The Best of Photo-Competitions (6)

Not only women look good in the mountains. Men too! This realization led to the creation of a new category in 2016

Bo Maciaszczyk Award - "(Sexy) Man in the mountains"

"Sexiness" is naturally a humorous concept, adding to the playfulness of the competition. The first winning photo was: 

2016 - Roman Lipiecki - "Seksowne kolanka Prezesa" (Sexy knees of the Prezes)

The photo was taken on Ha Ling Mountain, overhanging Canmore, Alberta, Canada. Encouraged by this win I was about to challenge George Clooney for the title of the "Sexiest Man Alive." Some other comments were:

Komentarze: Nie jestem pewien, czy jestem akurat największym ekspertem od oceniania męskich kolan, ale podoba mi się tytuł tego zdjęcia. (Michał) Łubu dubu, łubu dubu, niech żyje nam prezes naszego klubu! (Yanek) Tło całkiem odpowiednie, a i model niczego sobie! (Piotr)

The Best of the Photo-Competitions (5)

When I was 13 and got my first photo camera, I made a series of photos in the mountains. All showed different landscapes of Tatra Mountains and only one photo had a human character in it. To my great surprise this was the only photo that was actually drawing any attention from my family and friends. It helped me to realize that what is most interesting in the mountains ... is people! This realization was behind of establishing new categories of our photo contest in 2016 - "(Pretty) Woman in the Mountains" and, to not to be accused of sexism, "(Sexy) Man in the Mountains." In this post I will bring back the photos that one 

Marek Kucmierz Award - "(Pretty) Woman in the Mountains"

2016 - Piotr Rajski - "W Dolinie Dziesięciu Szczytowań"

The model in this photo is Zenka Kawecka in the Valley of 10 Peaks (Banff National Park, Canada), thus the title of the photo, the humor of which is not easy to translate. One should stress that Zenka was the first woman who started going to the mountains with our group, which eventually led to the change of the club's name: from "Polish Men" to "Polish Men and Women Mountaineering Club of Edmonton." 

Komentarze: Tło jest także bardzo piękne (wszystkie szczyty ponad 3000 m). Oszołamiająca modelka jest tu widoczna “w pełnej krasie!” W jej uśmiechu i mowie ciała widać nie tylko radość z bycia w górach, ale i radość ... z bycia kobietą! Czy może być lepsza kombinacja? (Piotr) Trzecie miejsce za zalotność! (Dorota) Możecie mnie pocałować...dalej nie idę! (MK) Jest kobieta, są góry, a do tego déjà vu, przecież myśmy tam byli. (Yanek)

The Best of Photo-Competitions (4)

The Category F - "Mountain Selfie" - Elżbieta and Bogdan Tomczyk Award 

was also added only in 2015. The first winner was:

2015 - Dorota Kratochwil-Otto - "Aliens in Sunshine Village"

Stunningly interesting photo with so many things caught in the foreground and background. Also very nice composition - the contrast between colorful scarf, goggles, etc. and the whiteness of the snow and mountains far away. 

One could mention that this category was initially founded by Dorota who had the pleasure of winning it right away. 

The best of Photo-Competitions (3)

The Category C - Michał Trzecieski Award - "Mountain humor" 

- was inaugurated only in 2015 edition of the Photo-Contest. The first place was claimed by:

2015 - Bo Maciaszczyk - "Corrida on 4000 meters"

On the way to Everest Camp in Himalayas, Jacek had this sudden, not quite pleasant encounter. Kudos for Bozena for catching this moment that had, inadvertently, certain humor in itself.  

The Best of Photo-Competitions (2)

Today Category B - Roman Lipiecki Award - "Mountain Landscapes." The purpose of this category is to pick the best photos that show the beauty of the mountains. Human characters are typically absent from these photos, or, if they are present, they are marginal. 

2013 - Barbara Krzymień - "Taka kawa?"

As this category didn't exist yet in the first two photo-contests, and I don't remember the voting, somewhat arbitrarily I picked up this photo by Basia Krzymien, showing the famous Takakkaw Waterfall in Yoho National Park, Canada. There is a bit of a word play in the title. "Taka kawa?" means "This coffee?" in Polish. 

The best of Photo-Competitions

In preparation for the 2022 Photo-Contest, to inspire our members to pick up the best photos possible, I will remind you of the photos that won the previous editions of the contest. We'll start with:

Category A - Barbara and Witold Krzymień Award - "People and the Mountains." 

The purpose of this category is to explore our "relations" with the mountains. Of special interest are those human virtues that seem to be shaped by the mountains. We are talking traits such us courage, curiosity, sense of adventure, resilience, persistence, desire to reach the top, happiness, fun, willingness to help each other, and so on. These photos may also illustrate our human smallness in the mountains, hardships of being in the mountains, etc. In photos in this category human beings typically occupy the central spots, are well visible, etc. Less interesting may be the photos of groups of people "posing" in front of the mountains, but this may all depend on what is actually happening in the picture. 

So here are the winners of this category in the previous editions of the contest: 

2013 - Roman Lipiecki - "These fantastic men in Oesa Lake"

In 2013, there were only 9 photos in the competition and there were no categories yet. Undoubtedly, this photo would win the Category A as it won the whole contest. People voting for this photo typically pointed out to the humorous "machismo" of the picture, joy and fun of the models, their sex-appeal, or etc. Whenever I look at this picture, I smile!

Supersonic El Camino 2010 (2)

Supersonic El Camino 2010, Part I.

"IMIENINY BASI - 2022"

Michałek przeszedł samego siebie i wszystko zorganizował doskonale, a Bożenka mu pomogła. Oczywiscie celebracja była dla Basi niespodzianką.

video link:

https://youtu.be/ujpR2TosFD0

more pictures:

https://point99.smugmug.com/IMIENINY-BASI-2022/

 "My sie zimy nie boimy i Andrzejki obchodzimy"

Tradycyjna impreza odbyla sie w Hawrelaku pomimo mrozu i wiatru

Andrzejki w Hawrelaku - 2022

video link:

https://youtu.be/heU-_GyQcms

WINTER FUN IN EDMONTON

video link:

"Cross country skiing in Victoria Golf Course"

Berlin Hohenweg. Day 9. Edelhutte to Mayrhofen.

28 July 2017 

1 hr from Edelhutte to Ahornbahn. 

Finally, our adventure with Berlin High Trail came to the end. It had some difficult moments, and perhaps was not as pleasant as Alta Via 1, we had done in 2015. This is definitely a trail for advanced, experienced hikers. They should be well prepared for unpredictable alpine weather. Lucky, the trail sent us off with a nice, sunny day. 

Berlin Hohenweg. Day 8. Kasseler Hutte to Edelhutte.

27 July 2017 

Normally 14 km, about 9 hours. 

Having been "brutalized" for the second time, the previous day, we decided to skip the last part of Berlin High Trail, which was described as long and arduous. 

Berlin Hohenweg. Day 7. Greizer Hutte to Kasseler Hutte.

26 July 2017 

10.1 km, +690/-740 m, 5.5 hours (guidebook time)

Shortly after we left Greizer Hut, the weather started to deteriorate again. 

Berlin Hohenweg. Day 5. Furtschaglhaus Lodge to Berliner Hut.

24 July 2017 

8.9 km, +850/-1100 m, 6 hours (guidebook time)

Unfortunately, the next morning weather took turn for worse. Still, others were pushing ...

Berlin Hohenweg. Day 6. Berliner Hut to Greizer Hut.

25 July 2017 

Normally 10.8 km, +1235/-1050 m, 7 hours. 

Having been traumatized the previous day, and after reading that another "steep rock scramble section with cables to protect" is expected on the way to Greizer Hut, we decided to "cheat." We walked down Zemmgrund Valley to Breitlahner (this alone took over 2 hours), where we took a bus to Naturparkhaus in Gizling. We reported our "near death experience" to a park official, but got little understanding or compassion. 

Berlin Hohenweg. Day 4. Friesenberghaus to Furtschaglhaus Lodge.

23 July 2017 

15.4 km, +690/-875 m, 6 hours (guidebook time)

Still spent in the morning ...

Berlin Hohenweg. Day 3. Gamshutte to Friesenberghaus.

 14.8 km, +1130/-575 m, 9 hrs (guidebook time)

Jetlagged or not jetlagged, rested or not rested, we had to hit the trail toward Friesenberghaus the next morning. The sign informed us that we were looking at about 9 hours of ambitious hiking. To cut the chase ... it took us 12 hours to get there.

Berlin Hohenweg. Day 2. Mayrhofen to Gamshutte.

 21 July 2017

This was supposed to be a rather easy day. The guidebook indicated 3 hours as the time of hiking to the hut. Perhaps because of our jet lags, or perhaps because we are no longer that young, that we hiked for about 5 hours. 

Berlin Hohenweg - Day 1. Innsbruck to Mayrhofen.

 20 July 2017

As I mentioned before, with my friend Mike, we took an overnight flights from Edmonton via Toronto to London Gatwick. From London Gatwick we took EasyJet to Innsbruck. Innsbruck welcomed us with a cloudy and rainy weather, I guess, a sign of things to come. 

HALLOWEEN 2022 - SYRENKA CLUB & BIKE RIDE

link to the video:

HALLOWEEN 2022 

THE FIRST SKIING IN HAWRELAK PARK AND THE CELEBRATION AFTER, NOV 12, 2022

link to 70 pictures:

https://point99.smugmug.com/SKI-NOV12-22/

Berlin Hohenweg 2017

 

Mike Alexander on the way to Friesenberghaus. 

Berlin Hohenweg (Berlin High Trail) is a popular, multiday hike in Zillertal Alps in Austria. We did it with my friend, Mike, in 2017. Why a delay in the report? Perhaps because it was not quite as pleasant experience as Alta Via 1 in 2015. The problem was predominantly related to the weather. As Dolomites are typically quite warm in summer, on this route we had a few of rainy and cold days. Still, our story could be of interest for someone planning this route. 

We did all our reservations through Zillertal Naturpark. We found this to be both convenient and economical (e.g., got some vouchers for free bus and taxi rides). Check them out for their current pricing. 

The delights of Manitou Springs

 

Our contingent was somewhat smaller this year, only 4 persons, however the experience was still delightful as illustrated by Mike's body language.

(Almost) Big Bend

July 31, 2022

I was excited to visit the Big Bend Peak area. I knew that the views would be exceptional and that we would see mountains that are usually not seen. I wasn't sure if we would be able to climb the "real" summit, but at least, I hoped, we could get to the false one. I had confidence in an all-female team (except for me :)) reaching the sub-summit.

Big Bend Peak

The weather was supposed to be fair, with no rain in the forecast. It did rain, as we could see the system moving north on our drive to the trailhead.

Summerly Foran Grade Loop

 15 October 2022

From the left: Bożenna, Barbara, Ela, Roman and Robert. Missing this writer. 

Foran Grade Loop is an easy trail in Sheep part of Kananaskis Country (you need a pass). It is roughly 7 km long, with only 280 m of altitude gain. We all anticipated some coldness and wind, so we perhaps overdressed for the trip. Though it was only around 14C, the day felt like ... summer! The trip was a sheer delight!

Sulphur Skyline - Thanksgiving tradition!

From the left: Jola, Keith, Barbara, Anna, Boris, Renata, Yanek, Gosia, Monica, Zosia, Jason, Bo, Gaggi and Roman. 

Tradition, tradition, tradition! It has been a tradition in our Club to go to Sulphur Skyline on Thanksgiving weekend, tradition interrupted only by occasions of bad weather. The attractive aspect of this hike is that it can be combined with the visit to Miette Hot Springs, just before is closes for the winter season. 

There were years when we already had a bit of snow on the mountain (for instance, see the story from the year 2018 - here). This year the weather was fantastic so it attracted crowds!

Kilimanjaro, 5895 m

 

Great news! On 16 September 2022 two members of our Club - Marek Kucmierz and Piotr Zieliński - summitted the highest peak of Africa - Mount Kilimanjaro. Our enthusiastic salutations to these brave men! We are proud of you! (And can't wait for the full fledged photostory). 

Pocaterra Trail - Late Summer 2022

 Sep 17 was a beautiful day in Kananaskis

Group ready at the trailhead:

Rafal, Marysia, Andrzej, Beata, Jola, Ania, Roman, Bożena i Yanek

Jasper Camp 2022

 Sep 2-5, Jasper Camp 

Some of us actually stayed in the tent

This group selected two different approaches to get to Jasper.

One group witnessed a sunset over the burning forest

Little Hector

Day 348 (328) (2462) 860 284 147 – Little Hector

Written from a perspective of a person going through rehabilitation after knee surgery.

I have done a lot since December 21 and have been hiking since April. The hikes were easy; perhaps I could call the "biggest" hike this year, Mt. Louie, a moderate one, as it was wet and slippery. Since then, I have been excited about extending the climbing difficulty level. Little Hector was going to be somewhat different. 

My sleep was good. I "lost" the game, in which we decided who would sleep in shared accommodation and not in the private room Roman booked. It is always almost scary (Am I a snowflake?) to sleep in shared rooms with bunk beds, as I am afraid there would be a person or many of them who snore. And I cannot handle snoring. But I got a better deal 😊, as I shared the big room for twelve people with only 3 others.

Comfortable accommodation

Only one person, Hannes, a young Austrian, slept on "my side" of the room. The other guys, Roman, Felix, Piotr, and Andrzej, got pretty much squeezed into their private room ("squeezed" is the state I think people who stay in such a small room experience.)

The Judge (2752 m), Columbia Valley, BC

 15 August 2022

7.2 km (out and back), +- 600 m of altitude gain, 5 hours (from Diana Lake Lodge). 

(Clicking on the photos, shows them in higher resolution)

The Judge is a popular objective near Diana Lake Lodge, Columbia Valley, BC. To see how to get to Diana Lake Lodge, read the previous post. 

Diana Lake Lodge

 14-16 August 2022

7.4-8.4 km, +700 m of altitude gain, 4 hours

Diana Lake Lodge is a rustic accommodation in Columbia Valley, BC. Diana Lake Lodge is accessed off Highway #95 north of Radium Hot Springs, BC. Driving time from Radium Hot Springs is about 1 hour to the trailhead, or 1 hr 40 minutes south from Golden BC. It involves driving 24 km on Kindersley-Pinnacle Forest Service Road, followed by about 4 hours of hiking (our GPSs were showing between 7.4 to 8.4 km). For the costs of staying there and all the other information, please, visit dianalake.ca

Mount Andromache (3033m), Aug13, 2022

Na tą wycieczkę, nie było wielu chętnych i ostatecznie, po wielu rezygnacjach, zostało nas tylko trzech: Piotr, Marek i Roman. Góra jest oceniona jako średnio trudna i na zdjęciach wygląda dość łagodnie:

 60-TKA GOSI, SHUNDA CREEK HOSTEL, JULY 2022

video link:

https://youtu.be/lrrVT38Y1-Q

Siffleur Falls

 31 July 2022

Siffleur Falls is a popular trail in Kootenay Ecological Reserve, about 50 km West from Nordegg. Most of the hikers do the trail until the First Falls, which is about 7 km (out and back) and can be done relatively quickly. Our group attempted to reach the Second Falls, about 15 km (out and back), and took a very leisury pace. 

Coral Creek - Cline River Loop

30 July 2022

Coral Creek - Cline River Loop is an easy hike (+214 m) about 43 km West from Nordegg. The loop can likely be done in about 2 hours. With a very leisury pace, taking lots of pictures, it took us about 4 hours. We made about 10 km. 

Not so little Mt. Little Hector

Mt. Little Hector, 3125 m, moderate scrambling, +1260 m, 9-10 hours. 

On 24 of July 2022, a brave group of the members of the Club, namely Boris Bokov, Andrzej Jędrych, Roman Lipiecki (Leader), Zbyszek Pławski, Gennady Sergeyev and Piotr Zieliński summited Mt. Little Hector in Banff National Park. This film, by Boris Bokov, gives the impression of this effort. Congratulations, guys! Tough climb! (PR)

Boris Bokov added this narration to the film, from the point of view of convalescent (he suffered knee injury last year). Check it out! 

I have done a lot since December 21 and have been hiking since April. The hikes were easy;
perhaps I could call the “biggest” hike in this year, Mt. Louie a moderate one, as it was wet and
slippery. Ever since then, I was excited about extending the level of climbing difficulty. Little Hector was going to be somewhat different.

Troll Falls

 17 Lipiec 2022

(Clicking on the photos allows to see them in greater size)

Troll Falls is an easy hike (3.4 km, +154 m) near the Wilderness Hostel in Kananaskis. It is an excellent objective for the "second day," assuming you hiked hard the previous day. 

Picklejar Lakes

 Sobota, 16 Lipiec 2022

Picklejar Lakes are described sometimes as "hidden gem of Kananaskis." They are, in fact, relatively remote (about a 2hr drive from Calgary, 67 km from Kananaskis Wilderness Hostel). In our case, they were not so "hidden." A few other trails were closed and it was a "free day" in Kananaskis (no need to buy a pass), so we encountered a lot of people and dogs. This however didn't take anything from the pleasure of this adventure. Beautiful mountains, a sunny day and a joyful company is always a winning combination! 

For the record, our GPSs showed 5.4 km and +460m of altitude gain to the first lake. It took us 2.5 hours. 

Laurier Park to Gold Bar Park on the river

 13 July 2022

It was a warm, sunny day and another opportunity to see our beautiful Edmonton from the river. In about 3 hours we covered 16.2 km. The river seemed as relaxed as we were. 

Big men (and Grazyna) on Big Lake (St. Albert)

Monday, 11 July 2022

Mt. Louie, 1845 m, Grande Cache.

Mt. Louie is a popular objective near Grande Cache (Alberta). The altitude gain is about 800 meters over a distance of approximately 5 km. Our group made it (back and forth) in 7 hours, mostly because of the problems crossing streaks and muddy sections. Most people do the mountain in between 4.5 and 6 hours. For AllTrails description of the trail click here. 

As for the rest of the photostory I have a rare treat for you! The trip report was written by Boris Bokov, the Trip Leader, which I quote extensively (in italics), while my own comments are in regular font. 

Jumpingpound Mountain, 2225 m

 Saturday, 11 June 2022

Finally the long wait was over! In spite of a somewhat "iffy" weather forecast, a brave group of 15 members of the Club embarked on scaling Jumpingpound Mountain in Kananaskis. The hike happened to be a bit longer than we anticipated - most of our GPSs showed 16 km while the guidebook was indicating 13.2 km, with 580 meters of altitude gain. The hike didn't disappoint though!

Mountain Knighthood

 Saturday, 4 June 2022

Following the Awards Ceremony of 2021 Photo-Competition and a Tribute to Prezes (see the video), a few male members of our Club were granted "Mountain Knighthood" by the Ladies of the Club. 

A Tribute to Prezes

 Saturday, 4 June 2022

To my own surprise, handing over of the awards, didn't finish the official part of the Awards Ceremony! A group of the Club's Angels, under the direction of Bosnia, prepared ... a tribute to Prezes! Each of them read a quotation from famous mountaineers, ranging from Edward Whymper to Wanda Rutkiewicz, from Wojciech Kurtyka to Jerzy Kukuczka, and then added a few words from themselves to describe what hiking with me meant for them. This was all very touching! For those interested, I include a link to the video recording of this tribute - here! 

Awards Ceremony for 2021 Photo/Competition

 Saturday, 4 June 2022

The Awards Ceremony took place again in Hawrelak Park. It was a splendid celebration of our love for the mountains and each other. 

 This should be interesting for our Club's Members! Inspiration for the season! Piotr. 

Picasso Flats bike ride and social

 Saturday, 21 May 2022

From the left: Mike, Wojtek, Barbara, Bogdan, Beata, Andrzej, Elzbieta, Jacek, Roman and Asia. 

We were so bursting with desire for physical activity and social contact that it was impossible to wait any longer. That is why I invited every body to join me for the Picasso Flats bike ride - a repeat of the trail we did two years ago (see the photostory - https://pmdkwe.blogspot.com/2020/06/picasso-flats.html). Although this was exactly the same trail, this year my GPS showed almost 20 km (comparing to 17.8 km in 2020) - perhaps because, free of the Covid scare, we did the trail in a more leisury way. 

Foto-Konkurs 2021 Photo-Competition

 The final results are:

GRAND PRIX PREZESA – THE BEST PICTURE OF 2021!

Kaskawulsh Icefield. (Yukon) – Author: Marek Kucmierz

CELEBRATING BOZENKA'S ACHIEVEMENTS - August 2021

video link: https://youtu.be/Db4sL2flJEg

link to the pictures: https://point99.smugmug.com/Celebrating-Bozenka/

POLONEZ DANCE IN HAWRELAK PARK - August 2021

video link: https://youtu.be/duUVMtpGf0Q

link to the pictures: https://point99.smugmug.com/Celebrating-Bozenka/

ELK ISLAND NATIONAL PARK - June 2021

video link: https://youtu.be/A4hiAwhWxm4

link to the pictures: https://point99.smugmug.com/ELK-ISLAND-PARK-2021/