The idea to organize trips with colleagues from MND dates back to 2016. Today, none of the founders of the tradition can remember whether the idea originated at a Joseph's Day party or a Christmas party, but it is clear that the cerebral cortex was stimulated by some kind of stimulant at the time, and that's how the great idea came about.

But the inspiration for the trip came from the early 1990s. "Mr. Kaňa worked here then, and he organized quite sophisticated multi-day trips, for example, a whole bus. Now it is unrealistic, we are able to do a one-day trip, and even then it is sometimes difficult to get enough participants. Gradually, we transferred the organizing to Zuzka, because she is so meticulous and very good with people," says Lubomír Hromek, who, together with Zuzka and Jaromír "Jara" Havlásk, forms the trio of founders and the hard core of the trippers.

They now organise about four major trips a year, always in spring and autumn, with holidays during the summer. In terms of length, the routes range from 15 to 25 kilometers. A lot depends on the terrain.

"But we always try to choose a route where there is also the possibility of using a cable car or bus, so that everyone can do it. It depends on whether you want to get a bit of a workout or experience a more relaxing trip," Zuzka emphasises. It is up to everyone which option they choose. "We are a free group, everyone is welcome. It is also possible to bring a partner. We have always had a good group, the only thing that is sometimes difficult is to correctly estimate your physical abilities," adds Luboš.

Over the years, a wider group has already been formed, which goes regularly. Sometimes someone can't make it, sometimes someone new joins. But the organisers already know who is in the best shape and the trip is basically tailor-made. Anyone with the time and inclination can join. Some trips are downright easy, others more challenging. "Now we went to the Low Tatras to Chopok and that was quite an experience. But we gave it a go and nobody got hurt," says Zuzka. "Drinking is important. On every trip someone brings their homemade moonshine. You have to have that first thing in the morning so that nothing happens to you during the day," she adds.

In any case, Chopok was probably the most challenging trip so far. The peak is at an altitude of 2,000 metres. The hike had a lot of elevation gain.

"All the way to Chopok we were wondering what to do if we met a bear. Everyone had completely different information. Someone said to climb a tree, play dead, scream, be quiet, run away. I, for example, had bells on. And the local finally told us that we shouldn't do anything, that the bear would take care of everything," Zuzka reveals the sure-fire instructions.

As it happens, the way back down was more difficult than the way up. Many people were "full of it", but after a few days they were already asking where to go next.

The organizers usually try to make the trips not that far. A day trip to the Tatras is more challenging just by the car journey. Especially the return home is quite exhausting for tired drivers. So a group of trippers set a radius of three hours by car. This means to meet at six o'clock, be there at nine, walk for eight hours and be back home between eight and nine. Which is for the more hardened tour participants. Most of the trips, however, are in a more leisurely mode, and even with options to make the trip easier, anyone can do them.

Jára Havlásek, a passionate hiker, is the route planner. He is a fan of classic paper maps, where he is able to look for interesting paths.

"But I think we got lost once, it was on Ramzová...," Zuzka teases.

"We didn't get lost, we just took a different path," Jára says with humour.

"Yes, we took a different path than the others, but we found each other in the end. The unnamed colleague even had a nice fight, but it turned out well," Zuzka says. And that's what she enjoys about these trips. Even if it happens sometimes that it is difficult and people have had enough, they soon say that it was actually great and they would go on another trip.

"What means the most to me is that nothing bad has ever happened to anyone the whole time. The fact that somebody's feet hurt and maybe even cursed for a while is part of it, but in the end everyone always enjoyed it. Sometimes it's good to have a little bit of a workout," Luboš reflects.

When asked if he carries a first aid kit with him, a debate breaks out about what can be cured with slivovitz. "You can put slivovitz on an open wound, as a disinfectant..."

"The main thing is to give it preventively, but in moderation," Luboš emphasizes. And that's why slivovitz is the cornerstone of the medicine cabinet. And often the only part of it.

The trio of trippers are also flirting with the idea of going on a day trip with a travel agency. They would go by bus, which then opens up new possibilities - Austria, Slovakia, Poland. The whole organisation goes behind the travel agency and one relaxes during the journey.

The next trip will take place at the end of September. We'll go to Ramzová again. Would you like to join us? Do you have a tip for an interesting trip? Send Zuzka an email at orsulova@mnd.cz!