Tackle

Shoes

Shoes are the most important part – solid waterproof ankle-height boots with anti-slip sole suitable for steep slopes and damp stones.

Clothes

Choose your clothing according to the weather. Warmer means better because it can get quite cold in the forest and around the water.

If it is cold it is good to have extra clothes in your backpack in case of falling in the water. On the other hand, some brooks and pools are a nice place to bath in the summer heat, so you may take your swimsuit with you.

Food and drink

For the longer trails especially, it is good to have a snack and some energetic candies for the children.

Even though most of the brooks are clean or there is a spring close we recommend bringing your own drink.

A rope, string, etc.

For the adults it is a useless thing but from the children’s point of view it is an important tool to overcome steep stretches and maybe they can even tow the parent 😊

A map

In many gorges there are a lot of turn-offs so if you print out a map for the children, they can enjoy finding the right track. You can use a map in your phone or a satnav otherwise.

A trash bag

Because the gorges do need a cleanup it would be perfect if you could squeeze a trash bag into your backpack and fill it with the trash, maybe using the help of your children. 😊

Trails

Our gorge trails are divided into three categories according to difficulty:

Blue

Easy

Red

Demanding

Black

Hard

Each trail description includes time (set for children’s pace, adults on their own might be 30% faster), elevation gain and difficulty rating according to steepness, obstacles and length. These criteria are shown on a five-point scale where 1 represents the easiest and 5 the hardest.

Choosing Your Way and Difficulty

The trip through the gorge is as difficult as close you go to the water. The closer, the harder. Sometimes it is impossible, and you have to bypass the hard part through the forest. It is up to you and your decision. We try to go as close to the water as possible and we base the trail difficulty evaluation on it. Of course, it is possible to walk through the forest and watch the gorge from distance and even though it will still make a nice trip, it will be much les adventurous.

Finding your way through the gorge is the most interesting part and sometimes it can be a little time-consuming. Therefore, you should take into account that a seemingly short trail can take time.

If it rains or has rained the difficulty raises. In that case consider taking smaller children with you, because it will probably be very difficult for them.

Safety

There are several reasons why the gorges might be dangerous. There is a risk of uncontrolled slide down the steep slope – be aware of it. Also, there is a threat of slipping on stones, therefore choose carefully the place where you cross the brook and help the children. In some places there are rotten fallen trees across the gorge; be careful because these might collapse. If you choose to use these trees as a bridge across the gorge, keep in mind that they are quite high and usually very damp and consider your abilities well.

Logging poses a great danger. If there is logging going, entrance to the forest is forbidden and you should not move on. If you come across piles of logs, do not let your children climb them, because the logs might fall and cause serious injury. In dense forest cover protect your eyes and do not endanger others by lashing springy branches.

All trips inspired by the ROKLING project are taken at one’s peril!

Authors of the project accept no responsibility for participants’ safety in any way and they are not liable for potential damage concerning health or property. All situations are entirely at the discretion of the person making the trip.

All persons entering the forest must observe the obligations arising from the Forest Act (Act No. 289/1995 Coll. as amended) and behave responsibly and decently when entering and staying in the forest, in particular not to destroy forest vegetation and not to leave any litter in the forest.