From Czech rain to Polish Sunshine

Campsite at Plzen


Following the snow around then up a steep part to finish








Route up Rysy follow the snow




The Czech Republic was a little bit of a let down as the rain didn’t stop for pretty much the whole time we were there.

We had planned to spend a couple of days in Prague. We found a close campsite but after walking around for a whole afternoon heads down to the floor due to the wind and rain we both felt it would be better to move on and make Prague a return visit one day.

We didn’t even get to explore and climb in any of the national parks further north as the rain just continued. So we continued to head east.

Making it to Poland 1st stop Oswiecim (home of Auschwitz and Birkenau) the German concentration camps, if you go at a certain time of day your free to wander yourselves otherwise you have to be part of a tour group. Upon Andrew’s suggestion we got up early and went in as soon as it opened making the solemn experience a little less touristy.

The real life footage shown in the movie is very confronting and there is this constant eerie feeling you get walking around knowing just what went on here and how many people were killed. Although we were the tourist in such a place, it is important for people to realise what happened so that it can never be allowed to happen again.

From here we travelled South East to Zakapone the biggest town within the polish side of the Tatra Mountains. Unimpressed by the constant road works where it seems they decided to rip up every pavement at once but not start replacing them. We really feel like the outsider here having only heard English being spoke a couple of times in the last week and having difficulties communicating with the locals.

We are finding it hard following our belief to fit in with the local culture by making a real effort speaking basic language as we are constantly changing countries and hence languages. An entire morning was spent looking for one map and trying to find out if they had any climbing guidebooks. We found the map but no guides, so hiking/ mountaineering it is for now.

To start exploring the mountains we planned a 2 day trip through the valley of the 5 lakes with the aim of getting up Poland’s highest peak, Mt Rysy 2499m, in still winter conditions.

A frustrating part to the Tatras is you are not permitted to camp anywhere within the national park therefore not allowing alpine starts unless you stay at a hut. So booked into the hut at the base of Morskie Oko after spending 8 hours on our first route through the valleys up a snow slope and topping out at Szpiglasowy Wierch 2068m with fabulous views of the Tatra range in perfect sunshine. A monotonous walk down to the lake saw us once again surrounded by hoards of tourists, though as night drew they all headed back to their cars leaving us with a sunset over the mountains and the big one for us still to come.

With the help of Lees binoculars we were able to seek out the planned route for the following day, both excited and apprehensive as such a large snow gully looking pretty steep, taking people at least 3 hours to get up with a 1000m assent from the lake over 2km. Even more special was watching 3 skiers after they had hauled their ski gear up that gulley all in search of a 20 minute free-ride down avalanched slopes.

That first day had taken it’s toll on my knee (Lee’s) knee and by the end of the evening we had to accept that Rysy may have to wait as not being able to walk down a 10cm step means that kicking in 3000 steps into the snow and back down again was not a clever idea. Fingers crossed a few lighter days means it gets to a stage were it can be strapped up and we can give Rysy a shot.

As a physio I ordered lee to have an ice bath in the glacial lake of Morskie Oko, gave it a massage but didn’t have my strapping tape with me. It was still painful in the morning, though waking at 4am so a decision was made to not go on instead breakfast looking up at what may have been and hopes still to get back in there and at least give it a good attempt. So we will head to the city for a few days to Krakow while it heals, rests and then drive back to the Tatras for further fun in the mountains. These mountains remind me of Yoho National Park in Canada with beautiful jagged peaks, snow covered and surrounded by glacial lakes. Absolutely stunning……