Czechs love mountains no matter the season. Well, naysayers might say we don’t actually have any proper ones, and I would agree – that is why we escape to the Alpes or at least the Tatras whenever we can. Still, the lower and less steep Czech mountains like the Krkonoše, the Jeseníky, or the Šumava are top-notch for cross-country skiing. You can spend days on skis traveling from one to another across hundreds of kilometers of perfectly maintained “ski highways”. That is what I am up for the next year anyway – taking a three-day trip of about 100 km (60 miles) and sleeping in mountain huts that are scattered along the ski routes.
Anyways, while we are all used to going skiing since childhood, and we even have mandatory ski training at school, my Spanish girlfriend had only skied once until last weekend, and for just a few hours. So we wanted to take it easy this time. Yet we did about 20 km (12 miles) per day which is a great effort for a beginner. Fortunately, my girlfriend fell for cross-country skiing (even though she also fell countless times while cross-country skiing). And you might as well if you give it a try. Let me take you around the Šumava and its ski routes so you can soak up the atmosphere.
My Češi hory milujeme, i když by škarohlídi mohli říct, že žádné opravdové nemáme. A já s tím souhlasím. Kdo může, prchá bez ohledu na roční období do Alp, nebo alespoň do Tater, které jsou přeci jen "horovitější". Ale na běžky jsou české hory super. Třeba Šumava, na které jsme byli minulý víkend. Pro T. to bylo teprve druhé běžkování v životě, na běžkách stála poprvé loni v Liberci a moc ji to nenadchlo. I proto, že byla zničená ze sjezdovek. Teď jsme zvládli kolem 20 kilometrů denně, což je na začátečníka skvělý výsledek, a naštěstí ji to chytlo. Takže příští rok můžeme zkusit nějakou vícedenní túru, kdy budeme pokaždé nocovat někde jinde.
Srní to Modrava
In a nutshell for those that have never skied: Cross-country skiing is something between hiking and cycling. Once you learn how to do it, it is way faster than the former, especially going downhill. However, similar to the latter, it requires well-maintained trails. You could try off-trail skiing, but it is way more demanding in terms of skiing technique and physical abilities. It could also be quite dangerous, depending on where you go. Plus, it might be forbidden to leave the trails as many lead through natural parks and protected areas. Anyways, ski trails in the Czech Republic are usually in good condition, and you can simply follow them as we did. We started off in Srní, a small village with a marvellous church.
Čechům asi není třeba běžecké lyžování představovat, tak pojďme rovnou do Srní, odkud jsme vyrazili.
Holy Trinity Church, Srní.
Kostel Nejsvětější Trojice, Srní
Srní water tower (yes, it is not an actual tower). The trails start here.
Vodárna. A taky začátek běžeckých tras.
A timber rafting channel from 1800. As most of the Šumava mountain range is protected nowadays, logging is regulated, and the channel does not serve its purpose anymore.
Dřevařský kanál z roku 1800. Šumava je národní park a chráněné území, tak už se tu dřevo těží jen omezeně. A kanál původnímu účelu neslouží.
Yet there were some logs...
I když na nějaké pokácené stromy jsme narazili.
Yes, there is a lot of snow...
Jojo, sněhu je dost.
Three-lake Bog, arguably the most famous Czech ombrotrophic bog. Alas, we couldn’t go any further.
Tříjezerní slať. Asi nejznámější česká slať. Ale dál jsme bohužel jít nemohli.
Mountain Huts Rokyta and Anežka.
Horské chaty Rokyta a Anežka
Porta-potties for skiers.
Mobilní kadibudky.
Entering Modrava. The very first thing you see is Lyer brewery (pivovar in Czech). Yes, that’s the way we live here ;) We did stop by and got some bottled beer as we did not want to drink in the middle of the trip. That approach is a bit unusual, though. Anyways, I will review the brewery in my next #beersaturday post.
A jsme v Modravě. To první, co potkáme, je pivovar Lyer. A takhle si tu v Česku žijeme ;) Koupil jsme lahvové pivo, protože jsme byli jen v polovině naší trasy. O pivovaru se ještě rozepíšu ve svém #beersaturday postu.
Modrava is one of the few villages around. Like Srní or Kvilda, it serves as a ski hub nowadays, offering both slopes for alpine skiing and trails for cross-country skiing.
Modrava je jedna z několika vesnic v téhle části Šumavy. Stejně jako Srní nebo Kvilda je dnes lyžařským střediskem, nabízí sjezdovky i běžecké tratě.
Modrava to Kvilda and Horská Kvilda
Filipova Huť
God's torment, a traditional Slavic religious object. This one is surrounded by a fen so the snow around melted.
Boží muka. Kolem je rašelina, a tak okolní sníh roztál.
The Church of St. Stephen in Kvilda village.
Kostel Sv. Štěpána v Kvildě.
Šumava, a statue that should personify the mountains.
Socha Šumavy.
I guess this guy is supposed to be Krakonoš, a mythical spirit of the highest Czech mountain range, the Krkonoše. I don’t really understand his presence, though, as the Krkonoše are like 200 km northeast from Kvilda.
Tohle je asi Krakonoš, i když to má do Kvildy trochu z ruky. Krkonoše jsou odsud přes 200 kilometrů...
Horská Kvilda is basically just a few buildings in a forest.
Horská Kvilda je víceméně jen několik baráků mezi lesy.
Highland cattle. They look cute, don't they?
Skotský náhorní skot. Vypadají roztomile, ne?
