Running, hiking, biking

Category: en

  • Tematín and Beckov castle with David

    Tematín and Beckov castle with David

    Inspired by the mini-book Považská castle road, which we managed to get last time at Uhrovec castle and which immediately kicked me off to new adventures, we went to Tematín castle. Tematín is located in the Považský Inovec mountains in the west of Slovakia. It was created around the year 1250 near the border of Hungary after the invasion of Tatar troops on other territory. In 1710, the castle was damaged and has been abandoned since then, fortunately volunteers took over and its reconstruction began.

    Entrance to Tamatín castle

    Tematín is not one of the castles you can drive to by car, you have to step on it, and you can choose from several routes. We chose the 5-kilometer route from the village of Lúka, which at the end overcomes quite a large elevation gain.

    Renovated buildings of Tematín Castle

    At the castle there is a symbolic entrance fee, a buffet, and one beautifully reconstructed residential part, the remaining ruins are either partly reconstructed, or their reconstruction is still waiting.

    Tematín

    There is a beautiful view from the castle and during our visit there were even workshops for children.

    Tematín

    There was also a map of the above-mentioned Považská castle road, and when I found out that the Beckov castle was only a short distance from us, there was no way back and it was the next (unplanned) stop on today’s trip.

    As for Beckov, you can get almost to the castle by car, the castle is really big and largely renovated. What is no longer symbolic is the entrance fee and parking fee:D

    Inside the castle, there are even exhibitions with original ceramics, games, period clothing, you can put together a wooden puzzle of the castle, watch videos about life in the castle, or write with a quill pen. The chapel has beautifully restored windows and some rooms have also been restored. However, we liked the castle well the most, which was guarded by a dragon, even though we had to climb a lot of stairs to get to it.

    The courtyard at the Beck castle

    For this castle, the hour we had left until the final session is definitely not enough, I recommend that you reserve at least two 🙂

    Period dining at the Beck castle

    Dávid was 7 years old at that time.

    11.91km, 3:20 active time, 4:24 total, 433 metre ascend
  • Castle Uhrovec with Dávid

    Castle Uhrovec with Dávid

    We’ve already visited all the castles in our immediate area, so now we have to travel quite a bit further for adventure. I’d had my eye on Uhrovec Castle for a while, and when the timing finally worked out, we set off one sunny Saturday to explore it.

    It was just Dávid and me, so I entered “Uhrovecké Podhradie” into the GPS. Don’t trust the car’s navigation system! It led us to the end of the road and then tried to send us another 7 kilometers through the forest. After a quick look at the map, I managed to correct the destination, though we had already made a good half-hour detour. We didn’t drive right up to the foot of the castle; I chose a slightly longer route—after all, the weather was beautiful—so we walked across the meadows to Uhrovec instead. And the meadows rewarded us with lovely crocuses.

    Crocuses

    A hiking sign by the parking lot below the castle indicated it was a 45-minute walk to the top; Dávid took this as a challenge and practically ran up the hill. We reached the castle in 25 minutes—and even that was only because I couldn’t keep up. 😀

    On our way to castle

    Uhrovec Castle is located in the Strážov Mountains; it features a well-preserved chapel and towers, as well as a large palace where one can still see a fireplace, latrines, and cisterns.

    Castle entrance gate

    The castle was very well situated; consequently, it did not become a center of combat, and it is said that for this reason, it was never conquered.

    However, the castle lost its original function during the 18th century and began to fall into ruin after a fire in 1848. Currently, there are efforts to save and restore it.

    partially renovated building

    There is even a snack bar at the castle, and if you’re lucky, very friendly ladies will be frying up fresh langoše and doughnuts (we were lucky enough to have one of those langoš as an afternoon snack).

    Cannon and embrasure
    Castel ruins

    Dávid was 7 years old at the time of the trip.

    7.88km, 2:22 active time, 3:00 total, 379 metre ascend
  • SNP girl’s project, day 17

    SNP girl’s project, day 17

    The next stage of the SNP Heroes’ Trail,was taking us from the Štós Spa to Dobšinský Kopec. A long stage lay ahead, compounded by a lengthy drive that required a very early start. We left Bystrica at 4:30 AM, and I enjoyed my breakfast and morning coffee in the car along the way. We arrived at the Štós Spa at 7:15 AM, and just a few minutes later, we were already jogging along the red-marked trail.

    The air warmed up quickly, and after just a few kilometers, I was already changing from my jacket into shorts. There were supposed to be plenty of springs along the route, so we were each carrying only two half-liter bottles—supplies that were disappearing very fast. The first water source was supposed to be at the Pipitka hunting lodge, but when we ran up to it full of hope, there wasn’t a single drop of water. We quickly scanned the map for the next spring, as we were down to our last two deciliters of water. Fortunately, the nearest spring was only 3.5 km away, so we pressed on.

    At first, the route was less generous with views.

    At the SNP Úhorná shelter, we run into two guys who spent the night there and ask about water. They tell us that while there is water at the Smolník spring, it’s only a trickle; they had placed a cut-off bottle there the day before, and we are welcome to take whatever has collected in it. They saved us at least half an hour of waiting for the water to drip into all our bottles (thanks to them, we filled five out of six very quickly). And while we wait for that last half-liter, we snack on bread rolls and refuel.

    The early autumn in Slovak mountains

    We are crossing the Úhorná Pass, and halfway to Skalisko we meet Jožko, who had driven the car to the finish point and was running back to meet us. He is much faster than we are, so we have covered almost the same distance—he has 30 kilometers, and we have 31.

    After Volovec mountain hut

    We head down from Skalisko to the Volovec mountain hut—partly for a radler, and partly because we’re running out of water again, with the next supply 15 kilometers away. The radler is wonderfully refreshing for all of us, and after half an hour, we’re back on our feet, heading toward Súľová Saddle.

    View on HighTatras

    From the saddle, one more nasty climb awaits us, and after that, they say it’s just rolling hills. Well, you need energy for rolling hills, too! 😀

    On the climb from Súľová Saddle

    Along the way, we pass the Gálová shelter—a beautiful spot with a stunning view—though the cabin was closed for disinfection.

    View from Gálová
    Shelter Gálová

    Next comes a run down a forest path—finally a more relaxed stretch leading to the Suchý Vrch lookout tower, where we leave the cycle path and have to start climbing uphill again. Honestly, we’re pretty worn out; we’ve got over 50 kilometers in our legs, and every little hill is starting to feel like a challenge.

    Viewpoint Suchý vrch

    We finally reach the Kruhová saddle—a spot we already know, having run the next section from this point—and thanks God, there are only 5 kilometers left. We’re out of steam, so we walk the rest of the way as the sun sets. Even so, we’re all happy we made it.

    62.1km, 9:23 active time, 10:55 total, 2399m ascend
  • 5 lakes trail with Matterhorn views

    5 lakes trail with Matterhorn views

    We had two possible routes planned for today: a shorter one starting from Zermatt, going up past the five lakes and back to Zermatt, or a longer one extending all the way to Täsch.

    Matterhorn training

    In the morning, we drove to Täsch—essentially the last point accessible by car; beyond that, you can only travel on foot or by the Zermatt train. Since we had big plans for the day, we opted for the train. It operates as a shuttle service running every half hour.

    First view on Matterhorn

    In Zermatt, we waited for the guys running the Ultra Trail Monte Rosa, cheered them on, and then headed towards the mountains 🙂

    Crystal-clear water reflecting the hills

    Our first challenge was a training route for the Matterhorn—a 1.1 km-long path from Zermatt to the Sunnegga cable car station. What makes it a training route is the 600-meter elevation gain from start to finish; it is truly steep!

    If you complete it in under 45 minutes, you’re “Matterhorn fit”; 55 minutes is borderline, and anything over 60 minutes puts you out of the running. I managed to hike it in 34 and a half minutes, though I was only carrying a fully packed running backpack—which probably doesn’t count as Matterhorn gear 🙂

    Glacier water inMoosjisee

    The 5-Lakes Trail starts at Sunnega—taking in Tellisee, Grindjisee, Grünsee, Moosjisee, and Leisee—though I couldn’t say for sure which is which anymore 🙂

    The circuit around them is 10 kilometers long, and you can even swim in two of them. This loop offers beautiful views of the Matterhorn.

    A lake where you can swimm

    Since we still had time and the will, we decided to save the 8-franc train fare and walk to Täsch instead. It’s a fantastic, scenic walk, as you spend most of the time above the tree line. One section was a bit unsettling due to the risk of rockfalls; along a stretch of about 900 meters, there were four shelters where one could take cover should such a slide occur. Fortunately, nothing happened while we were there.

    And as a final bonus, there was a beautiful waterfall at the beginning of Tasch.

    Tasch Waterfall
    27.5km, 7:30 active time, 9:59 total, 1319 metres ascend
  • Europahutte and one of Europe’s longest suspension bridges (Switzerland 2026)

    Europahutte and one of Europe’s longest suspension bridges (Switzerland 2026)

    We set off in the morning from the village of Randa towards the Europahütte. The Europahütte was built by the Randa community in 1999; it offers accommodation for up to 42 people, serves meals, and boasts a beautiful view from the terrace.

    waterfalls above Chuebodmen

    The Europahütte can be reached via several hiking trails; we chose the route through Chuebodmen, followed by an ascent along the Birchbach stream, which features several waterfalls.

    Waterfall

    From Europahütte, we descend to the Charles Kuonen Suspension Bridge (which is no longer the longest, though it held that title for five years).

    The climb is done; the Europahütte is just around the corner.
    A modern metal bridge replaced the original wooden one here.
    View to the Zermatt valley
    Europahutte

    The suspension bridge measures 500 meters in length, with an 85-meter drop beneath its deepest point. It opened in 2017 to replace the Europabrücke bridge; seven years earlier, that bridge had been destroyed by a rockslide after just two months of operation, forcing hikers to descend 500 meters into the valley—which made the route less attractive and caused visitor numbers to drop.

    The suspension bridge
    Seemingly endless

    Surprisingly, the construction of the bridge took a local company only two and a half months. Incidentally, Charles Kuonen is the owner of a local winery and was the main sponsor of the bridge’s construction.

    On the way down, we could still admire the views of the glaciers. Who knows how much longer they’ll be there?
    10.83km, 3:38 moving time, 4:37 total, 949 meters ascend
  • Jegihorn (Switzerland 2026)

    Jegihorn (Switzerland 2026)

    In the morning, we drove from Grächen to Saas-Grund, where we bought one-way cable car tickets to Hohsaas (the adult fare was 37 francs). The cable car took us from an altitude of 1,550 meters up to a stunning 3,140 meters, saving us half a day of hiking 🙂

    View from the upper cable car station

    Not far from the cable car, you will find the Hochsaas mountain hut as well as a circular trail that took us past the 18 peaks of the Saas Valley that rise above 4,000 meters.

    There are information boards here where we could read about the specific characteristics of the peaks, as well as historical milestones—such as when a particular peak was first summited.

    Mattmark in the background

    We also walked past a small glacial lake, and a young capricorn posed for us; it wasn’t afraid of us at all and allowed us to approach within just about 20 meters.

    Capricorn

    The next item on the itinerary was Jegihorn, which I was a bit affraid of, as the maps marked it not as a hiking trail, but as an easy climbing route.

    From Jegihorn

    By the way, the highest via ferrata in Switzerland also leads up it. Jegihorn stands over 3,200 meters tall and offers a magnificent panoramic view of the surrounding area.

    Glacial lake – Fellsee

    We descend from Jegihorn to Kreuzboden, admire the reflection of the mountains in the small lake, and enjoy our only draft beer of the entire trip to Switzerland 🙂

    View on Saas Fee
    One of the most beautiful views of the 4,000-meter peaks above the Saas Valley.

    We aren’t ready to head home just yet, though, so we opt for a detour via the Alpenblumenpromenade towards AlmagellerAlp.

    On the Alpenblumenpromenade

    Along the way, we are also treated to a view of the Mattmark Reservoir. We return to Saas-Almagell via the “Adventure Trail”—a route that is technically more demanding but far more interesting.

    It leads across two suspension bridges, ladders, and peg-style steps, making for a fantastic finale to a great day.

    19.73km, 6:32 moving time, 9:07 total, 918m ascend
  • Wannehorn (Switzerland 2026)

    Wannehorn (Switzerland 2026)

    Wannehorn rises to an elevation of 2,669 meters above sea level, towering over the village of Grächen in the Swiss canton of Valais. In good conditions, it offers a panoramic view of the surrounding area.

    HannigAlp

    We set out from Grächen in the morning and hiked up to Hannigalp (which is also accessible by cable car); after navigating a few switchbacks, we reached the ridge, revealing views of the neighboring valley. Cranberries and blueberries grew all around us, and most of them were beautifully ripe.

    View to Saas Valley

    A little higher up, however, the vegetation disappeared, and the path led across rocks and scree. We were unlucky that day, as a cloud rolled over the summit just as we arrived, so there were no views to speak of—the only thing we could see was the cross at the top.

    Clouds partially obscured the views.

    We had planned to reach Grächan via a loop beneath Seetalhorn, but the original hiking trail was closed due to a rockslide and a high risk of further falling rocks. We therefore chose to bypass this dangerous area, even though it meant gaining elevation again.

    On the way back to Grächan, we came across two more viewpoints, and this time the view really opened up. At one spot, we were even able to relax in a hammock.

    Relaxation spot under Seetalhorn

    We were returning past the “Zum See” pond, which is located just above the village of Grächen.

    18.97km, 6:01 active time, 8:27 total, 1441 meters ascend
  • SNP girl’s project, day 16

    SNP girl’s project, day 16

    We finally made it happen! We had planned this stage about five times before, but we always had to postpone it due to unsuitable weather on the ridge or other issues. And so, we finally ran from Telgárt all the way to Čertovica.

    Flowering heather

    We park in Telgárt near the church, at the exact spot where our previous stage ended. We jog through the town and soon reach the turnoff into the woods. It rained yesterday, so the grass and trees are still wet—which, of course, means my feet get wet after just a short while. We climb first through dense forest, then pass beneath power pylons up to the mountain pastures; the weather shifts between sun and fog, warmth and cold.

    Cranberries and blueberries

    On the way to Kráľova hoľa, nature put on a magnificent spectacle for us, but at the summit itself, everything was shrouded in an impenetrable fog that clung to us for quite a few kilometers more.

    In ascend to Kráľova hola

    At Andrejcová, we took a break for a beer and a bite to eat, and refilled our bottles at the spring. I had been looking forward to the view of the High Tatras—which is magnificent from there—but we weren’t granted that sight today, so we carried on.

    A path through the mountain pine
    Rolling fog

    The sun shone for the rest of the journey, and thanks to yesterday’s rain, the springs were full.

    Every now and then, a view would open up in the second half.

    However, from the Ramža shelter almost all the way to Čertovica, the trail was quite overgrown, so running was more or less out of the question, and we made slow progress. Personally, I enjoyed the first half of the day much more than the second, despite the strenuous climb up Kráľova hoľa.

    45km, 9:25 active time, 9:46 total, 2704 meter ascend
  • Great Fatra mountain ridge

    Great Fatra mountain ridge

    This time we chose the easier option from Staré hory to Ružomberok. We parked the car in Staré hory near the chapel at 5:30 in the morning and, following the blue hiking trail, we started climbing to Majerova skala, which offers a beautiful semicircular view of the surrounding hills and valleys from its rocky plateau at an altitude of 1283 meters above sea level.

    From Majerova skala to Krížna

    From Majerova skaly we continue to Krížna, on the ridge the wind is really blowing and it is cold, it feels like 8 degrees Celsius, so we continue through Frčkov, Ostredok and do not stop until we are in the lee below Ploska, where we turn to the cottage below Borisov. I have been to the cottage a few times, but never to Borisov itself, so we are going to warm up by climbing up. Borisov is 1510 meters high and the climb to it is steep. However, it will reward us with circular views, where with good visibility it is possible to see Poľana or the Low Tatras.

    From Borišov

    We gather at the hut below Borišov, where we have a radler and a sandwich (our proven source of energy for longer runs).

    The temperature rises and we climb Ploska, where by chance we become participants in the 43rd year of the Ploska climb, we even receive a participation certificate :). We leave the red mark and after a little praise, which is accompanied by yellow, we turn onto the green mark below Čierny Kameň. By the way, my favorite craft brewery is also named after this distinctive rock formation :). There is also a nature reserve of the same name here, which is supposed to protect the primeval forest of spruce, rowan and maple. It is really beautiful here.

    On Ploská

    We continue under Minčol to Rakytov. Rakytov (1,567 m above sea level) is the highest peak of the Liptov branch of the main ridge of the Great Fatra and provides a circular view, and when climbing it you have to pass through an impressive rock gate.

    Views from Rakytov, Ploská in background

    The Smrekovica mountain hut awaits us and we are already looking forward to refreshment. However, we will not stay there for long, because we do not dare to estimate how long it will take us to Ružomberok, where we have to catch our only bus back to the Staré hory. We run along a path lined with ripe blueberries until the Šiprún saddle, if we had time, we could eat our fill, there are so many of them. The only piece of asphalt on the route from the saddles under Vtáčnik to the Vlkolínec meadows awaits us.

    Blooming thistles accompanied us everywhere

    Ahead of us lies the final major climb up to Sidorovo; the path is steep and our legs are already reluctant, but fortunately, the summit is less than a kilometer away, and a viewpoint awaits us at the top. Vlkolínec lies spread out beneath us, and we can also see the Low Tatras, the Liptov Basin, and even the High Tatras. A few more undulations lie ahead, followed simply by the descent into Ružomberok through the calvary.

    Sidorovo

    We arrived in Ružomberok an hour before the bus, so we just walked through the city, bought orange mineral water at the store, and the 3 liters just disappeared inside us.

    View on Sidorovo

    Our legs are dirty with dust up to our knees, so we use the time to get to the bus and wash them in the local park with the water we had left in our bottles, the sight of us must have been comical 😀

    50.79km, 9:08 active time, 10:15 total, 3011m ascend
  • Kľak, Veľký Lysec, Katova skala

    Kľak, Veľký Lysec, Katova skala

    The original plan for this day was Malá Fatra, but when we arrived at the place it was raining heavily. We checked the forecasts (I use the Ventusky application, where I can see the weather development by the hour) and the decision was made to finally move to Veľka Fatra, where it was not supposed to rain all day, but only for about two hours. A quick replanning of the route and off we go.

    We stop in the village of Podhradie, from where we climb almost 1000 vertical meters to Kľak. After about the first kilometer it starts to rain, so we put on waterproof jackets, but our feet are completely wet. The rain accompanies us all the way to the last meadow just below Kľak.

    Meadovw below Kľak

    But for me, it has its own charm, the water evaporating and creating a rolling fog is mystical, and we hardly meet anyone on the hiking trails.

    Meadow belowKľak

    I’ve been to Kľak once before, but now the surroundings, shrouded in mist, look completely different. At the top, I’m pleased with the stone with the inscription: A crown that not everyone can bear -> the goal. However, for us, Kľak is not the goal, but only part of the journey:)

    On the top of Kľak
    Fog on Kľak

    We are considering whether to just go along Jarabiná and back from there, or turn off at Malý Lysec. It is not raining, although our feet are constantly wet, because the narrow path leads through dense blueberry bushes, on which a lot of water still remains. However, at Jarabiná we continue along the ridge, the running is good and we do not want to end prematurely.

    Heavy clouds accompanied us almost the whole day

    After the small Lysec we turn to Lysec, the sun is breaking through the fog and it is hot, but at its peak the fog completely covers our views. It doesn’t matter, the path leads through a beautifully flowered mountain meadow and makes up for it. From Lysec we go down to the valley, the path is muddy and slippery, I don’t know how we managed to stay on our feet the whole time and not bathe in the mud:D

    Evaporating water

    We continue to Sklabinsky podzámok, where the signposts promise craft beer, I’m starting to get excited. However, there’s a sign in front of the restaurant door that says they’re only opening at 4 today due to the rain. I like beer, but I’m definitely not going to wait two hours for it 🙂

    From Katova skala ( Executioner’s Rock)

    We climb the Katova skala (Executioner’s Rock), a viewpoint from which we return to Podhradie. The Executioner’s Rock owes its name to the executioner from Sklabin Castle, for whom it served as a place of execution. The rock is also associated with a tragic legend. According to it, a young girl is cursed in the rock, who was locked in it by a tyrant to force her to become his wife.

    39.41km, 6:38 active time, 7:28 total, 2421m ascend