Old Boys Praha start preparing for the new year 2026 in the Bohemian Forest again – and the snow held out in the end

The first event in the OBP calendar is the traditional winter training camp in the Bohemian Forest, and this year was no different. For quite a while before the camp the weather had been playing games with participants and organisers alike. For a long time there was no snow at all, and only the New Year snowfall meant that, instead of taking their bikes in for a service, OBP could get their ski gear ready. Even though there was a big thaw and rain just before the start, some snow did survive in the end, so conditions for the camp were good enough.

The camp opened with the arrival of the first group of members on Wednesday 13.1.2026. That afternoon the first group – Pošík, Kodytek, Vilimovský, Lofler, Vysoký, Pilný and camp newcomer Gríša Děmidov – hit the trail towards Horská Kvilda to test the snow and their new gear. After the thaw the track turned out to be pretty poor, with stones and clumps of turf in places, which Martin Lofler did not much appreciate on his new Madshus racing skis that he had meant to test before the Jizerská padesátka. Fortunately, the facilities and refreshments at the U Krámu pub are still first-rate, so it all turned out well. Ríša Vysoký and Gríša Děmidov then added a short extra loop to work up an appetite, and afterwards everyone made their way comfortably back to Kvilda and on to the U Dvou Rysů guesthouse.

For years now, the second day of the camp has been devoted to a trip towards the source of the Vltava, and that is where Wednesday’s group headed this year too, joined by Tomáš Vémola, who arrived early in the morning especially for it. Lovely weather and slightly lower temperatures again promised better conditions, which higher up was indeed confirmed. While the first group set off from Kvilda towards the source, a second group made up of Karel Zeiner, Áda and Jana went on a leisurely outing towards Horská Kvilda, where the training took place on sun loungers. Meanwhile the skiing group thoroughly enjoyed the area around the source, where rather more snow had survived, and an honest climb up to Bučina. The way back to Kvilda then tested the participants’ ski technique on really icy snow, as well as their ability to socialise with representatives of Kvilda’s leading institutions. The athletes passed on all counts with flying colours. Finally there was also a visit to the patisserie and the brewery in Kvilda, where everyone was looking forward to the traditional plum-jam pastry and the local beer.

For the third day OBP chose Knížecí pláně as their goal, heading there via Bučina. The steep climb straight out of Kvilda tested most of the cross-country skiers, and the frozen snow made the going even harder. This showed even more on the descent from Bučina to Pláně, which really was more like an icy downhill piste. The reward, though, was the final few kilometres through a truly wintry landscape and a visit to the Hájenka restaurant. For the way back OBP chose the longer route around Borová Lada; here the lower altitude was noticeable and the trail was much worse. The last 10 km uphill were therefore on a trail of varying quality but, surprisingly, at a very high pace, because after Gríša’s intervention everyone realised we would hardly reach our goal, the patisserie in Kvilda, before closing time unless we really picked it up. Everyone tried so hard to make Gríša happy that we conquered the patisserie an hour before closing. The reward for a trip of more than twenty kilometres was more than adequate. Friday evening brings the arrival of more camp participants, and the guesthouse restaurant was much busier than on the previous evenings, mainly thanks to the birthday celebration of Gumba, who also used the camp to celebrate turning fifty. We’re glad Gumba has reached his 50 in good health and had a lovely evening in the Bohemian Forest. Congratulations, and we look forward to the official benefit at Iuridica in May. The party then went on into the early hours, which rather affected performances on the ski trail on the last day.

On the last day OBP headed for Knížecí Pláně again, this time aiming for a proper lunch and going the opposite way, so that we could enjoy climbing through the landscape that the day before we had more or less had to slide down on our backsides. That day the skiing group lost Póša, who had to attend to his grandfatherly duties, while Gumba and Petr Koudelka briefly joined us, only to leave the group early after a few kilometres, partly because of technical problems and partly because of the intensity of the previous evening. The route continued with an icy descent to Pláně from the other side, which was a little more merciful than the day before. The rest of the way was really superb, helped by the sunny weather, and even the climb up to Bučina after a hearty meal at Pláně wasn’t so long in the end. The stage finished once again at the patisserie in Kvilda; this time there was little chance of getting into the brewery, which was packed to the last seat. We spent the rest of the evening at the guesthouse more quietly, so that everyone could head home calmly too

Despite the tricky snow conditions, the camp was a success in the end: the players covered more than 60 kilometres, which is very good given the limited terrain available. It was great to see other friends again too, who sometimes chose a different trail or programme, and it’s very pleasing to see the turnout growing – so much so that the U Dvou Rysů guesthouse will barely be big enough for us in future. Many thanks to František Volmut and his team for looking after us so well and for the food, and also to Pepa Geréš from the SteinHaus apartments. And of course to everyone who took part, for making it all so relaxed.