Actually, how such blog should be started? Well, it seems that I should introduce myself first, so let's start with the best 14 of 2016. And since it is a travel/hiking photoblog, these will be the best trips, outings, strolls from pictures point of view. One could ask why exactly 14 of them, but why not? Does it have to be always "full" 10/20/100...? Besides this, it would be very difficult to remove something from this list - all of these pictures mean something to me. Furthermore, it would not make much sense to remove something only because somebody-somewhere-someday decided that it should always be a full number.
It was a quite nice beginning of the year - this time, the Witches' Mountain was very favorable for me and weather was just perfect. The price for pictures appeared to be not so high too - I have just lost one of my graduated filters, which was snatched up from my hand by the wind and dropped somewhere on the steep north slopes. Luckily, I had second one of the same type in my pocket - and this one I was holding in my hand very firmly ;) Full gallery from this trip you can find here: Winter sunrise at Mt Babia Gora.
Even if in valleys there is no snow at all, you can expect that higher you will find a lot of it - and is nice change from dirt and mud. This time I reached view tower at the top of the mountain quite early (there was still more than one hour to the sunrise),so you can imagine how surprised I was when I saw real crowd of photographers squeezed up at the top of the tower waiting for a light. Somehow, I was able to find little space for me and I was able finally to make few pictures. We could argue about negative impact of tower construction on the surrounding nature, but everyone has to admit that view from it is just stunning. Actually, if there was no tower on Mt. Lubań, there would be no point of going there - trees around top clearing are already so high, that they almost completely obstruct the view to the Tatras.
It was my first trip to the Tatras in 2016 - this time Mt Gęsia Szyja was my choice. Easy, simple and short path makes it rather stroll than ramble. Additionally, you can visit the Rusinowa Polana on the way - one of the most picturesque clearings in the area. And again, some surprise was waiting for me - despite of the early hour, when I was back to my car, ruthless guard charged me for full day, sigh...
This should be done (at least from time to time) by everyone: try to finish your work on time (instead of doing typical overtime),take your camera, your backpack and tripod and go somewhere for short stroll/ramble to watch sunset from some nice location. If you do it in the middle of the week (in my case it was Wednesday) I guarantee you that it will be a great experience. And - even in such popular place as Mt Mogielica - probably you will find nobody. If you are lucky and weather is good (in my case it was - there was a storm at that day but it ended before I left the car) then you have great chance for successful afternoon. It does not really matter that later you have to go back to your car through the forest in the night and the next day you have to get up early to go to work - such simple moments are staying in the memories for the very long time.
To be honest, Gran Canaria appeared to be not so beautiful as other Spanish islands to me, but the view from its highest peak is really stunning, especially to the west. You can see all other important mountains on the island: Roque Nublo crag, Mt Bentayga, Mt Altavista and Tenerife island with the Teide volcano makes this panorama perfect. And you can drive to the top with your car, so to see this panorama does not require much of a hassle. If you would like to see more pictures from Gran Canaria, go here.
July is the high time to visit the High Tatras. This time I was so eager to go there that I hit the trail despite terrible forecast (it was supposed to rain for whole weekend). And on Saturday, it was raining indeed for almost whole day and everything above Gąsienicowa valley was covered with fog and clouds (still I am wondering what I was counting on by going to Mt Kościelec at that day - visibility was limited to 10 meters at the top). But when my alarm clock rang in the middle of the night (which I spend in mountain refuge),it appeared that you can see some stars between clouds. For me that was enough to grab my backpack and go for a sunrise to Mt Zadni Granat. Well, sunrise itself could be little better, but still this ramble was nice, especially that weather was improving with every next hour.
Sometimes it is nice to go somewhere for a short, easy and relaxing stroll instead of another few hours ramble through high mountains. For such thing, Zborów Hill is perfect - way to the rocks from the nearest car park takes less than 10 minutes and views from the top are simply superior. Again, I had a lot of luck there - when I arrived, there was huge storm going through the area, but it went away just in time and it was followed by rainbow and awesome afternoon light.
My professional duties suddenly forced me to go to Atlanta, Georgia for a business trip. It appeared that there are some mountains there and they are quite interesting, despite being heavily wooded. You can find many water cascades, waterfalls or view points on rocky outcrops. The highest point of the state, Mt Brasstown Bald is unfortunately "decorated" with huge car park and concrete view tower, but other areas are still quite wild. Minnehaha Falls is one of less known waterfalls in the area but for me one of the nicest.
Yonah Mountain does not belong to the highest peaks in Georgia and it is almost totally wooded. However, at its western side you can find high rock face with impressive vertical drops providing nice views to the neighboring area.
It is difficult to believe but before this trip I have never been to the Slovakian part of the High Tatras. I started my ramble in Zdziar village and through Szeroka Bielska Pass and the Zielony Staw Kieżmarski I reached Jagnięcy Szczyt. This route is long and exhausting (first ascent to Szeroka Bielska Pass lacks of any interesting views, so it drags relentlessly),but during the rest of the trail you can enjoy impressive panorama of the group of the highest Tatra's peaks with the Lodowy Szczyt, the Durny Szczyt and Mt. Łomnica in the foreground.
At the top of the Jagnięcy Szczyt my patience was tried again - with my every step closer to the top, weather was becoming worse and worse. At some point, I even decided to turn back, but then clouds started to disperse. I ran back to the top where I could enjoy (accompanied by wild mountain goats with artistic temperament) wonderful sunset.
When you do something for the first time, its taste is usually the best. That's was the case for me when I went to the Hruby Wierch - it was my first off-trail ramble in the High Tatras. And views from the top are outstanding - waaaaaay better than from neighboring Mt. Furkot (which is more popular off-trail destination): you can see so many interesting peaks from here: Satan, Solisko, Krywań, Wysoka, Rysy, Gerlach...
It was again middle of the week, but this time instead of mountains I went to one of rocks located at the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland. This rock is not so well known one (if you are not a climber) but it has quite nice view and western vertical rock face is quite impressive. Just perfect location for quiet afternoon in September.
This is one of classic routes in the High Tatras, especially in October, when grass has already rusty color, leaves on the trees are yellow or red and you can see clouds madness in the sky. Unfortunately, when we reached the top, clouds covered exactly everything around. Bad luck... Well, at least I have reason to go there again next year.
I decided to spend my short October-November vacation in Saxon-Bohemian Switzerland, which was of course another excuse to get up early and make photos of fantastic sandstone rocks. Surprisingly, the best pictures were not taken by me at the most famous locations in the area such as the Bastei Bridge or the Pravčicka Gate but on two table mountains: Gohrisch and Lillienstein. Latter one is quite well known among hikers and photographers, but first one seems to be a not discovered gem of the region. It is quite small comparing to other mountains in the area, but its top is a real maze of sandstone rocks and narrow passages. And view from the top is one of the best in the region.
November usually means really awful weather, so you have to snatch every opportunity for pictures: the day when I went to Mt. Jasień was one of only few bright ones in November 2016. Initially, I was little disappointed in the view from the Skalne clearing but later, when I was browsing my pictures at home, it appeared that they are not so bad after all. By the way, when you are there, it is worth going to another clearing (Łąki) at western slopes of Jasień, where you can enjoy nice view of the Witches' Mountain on the horizon.