Welcome to the next episode of photo-series dedicated to hiking adventures. This time I present you first day of one of my most favorite treks of the last season which I took in Jeseníky mountains (Czechia) back in warm summer. The weather forecast for the day was so-so in terms of rainfall. Read on to learn how it came out😉
It is 6 AM, rucksack packed and already sitting on a train.
At 9 AM, finally on the road, starting out from a village Rejvíz. Nearby, you can come accross this - Čuráček - a stone for dogs when they need to take a leak.
Footpath goes through nice peat bogs with mossy pools around. If you are lucky, you spot beauty like this - orchid (dactylorhiza fuchsii), protected by Czech law.
No surprise there are plenty of annyoing mosquitos. You simply must keep going😆
First rock formation on the road in some ~900 m.a.s.l. They call it Pulpits (Kazatelny in Czech).
Here comes another one from Pulpits' rock formation.
High season for blueberries and cranberries. Freakingly delicious!
Mountain cranberries.
Forest Russian cemetery, loosely translated. A camp for war prisoners used to be at this place. Nowadays, there are photos of prisoners on the stones. If interested, you can read more in this Czech article. Almost noon, I better keep going.
I do not recognize this plant, but peacock butterflies are totaly crazy about its flowers.
Wild strawberies.
Half past 2 PM, weather does not look good when checking from the mountain Lysý vrch (1128 m.a.s.l.). It must be raining heavily behind the ridge. Damn, my sleeping out in a hammock is in danger as I am not well prepared for the rain😁
The highest mountain of Jeseníky, Praděd (1491 m.a.s.l.), with a communications tower, is rising in the background.
Quick snack🤣
Clouds everywhere - here, there, in the weather-apps too.
Almost 4 PM, need to make tough decision - either chance it and possibly get soaked, or go and cowardly get the last bus home...
Screw that! When you want to experience a cool adventure, you must make sacrifice, like possibly getting drenched. I keep going.
With more miles walked, less water remains. Luckily, this Marry's spring is not dried out!
Must fill up empty bottles quite quickly as this shady and humid spot is heaven for hordes of mosqitos. By the way, its water produces more farts then it is usual.
Alcove chapel with Virgin Mary.
It is 7 PM and I am getting nervous as I have not still found the right spot (=nice views) where to stay overnight. Besides, I had to climb into some 1100 m.a.s.l. Fatiguing in bright sun and heat, and with the heavy backpack. To fill up energy, I take one of these.
Quick views from rocks around the mountain Točník (1143 m.a.s.l.), the Jeseník town in the background.
At long last. Sweat-drenched I get to the ridge. Blueberries everywhere.
Praděd over there!
Simply love these narrow footpaths between blueberies.
Just checking where I am right now. That little bump above the horizon. That could be the right spot where to stay!
Almost there, below the last bloody ascent😆
Well at last! Rocks of the mountain Vozka (1377 m.a.s.l.).
Superb 360° views!
Zoom in on Keprník (1423 m.a.s.l.), the highest peak of this photo.
Problem - where to hang a hammock and enjoy views if there are no full-grown trees?! Damn, impossible to accomplish. Workaround - to sleep on the ground. That is the parchment scroll you can see on the right😆
Enjoying last sunshine until sun goes down. Notice the little pot (hole) which has been formed during hundreds of thousand years there. Praděd in the middle of the photo.
What a nice herb - bistorta major.
Sun is setting above another cool mountains Králický Sněžník.
Half past 8 PM, there will be no light in a bit, the highest time to make the bed.
The Praděd tower, the Moon at half past 9 PM.
The village far away, it could be Branná (where, among the other things, you can find awesome microbrewery Kolštejn).
Almost 11 PM. No rain, no wind, I am just happy with the weather. Stargazing, counting Musk's satelites...
Big Dipper above the rock! Now falling asleep. See you tomorrow morning...
Itinerary. Now I know why I was kind of tired: ↑1519m ↓928m
This was Saturday of July 25, 2020. Thank you for reading this post. If you like it, stay tuned as follow-up post covering the second day of this trek adventure Hike 28b will definitely come soon😁 Don't forget to check out my Pinmapple profile to see all places I have visited on the map! See you on the trail😉