clear days, we can even see as far north as the volcanic blocks of Javoros and Szitnya, representing the higher mountain chains in Upper Hungary.

The northern slope of Macska-hegy is the steepest part of our hike. Fortunately, we take this obstacle while going down, which soon leads us to the saddle beneath the mountain. From the saddle, we turn left onto the K◼ mark, heading towards Garáb through a still continuous oak forest. Saying goodbye to the intimate path, from here we descend on a wide forestry road to the hamlet.

On the way to the nearly deserted, quiet settlement, we pass a Buddhist prayer center fitting the place’s intimacy. Walking along the sleepy main street, our path ends at the "triangle" of the church, the shop, and the bus stop. From here, direct buses can take us back to the Bableves csárda or to Pásztó.