Blog Archives - Page 8 of 8 - The Best Viewpoints

July 17, 2018 • 0 Comment

15 EU Peaks in 30 days! What happened during my first month?

Today it’s exactly one month since I climbed the first peak of my expedition EU Peaks. Exactly 30 days ago I was freezing and bitten by a swarm of mosquitoes in Estonia on the highest peak Suur Munamägi. Now I am chilling on a beach in Malta (not sure if chilling is a correct word since I got sunburnt) while it’s +32 degrees. The EU is amazing since it offers so much variety. Taking a scooter in the Baltics, biking through the Benelux, climbing sharp and snowy mountains in the high Tatras, hiking in remote mountains of the Balkans or facing the heats on Mediterranean islands are all so unique experiences that I can’t believe I experienced them during just one month!

Watching sunrise with my friends at Mount Olympus; camera Nikon D750; lens Nikon 20mm, f/1.8; Panorama made by 18 pictures – 6 pictures in a row; 3x Exposure bracketing

Some things went well, some wrong on my journey. I would like to make a short summary of my first month. Since I love statistics I am offering you a few numbers and facts:

The nicest mountain so far: Mount Olympus, Greece
The toughest mountain so far: Moldoveanu Peak, Romania
The best peak beer so far: Prešovský Medový ležiak 14° (Slovakian honey lager) on the Slovakian peak Gerlachovský Štít
I traveled from the Baltic Sea (Denmark, Aarhus) to the Mediterranean Sea (Greece, Thessaloniki) via Black Sea (Bulgaria, Varna) only by train
I took 19 trains and the whole travel journey by trains was ca 4400 km. All thanks to my Interrail card.
The only delayed trains I took were in Germany – three trains, each 20-30 minutes.
The overall elevation I climbed was 10 013 m (counting only the summit days, not extra hikes): 38m (Estonia), 45 m (Latvia) , 12 m (Lithuania), 3 m (Denmark), 1451 m (Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg- biking), 826m (Czech Republic), 1283 m (Poland), 1001 m (Slovakia), 22 m (Hungary), 1880m (Romania), 1463m (Bulgaria), 1862 m (Greece), 127 m (Cyprus)
Number of pictures and videos taken: 12 099 (358 GB)
Number of drone flights: 38 (13 579m)
Number of friends & family joined: 7
New good friends made: 5
Sunrises witnessed: 18
Number of rainy/snowy days: 4
Interviews for Radio Impuls: 12
Best experiences: Sunrises on EU Peaks; Taking a nap on a Latvian field and being woken up by a local farmer; Amazing overnight stays close to peaks in Bulgaria at Edene ezero hut and Greece at Christos Kakalos refuge with a lot of rakija; Biking through Benelux; tenting on 2461 m peak Mircii in Romania and watching milky way;
Worst experiences: Gravel roads in Latvia on scooter; Lost SD card in Luxembourg; Arguing with a stupid car rental company in Greece about a small scratch; sunburn in Cyprus; Missing Soccer World Cup final in plane
The biggest challenge: Almost no time to rest, sleeping every day at different spot, every day packing and unpacking
Agreements with amazing companies made: 6 (Interrail, Outnorth, Panosociety, Lifefood, Granitbiten, Pod 7 kilo)

Tenting on 2461m peak Mircii in Romania; camera Nikon D750; lens Nikon 20mm, f/1.8; Panorama made by 4 pictures in two rows; Single Exposures

Traveling through 15 EU countries in 30 days didn’t give me enough time to update my blog but you can be sure that an article about each EU Peak comes sooner or later. The rest of my journey will be more relaxed. Now I’ll have 45 days to reach the remaining 12 mountains. I can’t wait! Soon I will climb the mountain in Malta. Stay tuned.

My tips for following my expedition EU PEAKS

You can find daily updates on my Facebook and especially on Instagram where I upload also Instastories so you can be live with me.
If you have any questions about my expedition or if you would like to join me at one of the following mountains let me know here. Have a nice summer and don’t forget to climb at least one or two EU Peaks!

Snow on the way to the highest peak of Poland Rysy. What a view from the toilet; camera Nikon D750; lens Nikon 20mm, f/1.8; Panorama made by 18 pictures in two rows; 3times Exposure Bracketing

Snack at the highest point of Lithuania; camera Nikon D750; lens Nikon 20mm, f/1.8; Three times Exposure Bracketing

Fresh and hot breakfast at the highest point of Bulgaria; camera Nikon D750; lens Nikon 20mm, f/1.8; Twice Exposure Bracketing

June 19, 2018 • 0 Comment

Hell week – the last test before EU Peaks

Hell Week! What is it? Well, we didn’t know either. Our amazing one year Adventure Academy program ended with this mysterious term about which our leaders didn’t want to disclose any details in advance. We just knew that it will be a tough challenge in the mountains examining what we’ve learnt during the whole year. The goal was to check if we are ready for our summer adventures.

The only information we received before was: pack your backpack for four days in the mountains and bring your own food for the same time. The last part of the order made me calm since I was afraid our food supply would be restricted. What a relief.

We gathered in Stockholm on Wednesday morning to leave to the mountains. It took around 5 minutes until our food was confiscated. I still thought it would be returned to us in the evening. How naive I was. Yes, our 60 hours without food has started.

At the beginning we still had a smile on our faces

The worst part of the starving for me was actually in the car. Since I had a very small breakfast I got hungry very early. It took around 12 hours until the stomach calmed down and my body started to use my supplied energy (I don’t know from where but obviously there is). Finally, I was not hungry anymore. I just had a weird empty feeling in my stomach but nothing annoying.

When we arrived to Funäsfjället we could enjoy a nice late sunset in these charming Swedish mountains. Our first task was to cross a river. It was interesting to try how to cross a deep river with your backpack. We were cold but we didn’t get any food of course to warm up. Cool that my classmate Kristian got the idea to cook salty water. It was surprising how it warmed us up!

Camping in Swedish mountains has its charm

Next morning we were woken up at 8 o’clock. Pretty decent sleep and no wonder we didn’t receive any breakfast. Instead we got a challenge: To climb as many 1000m high mountains as possible during 12 hours. It was a beautiful day, surprisingly warm for the beginning of June. Last year at this time there were still people skiing. This time we could spot only the last small traces of snow. Great time for some hiking but without food?

One of the eight climbed 1000m peaks that day

Twelve hours hiking with a 20kg backpack resulted in tired but surprisingly not that hungry Jarda. Instead, I got sunburnt. Yes, the Swedish sun can be tricky. I hope to learn from this mistake which I’ve done already twenty-eight times for next year. Good that we were about to start camping and resting. However, a herd of reindeers showed up so we had to leave further 4km away not to scare their newborns.

Before we arrived to our new camping spot it started to rain like hell. It looks like our leaders ordered Hell Week all inclusive- 36 hours without food, sunburnt, tired after the whole day hiking in the mountains and completely wet. I was glad that I didn’t underestimate my packing and brought enough extra clothes. Finally, around 22:30 our tent was set and we could go to sleep.

Not for long! At 2:30 we got an alarm with information we have to leave somewhere. Our leaders took the Hell Week seriously and cut us off four of five survival needs: Food, Warmth, Sleep and Information. Cool that we still had access to the last one- water. I don’t want to sound like a superhero but I was very surprised how well I was managing. The only big difference from normal Jarda and Jarda on Hell Week was that Hell Week Jarda became very quiet. I think my body set this surviving mode to save energy.

The day got intense of course but with great activities. Besides long walking distances, we got an opportunity to canoe in a valley and to try via ferrata. I really enjoyed that day even though we had to do everything with our backpacks. Again.

Time for canoe

The day ended on a ferrata cliff above a deep valley with a beautiful viewpoint. The only thing which was missing for real happiness was a cold beer and food. Our leaders saw though that we might need some support to survive the rest of the Hell Week so we got two fish and a few pieces of vegetables. Not much but enough to make 14 hungry Hell Weekers happy at least for a short time. Our amazing classmate Eva was the only one not showing any remarks of exhaustion so she started to cook. I don’t know how she managed but her fish became definitely the most tasty fish in my life. It was not a big portion but simply a delicacy.

The best fish ever

Next morning after a decent sleep I woke up relieved. That didn’t last long though. When we packed our backpacks again and when we started to descend the mountain to meet our leaders again I got a huge crisis. I think my body expected to get back to normal eating habits after the piece of fish so my body escaped the surviving mode. I think that was the reason of my huge exhaustion. When we met our leaders we were told to mountain bike the whole day. During the whole Hell Week I was most annoyed that we never knew what is going to happen. The lack of information was for me the biggest problem of all five needs for survival, worse than hunger or insomnia. This time the information didn’t bring relief though. I was pretty sure that I wouldn’t manage another day full of activities without new energy.

We started to walk towards the bike rental shop and I was already thinking how long it will take until I give up. But suddenly we turned to a different direction, to the home of our rector and there were her children welcoming us with the song from the Rocky movie and especially with a table full of continental breakfast. Completely unexpected. Yes, we managed it. The Hell Week was over. I never thought that a look at ham with bacon can cause happy tears. We made it!

Celebration dinner

My last words are many thanks to our leaders who organised for us this tough but very valuable and educating experience. I am glad I could test my limits in a controlled and safe environment. Would you dare to try your limits too? I recommended it for all adventurers.

May 1, 2018 • 0 Comment

Preparation camp at Lofoten islands

My summer expedition EU Peaks will be a long trip with only short brakes so there will be no time for failures. That’s why I don’t want to underestimate the preparations. I go running almost every day and I am learning to use my equipment. During the last year I have bought a lot of new camera gear and I have learnt a new cool method to make panoramic pictures. I wanted to test everything before my trip so I am sure I can handle it. I wanted to do the test in a tough environment so I could see how I and my gear can manage extreme conditions. The result is: I decided to visit Lofoten islands.

What are Lofoten islands? To be honest I think it is the most beautiful place on our planet. You may wonder why I like such a cold place far behind the polar circle. But if you saw those sharp mountains scrambling out of a rough ocean I think you would quickly understand.

A panoramic view over Reinefjorden, Lofoten

April seemed to be a perfect month. It is the month with the most changeable weather and the strongest wind of the year. During this time you can expect all: rain, fog, snow, hail, rainbow and hopefully also sun and northern lights. Perfect for photographers. Hopefully, my girlfriend would enjoy it too.

The trip didn’t start the best. My ordered large backpack didn’t arrive in time so I looked like a turtle with two backpacks. As a bonus I got some Swedish food for the way. Yeah, Norway is expensive. Charming right?

That’s my choice though. I know that carrying 15 kg of camera equipment might be tough. However, there is no other option. If I want to capture perfect moments and make the best pictures from my expedition I need professional equipment and that unfortunately weighs a lot. I am now doing panoramic landscape photography where I usually use 9-45 pictures to create one final photo. This is the only way to provide excellent quality of my work and make it printable on a large scale. In a later post, I will go more in detail how I shoot for those interested.

Now just 18 hours train to Narvik which is btw. also a perfect training for summer. I will be mostly travelling by train. I think it is most fun. You meet many interesting people and it’s much better for the environment than planes. A pity that Swedish trains are reliable like the long-term forecast so we were four hours delayed. Fortunately, we reached Lofoten islands before sunset and they didn’t surprise us. They were beautiful as always. We were welcomed by this amazing sunset. Can you imagine a nicer place for an evening bbq?

A beach on the small peninsula Holdøya at the beginning of Lofoten

The following days were as expected. Very strong wind and very changeable weather. It prepared perfect conditions for photography. Look at some examples of my work.

View from a snowy football field in the village Henningsvær

The camera and all my lenses seem to work. The second step was to test my drone. I had to be very careful. It was extremely windy and I didn’t want to let it swim so I was very careful when choosing the time for takeoff. It showed up that wind should be weaker than 10m/s. I was lucky to fly a few times with a decent wind and it resulted in the following images. I have to admit that the drone can cope with very strong winds if it manages to take off. It was a very pleasant surprise.

Kvalvika beach

Planet of the village Henningsvær

Panoramic drone view from the small peninsula Holdøya

The biggest challenge was to come though. We wanted to reach one of the mountains and tent there to witness a nice sunset, sunrise and hopefully northern lights from above. I made myself a turtle again, this time a turtle with snowshoes and went up to the sky. It was definitely worth it. This was our view from the tent.

A view from a mountain close to the village Fredvang

The northern lights were a bit weak but the nature was forgiven after giving us this beautiful sunrise.

The nicest sunrise can be seen only from the mountains

I am happy I could test all my tripod, camera, three lenses and drone and I think I am ready for the summer. I made some mistakes but I am happy for them to happen now and not during my expedition.

See you soon Lofoten islands! I can’t let you be without me for a long time!

April 15, 2018 • 0 Comment

EU PEAKS – Why am I doing this and what is Adventure Academy?

Welcome to my blog. I will be writing here about my summer challenge EU Peaks during which I will climb the highest mountain of each EU member. If you know me personally you know what you can expect in this blog. Besides the actual expedition (which will start on June 15^th), you will be able to find here a lot of information about outdoor activities, travelling, mountains and of course photography.

But today I would like to explain why I am actually going to make this expedition, why I joined Adventure Academy and what this Adventure Academy actually is.

The best outdoor course in Scandinavia

First, I like to be challenged and I always wanted to make a large expedition on my own. I was lucky to meet my Czech friend Simona Hrstkova living in Stockholm. She talked about Adventure Academy and her summer expedition Extreme Wanderlust. I immediately knew that this is exactly what I would want to do too. One year long education about outdoor life followed by a summer adventure. Perfect combination to make my dream come true!

Second, the Adventure Academy is driven by the most successful people in the outdoor industry in the whole Sweden. Is there any better opportunity to meet people with the same interests and the same passion like I have? During the past few months I managed to meet and speak with a guy who’s been to both the North and South pole, a girl who biked all around the world, CEOs of the largest Scandinavian outdoor brands, my current mentors with experience from every outdoor field you can imagine and many others…

AA crew 2018

And finally, this project can push my photography career to a new level. My dream is to leave the office life and become a full time landscape photographer and the way towards this dream is long and tough. I hope my expedition will help me to reach my goal.

What will be my summer adventure?

So now you know the main reasons why I decided to join the Adventure Academy. The next step was to come up with a summer adventure. I wanted to do something with mountains because I think mountains are the most fascinating parts of our planet. Also, I wanted something challenging but safe, unique, interesting for media and most importantly something to inspire and attract other people to spend more time in nature. I came up with EU Peaks. I think it covers all the criteria. The expedition is long and tough enough to challenge me but on the other hand rather safe because the European Union is the safest region on our planet and only three peaks require actual climbing. I hope my story can be also interesting for media because I will be the fastest one to be on all 27 EU Peaks.

Hooray. So now you know a short background story of how it all started and let’s move on to what I’ve learnt during 6 months with Adventure Academy. We have a meeting every month for 1-5 days and we always have both theoretical and practical lessons in certain topic. So far we’ve had courses touching these areas: Climbing, Hypothermia, Back-country skiing + avalanche training.

You have to be a bit creative sometimes. It is possible to practice back country skiing course even in Stockholm

Exciting plans ahead

We were part of the largest outdoor fair in Scandinavia called Explore, where we joined many inspiring presentations (expedition planning, expedition marketing and PR, risk management, high altitude alpinism and film making). Until June we will have courses in navigation, kayaking, long distance biking and a mysterious Hell week about which we still don’t have much information. Our mentors don’t want to disclose any hints. Let’s see 🙂 I summarized these lessons very briefly. If you are interested in details, let me know and I can cover them in the future post.

AA meetings are always special, like this one during outdoor fair Explore when we slept on the fair’s roof

Meeting interesting companies

Besides the above mentioned lessons, we met CEOs of many interesting outdoor companies and we received amazing outdoor equipment from the main sponsors of Adventure Academy which will be very handy during my and my classmates’ expedition: Lundhags hiking boots, Gore-Tex jacket Marmot, Hydroflask thermos and bags from Outnorth.

Morning tea in New York with Hydroflask

What do you think about Adventure Academy and about my expedition EU Peaks? Are you thinking about joining next year? Would you also like to plan a unique expedition? If you have any questions you can contact me here.

The next post will be devoted to this season’s fantastic winter and my new hobby nordic skating. Stay tuned!