PAVEL BLAŽEK
Age: 31 Occupation: web designer and vice chairmen of the Surya Civic Association A bit of history: I was lucky to spent most of my childhood around exceptional people. We head outside travelling around Czech republic almost every single weekend – we hiked in many areas, forests, visited number of castles, went rafting on a few rivers. Those were really good times as my only interest was where we’re going next weekend. When I was 15, I started rock climbing and my life entered a different dimension. All of a sudden, there seemed to be so many rocks and mountains which needed to be climbed! I started to go to Adršpach, Suché Skály (Dry Rocks) near town Trutnov, Tatra Mountains (Slovakia), Dolomites (Italy) and Alps (Austria, Germany, Switzerland). I had no experience at all back then and my equipment was so poor that I don’t think I’d even go to the forest to pick up mushrooms like that today! With the time and experience, big trips followed - Mexico, the USA and last couple of years, Iceland. Best travel experience: Certainly, three weeks in Mexico. My friend and I travelled through big part of the country with very little money to spent. We started in Cancun on Yukatan peninsula to Palengue ruins, San Christobal in Chiapas to Guatemala border and up north all the way to Mexico City. All in spirit like in a book by Milena Holcova „People: Soul of the nation is best to feel in crowded bus“. Why I’m going to Norway: Can you imagine better holiday than two weeks spent in the mountains where temperature rarely goes above -5°C? I can’t! I know I’ll be shivering and I know that I will be telling myself about thousand times what nonsense I came up with again. But still... I want to go! There’s basically no reason, only desire for adventure. |
ZUZKA PÍNOVÁ
Age: 20 Occupation: Student, English language and literature, History of Arts A bit of history: I was a member of an outdoor club since I was 5. Thanks to that I traveled through the whole Czech Republic and, above all, learned so much! For example, I learned how to pack my backpack properly! Where I didn’t go with the tourist club I went with my parents who are enthusiastic cyclists. Thanks to them I fell for that sport too! Later on I started to travel with my friends, first just in Czech then to Slovakia and then even further. I came to really appreciate traveling when I was 17. We headed out to Britain to work. I’ve been going there every year for a month since then to make some money and then quickly back to more traveling. There’s not much time during the year to go for a longer holiday but we go riding a bike, cross country skiing or just hiking to Jeseníky Mountains (large sierras in the northern part of Moravia) when we have a chance. Best travel experience: If I don’t count into my traveling experience my weekly trips on D1 (interstate) between Prague and Brno it is probably a month spent in Romania. My boyfriend and I traveled there with just backpacks through Bihor area, beautiful mountain range Fagaraš and also Czech village in Banát. We couldn’t complain about anything, except for the ferocious shepherd dogs! As we are both students we traveled on a very low baget which has its magic indeed.:-) Why I’m going to Norway: Well, so Pavel is not scared there by himself, of course! I think I just could not resist an opportunity to participate in something like this. It will be a “temperature premiere” for me. I already know for sure that I will be cold! I also know though that the experience which is awaiting us is worth a bit of freezing... |
OTHER MEMBERS OF EXPEDITION FINSE 2007
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VÍT HNĚVKOVSKÝ, marketing manager, Humi Outdoor s.r.o.
Vítek, a big traveler himself has given us a great support. Thanks to his understanding and willingness we have a chance to work with company Humi Outdoor which provided our expedition with some equipment. Goal of our cooperation is, however, to test particular items in a real environment and that way slowly work on further perfection.
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EVA ŤOUPALÍKOVÁ, marketing manager, NERIS s.r.o. & KAREL PETRÁK, general editor, ČeskéNoviny.cz (CzechNewspaper.cz)
ČeskeNoviny.cz is our major media partner and without their help nobody would basically know about the expedition.
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KAREL WOLF, editor, HedvábnáStezka.cz
Bolivia, India, Nepal, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Borneo, Morocco, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Guatemala... perhaps there’s no country Karel haven’t been to. Despite the time he spends traveling, Karel manages to organize Festival of Traveling in Prague and works as an editor for traveling server HedvabnaStezka.cz (Silk trail).
In the team belong also all the people who keep their fingers crossed for us or help in any way. Without their support everything would be much harder, perhaps even impossible. Thank you above all to our families, partners and friends. Special thanks to Denny Niernberg, Blanka Cabicarová, Michal Kodad, Veronika Maxerová, Petr Boch, Pavel Linhart, Trudy Robinsons, Jan Rudzinskyj.
