I’m putting together a climbing exhibition at Valdštejn. The subtitle is “120 Years of Climbing in Skalák.”

On June 17, 1906, Rudolf Kauschka and A. Steinjan climbed the Kauschka Crack (Grade VII) on Dračí Zub. This is considered the first recorded climbing achievement here. So Skalák is celebrating its 120th anniversary this year. And that’s worth checking out. After all, a lot has happened, been experienced, climbed, and drunk in Skalák over the years.

The town of Turnov has provided space at Valdštejn Castle for this project. It will be located in the Stables - a separate room accessible from the side of the castle, outside the regular tour route. I’m organizing this with the support of the Turnov Museum. Their climbing exhibition takes a broader approach. Here, the focus will be solely on Skalák. So it won’t be a duplication, but a supplement that will delve deeper into the subject.

I’m looking for photos for this gallery. I need to cover the entire 120 years - up to the present day. The plan is to select 1,200 photos. And they won’t be purely about climbing. I want to show the whole life connected to Skalák. Competitions, work parties, the cabin, hanging out, drinking, pubs, camps, bivouacs, weddings, concerts ……………..

I already have some photos, but I don’t want to have a hundred photos from just one person. I’d rather have one photo from a hundred people. If you want to get involved, send them over or let me know. Feel free to send more so there’s plenty to choose from. I’d just need captions for them. Ideally complete - the tower, the route, who, when - for non-climbing photos - what kind of event it is, who, when. And if you can add that info directly to the photo in IPTC, EXIF, or in File Explorer (right-click, Properties, Details, Title field), I’d appreciate it and it’ll save me a lot of work.

So, one more time. Photos from Central Skalák - that is, the area between Hlavatice and Hrubá Skála Castle. Non-climbing photos are welcome too, as long as they’re connected to the climbing community. Any time period is fine - from last season to photos from your grandfather’s collection. If you have them on paper, film, slides, or glass plates, I’ll take care of digitizing them.

It’s possible that your photo won’t be selected, printed, and hung on the wall. The selection process will be strict :-) The remaining photos will be used to create an electronic archive to preserve the memory of Skalák. So your effort won’t go to waste.

In addition to the caption, each photo will include - Archive: Name. This will indicate who provided the photo. Especially with older photos, it often happens that multiple people have them and there is no consensus on who took the photo…

Cheers - especially to Skalák

Thanks

Vorel

Phone: 723 824 146

Email: honza.obrocnik@centrum.cz



Stable


Skaut, Komínová cesta III, Vašek, 1942 © Archive: Zdeněk Bret


If Anyone Recognizes the Route and the Climber, September 1965 © Archive: Rossman Family
 

Skalní Muž July 25, 2020 © Archive: Cuba Frič