Poland Trek - Tatras Mountains to the Baltic sea by foot and kayak.

Marek Kaminski on the Vistula

2012-02-20T23:30:00.000+01:00

Today I watched the DVD of famous Polish explorer Marek Kamiński. If you browse his previous expeditions, going down the Vistula is not the most difficult one but it's more about connecting back the Poles back the their main river. Marek send me his DVD and book to help me to prepare and surely the film gives an insight about what I will encounter. But it's more a spiritual adventure than a physical challenge. Marek gives personal and profound thoughts in this film and it makes it very interesting to watch. The book is in Polish but is a mine of information about what to do along the Vistula from kayaking or gastronomy to scenic walks and history.

Little Streams Make Big Rivers

2012-01-07T01:16:00.001+01:00

As mentioned in the project of the Poland Trek expedition, I will be like a droplet of water falling on the top of a mountain and make my way through the grass to find fellow drops and become a tiny stream. Guided by nature carved during millions of years in the rock, I will join other streams in the valleys and become stronger, as strong as a river. I want to be unstoppable with inertia and finish my way to the most precious place we have, the sea.

This is my journey as a drop. A single, simple element. Alone I'm nothing, forgotten in the ground. Together we are stronger and can do great things. Times have changed. We now must act together in the same direction. Nature will guide us, as it has done for millions of years. And water will save us. I hope everyone who reads this remembers to be humble, as without the others we are nothing, like the little droplet. I hope to inspire you all to find and plan a journey in nature, feel it, live it, do it. You'll only become better and earn deeper understanding of yourself and the strong bond you have with nature.

New expedition's blog and idea

2012-01-01T01:32:00.000+01:00

The idea of this expedition came after I met a kayaker named Yves while touring Belgium by kayak last summer. It was my first kayak expedition and I want more kayak! Yves told me about the Vistula river and a few weeks later in September I did my first research about the river. I was just curiuous. I had no clue it was the longest river of Poland and was happy to find out it was passing through famous cities and the capital.

I found out 2 adventurers went down the river and possibly more. When it comes to adventure or exploration, Polish people are no doubt among the top ranking nations. Later in October I noticed the highest mountain of the country wasn't far from the source and it became obvious linking the summit of Poland to the sea by a scenic trek was interesting, challenging and possibly never done before. For my the appeal of the project is about visiting scenic places of a country I never been to, discover a new culture,and meet the locals. In terms of expedition, Poland Trek will be my first expedition using different means of progression: foot, packraft and seakayak.

A creative kid knows her country

2012-01-01T00:02:00.000+01:00

Poland presented by Joanna Dabrowska
Image courtesy of Art in all of us
used by permission.

Recently I have been browsing the wonderful World Art book of NGO Art in all of us, which promotes tolerance in the world by developing exchange programs between kids using art as universal language.

The book features a drawing and a poem made by a kid and a photo of a kid for every of the 192 UN country. For Poland, the drawing was made by Joanna Dabrowska, 12 years old. It really depicts the main geographic places to see: the Tatras Mountains, the Vistula river and the Baltic sea. I like her drawing because she really achieved presenting her country to the world using vivid colors.