Let's go hiking!!!

Is your country mountainous or is it as flat as a pancake? Funny question, right? However, believe it or not there exist countries with just a few small hills such as Kuwait, Belarus, Latvia or Gambia. As I am the mountain lover, I am lucky my country is one of the mountainous ones because I do love hiking and walking in the nature, especially in the forests of the mountains, which I find very relaxing and refreshing.. luckily I don't have to travel so far away as just 30 km from my place (almost around the corner) are the closest mountains...

Anyway, talking about hiking in the mountains… let me ask some important questions: "How can I know, where to walk? What is the best route? What if I might get lost somewhere in the middle of the forest?" I bet some of you would be happy, others would even celebrate, if I got lost, died alone hungry and exhausted or was killed and eaten by some wild animal….. ehmmm but let me disappoint you little bit because it can hardly happen, guys :D Firstly - there aren't so many dangerous animals in our forests and secondly - nowadays we are living in era of the GPS devices, so by using it one can hardly get lost even though let me add that the signal isn't all the time perfect (especially not in the forersts with the tall trees). Sooo… how come that Luci can hardly get lost in the forest?

Let me disclose this secret right here and right now, ok? I don't want to make you more curious and tensed. Well.. many years ago after the World War II - The Czech Tourist Club - decided to mark the routes for the tourists in the mountains. The volunteers were busy like bees, which is something admirable and created many kilometers of the trails. Guess what? Nowadays there exists a net with more than 40.000 km of the marked paths in the Czech republic not just in the mountains but also connecting interesting touristic places such as the castles, the caves etc. (btw just take in consideration that my country is not that large).

Now you are asking yourself: "How does it look like? Marked routs?" Well… as I am one of the tourists I take often in the forest pictures, so for better imagination, check these MARKS, which are mostly on the trees, sometimes on the stones etc. In fact there are four types of them – represented by four colours – red, green, yellow and blue. Logically the colours are related to the difficulty of the paths.

Another very useful things are the tourist boards with the information. As you can see there is written where you will get and the distance in the kilometers. In Slovakia they meassure the distance in hours but I guess kilometers are better because everybody has different tempo of walking..

To make this all system work – Czech touristic club also came up with the touristic maps of the different areas of our country. Either you can buy them or you can use internet or follow your GPS – I would say nowadays people don't prefer that much paper like they did in the past. My parents have many of such maps at home because we used to spend every holidays in the mountains, had fun and walked many kilometers together so let me show you, how such map looks like:

Anyway, I am sure that this idea got spread into other parts of the world and we are not for sure the only one using this mark rout system. This year I came across it in Croatia on my holiday and felt so flattered because in the past this area was occupied a lot by the Czech tourists and our Touristic club marked even here some paths. So let me just show you that I found my own church (Church of Saint Lucie) with the board here :p

So what about your country? Have you ever come across something similar?

All the pictures are mine apart form the map Picture, which was taken from:

https://www.kralovstvimap.cz/48-jeseniky-rychlebske-hory-turisticka-mapa-150-t/d-89760/

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  • Sure we have mountains here in Java. The nearest mountain from my place could be about 2 hours drive.
  • Cool, Luci! I just know about the marks.

    Me? Hiking?? :D You know I'm afraid of those animals without bone. :D Never, nor intend to. I'd rather walking or running. :D But I love the nature actually.
  • Oh what a cool blog Luci,  I love hiking!! ^_^

    Long time ago I did what is known in Spain as the Way of Saint James ("Camino de Santiago") It's like a pilgrimage to the city of Santiago de Compostela, but of course, I didn't make it for religious reasons but cultural ones. It was a great experience and we made more than 100km in a 4 days hiking. Anyway, the thing is that you barely need any map 'cause you just have to follow the yellow arrow's signs:

    47251560-Camino-de-Santiago-concha-y-flecha-marca-de-peregrinos-a-la-catedral-de-Compostela-Galicia-Espa-a-Foto-de-archivo.jpg

    Btw another good thing to do when we go hiking is to take a bag or something with us to pick up the garbabe that other stupid people left in the middle of the forest ¬¬ 

    Yes, it's sad but there are idiots everywhere who throw garbage in the Nature instead of just to stay at home and throw it in their living rooms. 

    Exhibit A) Garbage I picked up last time i was hiking (in only 20 min walking) in what it's a nature reserve:

    2644046093?profile=originalOfc, i didn't threw this myself! But if i see garbage in the Nature and I don't pick it up just 'cause it's not mine, I'm same responsible if I ignore it and keep walking.

    I thought about writing a blog about this issue before... but atm I just take advantage of your blog for saying my speech... sorry! XD

    Thanks for sharing another interesting blog :)

  • :)))) Hmmm... The sentence of 4 words, without vowels! I just recalled that moment from the movie "Bruce Almighty" when Bruce made Evan Baxter to say "jdyugj&846ugvjxbhffj6&+)@ghx" during the live news :) Ok, it is true, you almost have not the chances to lost...
    Thank you Lucinka! :)
  • Roman.. hahahaaa... damn! I am not that one who invented Croatian language but lol as u like such words like crkva - let me tell you one cool Czech tongue breaker: Strč prst skrz krk! Haha no syllabs ...it means put your finger inside of your throat!
    Why would I get lost as I go usually with my family but ofc course it can happen you overlook some arrow on the tree - in this case you should go little bit back hahaa...
    I used to sleep in a tent when I was younger in the middle of nowhere, so I can even cook over the open fire hehee... ehm north or south - what about anthills or Nort-Star :D hahaa or i know also sth abt clocks and sun but nowadays we all check time on phone hahaa..
    Thanks for liking it and I hope one day you can visit my country or Slovakia is closer (btw they have awesome mountains High Tatras) and test how it works...
  • AG, everything is about our plans we make! Just take a day off...and enjoy some walking in the mountains with relatives or friends!
  • Hi Lucinka! Wow! You got the church! CRKVA SVETA LUCIJA. Cool! But let me ask, why there, in the word "CRKVA" are 4 consonants and only ONE vowel that is in the END of the word? What a discrimination?:P

    Yes, I also like to hike and especially to climb a mountain or hill. And I like that Czech marking system.

    But what if something happen and you will get lost and there will be only trees without marking, around you? Do you know the main rules, how to survive in the forest? For example, how to find where is North, where is East, if you can't see the sun? Or how to find the water to dring.

    And I like those names "Zapudov" and "Zakopana" :) What is the meaning of them?

    Thank you for sharing this informative blog!

  • very interesting and thrilling system..  I also like mountains... unfortunately, let me say that I don't have many chances to go out and hang out in the nature.. it's something I really lack.. but I wish I would be able to change in future.. 

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