Microadventures on lukasz-skalski.com

Kaszuby Microadventure: Gravel, Silence, and Slow Pace

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 10:00:00 +0100

The plan for last weekend was as straightforward as it gets: pack a couple of light layers, load up the bikes, and head out toward Kaszuby. Leave Saturday morning, roll back by Sunday evening.

We deliberately mapped the route to favor slow, unhurried riding. Whenever possible, we chose quiet forest tracks and gravel paths over paved roads - wide enough to ride side by side and talk without shouting over traffic. That shared headspace and effortless conversation has always been my favorite part of our microadventures.

Autumn by the Lake: Fire, Stillness, and Golden Kaszuby

Sun, 03 Nov 2024 18:00:00 +0100

The weather forecast for the final weekend of October looked far too promising to ignore. Almost automatically, our plan of paddling, sitting around a campfire, and spending the night by the lake became set in stone.

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Picking the spot took no deliberation: Pole Campingowe Kitowscy. It is one of those rare sites where you immediately feel at home, always greeted with a warm smile and genuine hospitality.

Velo Baltica: 320 Kilometers of Coastlines, Sand, and Memories

Sun, 11 Aug 2024 19:00:00 +0200

Ever since returning from Iceland, I felt that while my body was back home, my head was still wandering somewhere far away. So when Monika suggested taking a short five-day getaway in early August, I didn’t hesitate for a second. With almost no prep time, ideas bounced from paddling the Åland Islands to driving down to warm Slovenia. Eventually, after changing our minds a dozen times, the decision settled on loaded bikes, a lightweight tent, and… the Polish coastline.

Pieniny & Dunajec Gorge: Legs, Arms, Legs

Fri, 27 Oct 2023 18:00:00 +0200

There are countless places on the map of Poland worth exploring from the seat of a kayak, a bicycle saddle, or on foot. But if you woke me up in the middle of the night and asked for the absolute must-sees, two would instantly come to mind: Gdańsk and the Dunajec River Gorge.

Naturally, we chose the Pieniny Mountains for this brief, intensely packed four-day getaway. The plan was as beautifully simple as always: throw the kayak into the car, rent bikes locally, and hike wherever the trails pulled us. Our only real rule was the sequence of operations: “legs” - “arms” - “legs”.

Kaszuby: Raduńskie Lakes, Campfire, and Eurovision Stars

Sun, 14 May 2023 19:00:00 +0200

Our debate with Monika about what to do over the upcoming weekend stretched late into Friday evening. On the table were our well-worn, time-tested favorites: Kąty Rybackie, Rewa, or Kaszuby. And since this weekend was likely our last opportunity in May to get the kayaks on the water in Kaszuby, we went with that exact direction.

Saturday morning was all about quick packing: tossing the kayaks onto the roof rack, and before noon we had already arrived at Lake Raduńskie Dolne - one of the many lakes along the scenic Raduńskie Circle route.

Sumino Lake & Lipusz Forests: Swan Battles

Mon, 24 Apr 2023 18:00:00 +0200

We stumbled upon the beautiful stars of our weekend getaway - the forests of Nadleśnictwo Lipusz and Lake Sumino - completely by chance through a randomly suggested YouTube video. Even though we visited areas within a few kilometers of Lake Sumino quite regularly, it took this Saturday-Sunday trip for us to truly uncover the magic of the place.

We expected clean water and good weather. As a bonus, we got a starry night sky and a magnificent forest still tenaciously regenerating after the severe storms of 2017.

Rewa in January: Winter Paddling and Sea Birds

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 18:00:00 +0100

The previous summer season hadn’t been particularly generous to me when it came to kayaking, so this time we made a preemptive strike: we kicked off the season before it even started.

Over recent months, I spent quiet evenings studying maps and drafting trips both small and large. Rewa - “the meeting point” between the Puck Bay and the Gdańsk Bay - was near the top of that list. So, while most people were driving around with skis or snowboards on their roofs, we were up at dawn, cutting through the Tri-City with a five-meter-long sea kayak strapped overhead (the second one packed neatly into the trunk). Catching the bemused stares of passersby, we felt a bit like a walking billboard for global warming.