u/lostwandererHR

A beautiful autumn day was perfect for outdoor but still instead of chasing peaks, we decided to go to easier hike and the choice was Samotnia mountain hut and the stunning Mały Staw lake. We started from Karpacz in Poland, where most of the trails start. The trail climbed gently through the forest before opening up to amazing views of the main ridge, dominated by Śnieżka.

The only downside? Crowds everywhere! The queue for coffee or pierogi seemed longer than the Great Wall of China. 😂 Still, it was a wonderful hike. On the way back, we passed Strzecha Akademicka hut and enjoyed views of the Polish countryside.

Stats:

Start: Karpacz Górny

Distance: 17 km loop (5 km to Samotnia)

Elevation gain: 747 m (314 m to Samotnia)

Time: 4 hours (1.5 hours to Samotnia)

Just enjoying some of the last warm and calm days on Adriatic...

After long waited storm and rain air got perfectly clear so it was perfect day for settling out on the sea. Notice the brown colour of leaves even if autumn is still far away. Extended heatwave and more than month without rain left it's toll on vegetation...

Beautiful mountain hut in Croatia, Gorski Kotar region in part popularly known as Grobničke Alpe, easily accessible from Rijeka and some other Northern Adriatic spots. It was very nice hike from Platak mountain hut to this one, mostly on higher altitude to avoid summer heat...

Just short greetings from Croatia and Adriatic sea...

I took my inflatable kayak across the Šibenik archipelago in Croatia, from Srima to Kaprije, with stops at Prvić (Šepurine) and Tijat. On the second day, on the way back, I stopped in Prvić Luka. The plan was to continue all the way to Žirje as well, but the wind and waves coming straight at me wore me out, so I settled for a shorter route. I think this was more than enough for the inflatable kayak I have anyway.

Srima is a small town on the coastline which is great starting point because you can leave your car right on the beach, so there’s no need to carry the kayak. And for me, it’s also a nice place for a swim before or after the paddling.

I was surprised by how beautiful Šepurine look from the sea. I had already visited the island on foot, but seeing it from a kayak gives it a whole new dimension. Prvić turned out to be absolutely perfect for kayaking.

18 km on the first day and 17 km on the way back. I spent the night in the beautiful Mala Nozdra Bay, which would have been even nicer if one of the two restaurants there hadn’t been throwing a loud turbo-folk party that particular night.

Of course, besides paddling, I also walked around both Prvić and Kaprije. Beautiful islands. If anyone is interested in seeing more, I have videos from both islands on youtube, but not sure if r/kayaking allows linking them over here...

I used a few days in May for a short trip to Germany with my bike and followed the Berlin Mauerweg trail, which stretches for 160 km along the former border between East Germany (DDR) and West Berlin — mostly along the route where the Berlin Wall once stood.

Over three days, I covered almost 250 km if you include getting to the trail, sightseeing in Potsdam, riding around Berlin on the last day, and a few detours to my accommodation. I stayed at a hostel in central Berlin that provided secure bike storage.

The trail itself is excellent. It’s clearly marked with signs (similar to street name signs), and for the most part it follows either well-maintained dirt paths or paved cycling tracks, with only a small section running along quiet local roads. In Berlin itself, almost every street has a bike lane anyway.

Since I’m a historian, I stopped at literally every information panel (which is why the trip stretched to three days — it could definitely be done in one or two if you really pushed it), but I also truly enjoyed the beautiful nature, which I honestly didn’t expect to find right on the outskirts of such a huge city...

If anyone’s interested in seeing more, I regularly post more detailed descriptions and commentary in my Instagram stories (in English):

insta: crobackpacker

And of course, full guide for this route on my youtube channel:

https://youtu.be/XYvnwqqYQHc