Palacký University students and employees have, in addition to activities organised by the Academic Sport Centre and events such as “Open Air” at the Faculty of Physical Culture, yet another opportunity to travel with their colleagues. The newly founded UP Travel Club is oriented at undertaking weekend outings, planning to organise also weekly trips – even abroad.
The person behind the foundation of the club is a student of Leisure Time Studies, Petr Pavliš. The organisation of weekend hikes is now the theme of his Bachelor’s thesis, and later he would like to transform the club into a formal organisation. “During my Erasmus stay in Norway I attended events in such a club, organised by students for students, and we travelled pretty much throughout the whole country. When I returned in Olomouc, I missed such an activity focussed on trips lasting several days. On top of that, I thought it would be a great way how to repay something to your department,” explained Pavliš.
The mission of the club is to organise or mediate long weekend trips (Friday to Sunday) in the great outdoors, as far from civilisation as possible, and at very low cost. The outdoor programme also features various experiential games as well as sleeping in tents or in the open air. “It is quite a challenge with respect to the density of population in the Czech Republic, but there are hidden regions, such the Rychlebské Mountains, overshadowed by the Hrubý Jeseník. I intend to avoid places such as Lysá Mountain or Pustevny in the Beskydy Mountains. However, when you cross the Slovak border in the Beskydy Mts or approach the Polish border in the Jeseníky Mts, it is another story,” said Pavliš, in regards that to potential future destinations, trips abroad are also an option.
“I am trying to integrate experiencing the moment, so I only tell participants what they need to bring, how much money, and generally what to expect, but I never reveal to them in advance where we are going to sleep,” added Pavliš.
The UP Travel Club currently organises one experiential outdoor trip every month. The most recent trip headed to the above-mentioned Rychlebské Mountains. For a low fee, it can be attended by every UP student or employee and their relatives. The greater public will be allowed to join the club in the future, says Pavliš, once he has sufficient experience in this entrepreneurship. He also aims to contact foreign students, and take advantage of the help of the UP Student Career and Counselling Centre, where he presently attends the course Enter!Prise.
More information on forthcoming events by the UP Travel Club is available here.