I'd always wanted to visit and when the chance came it would have been a shame not to take it.
I combined the pleasant (with my girlfriend) with the useful (switch off from the world, breathe some fresh air, take some photos).
On the fresh air — We both got a one-day cold from the fresh air! We knew DEZA doesn't smell of violets, but this we didn't expect.
On the photography — A polarising filter really does work; I just missed the graduated one. I'll compensate in the editor, but while the polariser gave me a bit of trouble down low, at higher altitudes it was a different game.
On the weather — Trust the forecast no more than two hours ahead, and even that's pushing it! Everything I'd ever heard about the weather on Praděd and mountain weather in general applies here twice over. Especially around Praděd — one moment it's clear and moments later it's in fog, raining, and blowing like it's trying to carry you away. You have to experience it to understand.
On footwear — I think I have a blister! And not just one — I trusted my shoes and they went and did the same thing again. I've since bought better socks and covered the blisters with healing plasters.
On accommodation — Excellent! It was a short distance to the ridge (averaging 8 km uphill), a bus stop right in front of the hotel, a tennis court, pool and infrared sauna. Spacious room with a comfortable bed. Mustn't forget the hearty breakfast and the helpful hotel staff.
On getting there — Run for it! The journey there was peaceful; on the way back we had a wilder connection in Šumperk — luckily the bus station is so close to the train station. What amused me most were the tickets — Czech Railways and their eTiket system with a QR code is a great idea. If only conductors had something to scan the code with. As it is, they guess which character is in the transaction code and apparently check whether the QR looks the same. Yet the other way round would be so elegant. Overall those few days turned out well — the weather could have been far worse. We came back in one piece, cleared our heads with oxygen, and got away from everyday worries — which was exactly what we wanted!