"I travel not to anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move. "
Robert Louis Stevenson, Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes
Beskids, Jeseníky, Moravia
[dropcap] 4 [/ dropcap] days off, we haven't had that long ago. Although the weather was not encouraging, we decided to go to the mountains. The basic problem that concerned us was WHERE. So we decided to go to a place where there are no mountains, but it lies at an equal distance from several ranges. Rybnik - far away everywhere: Beskids, Jeseníky, Moravia, and the Tatra Mountains. Analyzing the weather, we were able to choose to avoid the announced storms. Mostly we have succeeded.
Day 1. 152 km
We start with a loop I complete many times a year. Starting from Wisła, we drive through Koniaków to Żywiec. Then over Mount Żar and through Magurka and Salmopol to the car. It's not easy, and it never is on this route – whether you're driving through snow in winter, sunshine in summer, or, like us, somewhere on the verge of rain. We miscalculated, and unfortunately, instead of admiring and savoring the views, we have to slow down a bit as darkness closes in. Fortunately, we manage to make it both before the storm and before the oscypek cheese stands close. The road didn't surprise us in any way. It's as pleasant as ever. The fatigue is the same. [map style=”width: auto; height:400px; margin:20px 0px 20px 0px; border: 1px solid black;” maptype=”ROADMAP” gpx=”https://media.hopcycling.pl/wp-content/uploads/Odpoczynek, day I _ I'm done with the Beskids, we're going to other mountains….gpx” elevation=”no”]
Day 2. 130 km
On the second day, we decide to visit some friends who came to my favorite Czech mountains. I usually set off from Bruntál, but this time we're a bit further to the starting point. But it's worth it. Both the views and the quality of the asphalt make up for the long drive. It's always the same in the Czech Republic. It's supposedly the same as here, but the roads are better, there's less traffic, the hills are higher, and the grass is greener. A standard loop, passing Praděd, where we freeze at the top. It's colder than cold – especially on the descent. [map style=”width: auto; height:400px; margin:20px 0px 20px 0px; border: 1px solid black;” gpx=”https://media.hopcycling.pl/wp-content/uploads/Odpoczynek, day II_ completely different mountains, the fatigue remains the same.gpx” elevation=”no”]
Day 3. 137 km
On the third day, we don't know what to do; the forecast says it's raining everywhere. So we find a random, good-looking track on MapMyRide, load it onto our Garmin, and head for Ostrava. There, we park at a supermarket and set off. It's hard to say anything about the weather; the sky is blue above us, and everywhere, there are clouds the color of overly salty soup advertisements. The Czech Republic is the Czech Republic, empty and smooth, a bit like our countryside, only somehow better, with the occasional cyclist. Kofola, Lentilky, and festivals. I'd add Moravia to the list of places definitely worth visiting: despite the low hills, there are even some serious pans – a substitute for real mountains, with a capital "G." The clouds are getting closer, but we're still riding in the sun. The last 15km are a disaster, though. After three minutes, thankfully, it doesn't matter. After all, we won't get any wetter. We return in such a state that our clothes probably won't dry by the end of the day. So we abandon the Tatra Mountains idea and, after changing, head straight back to Warsaw. Marcin has the Baltic Sea-Bieszczady Mountains in a week, so he could use a rest, and on Sunday I'm setting off on my standard loop, with the standard group. [map style=„width: auto; height:400px; margin:20px 0px 20px 0px; border: 1px solid black;” gpx=”https://media.hopcycling.pl/wp-content/uploads/Odpoczynku dzień III_ We're waterproof, we're unenooormaal…..gpx” elevation=”no”]
