We journeyed to Prague from all over the UK, mostly flying from different regional airports, while two adventurous women came across Europe by train.

We met up successfully at Prague Arrivals - Anita and I holding up the WalkingWomen sign as women came through.

Several early arrivals had time to head into Prague for a few hours.

Hana joined us shortly before the coach arrived, and we were driven to the village of Kvilda, in the Sumava region close to the border with Bavaria.

By the time we arrived it was nearly 10pm, but the staff at Pension Pohoda had prepared us a soup and salad meal for us before we headed gratefully to our beds.

Kvilda is an unspoilt little village in the Sumava National Park.

This morning we woke to blue skies, and views of snow on the surrounding hills.

Kvilda village has a church, shop, small museum, bakery/tea shop, a couple of baby ski lifts... It is also the starting point of several cross country skiing circuits.

After breakfast, having gathered our gear which had been delivered the day before, we divided into our different groups.

There were experienced cross country (XC) skiers, beginner XC skiers, and snowshoe walkers.

The snowshoe walkers set off first - there not being as much technique to learn.

Jan arrived, who was to be the beginners' instructor for the 1st couple of days, aided by WW guide Anita. The first thing to do was to wax the skis.

The beginners walked up the road with their skis and sticks to the start of the run to Kvilda Horsca, and set about learning how to move on skis.

Needless to say, today this was the task to practice for most of the day.

However, steadily, as the day progressed, they were able to tackle a short stretch of the run with Anita, and a couple of women joined Hana's group headed towards Horsca Kvilda.

Everyone had a very respectable first day!

Hana's more experienced group had meantime warmed up with the others, doing practice exercises to warm up, then heading of along the run to Horsca Kvilda.

A few women still had energy for more, so while some started back towards the village, Hana added an extra bit on for those who had most previous experience.

The snowshoe walkers - with me, Diana - had set off in a completely different direction, up the hill above the village, then into the woods along the Yellow trail.

We soon found ourselves tempted off the trail into the thicker woods and deeper snow.

We had fun walking over the hummocks that form under the trees, then stopped for a break in a sunny glade.

We crossed streams on snow bridges, joined the yellow ski trail from time to time but preferred it off on our own in the woods even if it was a bit heavier going.

The trees were magical covered in snow and hoar frost.

Eventually we turned back, and I inadvertently added an extra 40 minutes onto our day by getting turned around in the forest, but we still made it back for 4pm. Another very respectable first day.

Roman, our host at Pension Pohoda, organised tea for us on our return, and I had brought the WW Jenga with me....

An exciting game soon developed....

After supper, many of us headed over the road to the Pohoda's sister hotel - to sample the beer in the bar.

Another blue sky morning, and today the beginners took advantage of the good snow in the field above the village - where a circular track allows plenty of practice on relatively flat ground.

Anita and Jan helped the group to start striding out, working first without poles, then adding poles in the correct rythmn.

They also practiced 'scooting' - seeing how far you could get one one ski, scooting yourself along with the other foot - great for balance and pushing off.

Towards the end of the session, most of the beginners had learned how to snowplough - to decrease their speed and stop on a slope. A very important skill!

Being so near to the village, women could stop whenever they felt they had had enough for the day, and just walk back to the hotel.

The more experienced skiers had again warmed up on the loop... and also did some practice exercises for their technique.

They then took off with Hana along the blue run towards the source of the Vltava river.

This is a beautiful run through the trees above the river, with glimpses of the river below, and patches of sun along the track.

They gradually ascended towards the source of the river, then continued on to the Bavrian border. This border is no longer manned since the Czech republic joined the EU.

At the border they turned back and headed back down the track.

Photos at the Vltava source included Wendy tasting the water. Later they met up with the snowshoe walkers during our brief stretch on this same track.

The snowshoe group had a lovely day exploring in roughly the same direction - but wherever possible NOT on the ski track!

We set off through the valley with lovely views of the Vltava river meandering through the meadows.

It was great to be making our own tracks through the pristine snow.

We entered the trees again, and at one point, we followed a smaller ski track rising along the hillside above the river, aiming to keep away from the more frequented routes.

We did a little 'Diana investigate' of where the skiers ahead of us had been headed, then turned back to take another path down towards the Blue track again.

Reaching the 'main drag' we turned towards home, and lunched sitting on a log beside the river in a meadow.

It was after lunch that Hana's group found us just before we headed off the track again to cross the river and explore the more open meadows on the other side.

This involved a stream crossing, and some lovely views.

A sunny and very serene finish to the day before we returned to pass above the Kvilda mini ski lifts.

We were getting into the habit of congregating in the dining room/bar of the pension after skiing, drinking cups of tea and catching up with each other's experiences of the day.

Some women went across the road for a sauna at the Sumava Inn - our pension's sister hotel. Other women went for a stroll to the village shop for more supplies - or just to stretch their legs before it got dark.

Today the weather might have broken, but in fact after a few clouds in the early morning we had another beautiful day.

Some of the improver XC skiers migrated to the snowshoe group today to rest their muscles - which was great.

We had arranged to have spare snowshoes for just such an eventuality, so 11 of us set off to Horsca Kvilda.

It was a day of open views as we followed a different river towards its source and beyond.

We walked through lovely birches and spruce, then reached a special conservation area within the National Park.

Here we spotted hare and rabbit tracks, fox paw prints, and we wondered if one very large set of tracks might have been a lynx (which do exist in the Sumava National Park).

Finally we reached the hut at Horsca Kvilda, and ate our sandwiches in the sun before indulging in a hot drink, then returning on the other side of the river.

Meanwhile, back on the Crosscountry skiing front, the 3 strongest skiers tackled a circuit which took them within sight of the Bavarian Alps.

They had a great day - and a few adventures to relate later.

Hana and Anita had meanwhile held a morning 'improvers' technique clinic up on the practice loop.

It was great to be able to have two improver groups today - their goal a journey along the blue track, if possible as far as the source.

First they had to get across the valley to the blue track - involving a 'down' to the river, and an 'up' on the other side.

The group were encouraged to use whatever method down the hill they felt most comfortable with - snowploughing, zigzag traversing, or simply by walking down.

Anita's group made it beyond the source, while Hana's group headed back from the bridge to allow a more relaxed pace home.

It was a hugely successful day for all, with the improvers achieving their first journey on skis.

Later they were to be found sunning themselves and enjoying a drink at the bar in front of Kvilda's small downhill ski slopes - watching others at their sport.

After dinner, there was another game or table football across the road at the Sumava Inn, and the pool table was also put to use.

Anita turned out to be a table football fiend - on the quiet!

Another wonderful sunny day! We keep saying how lucky we are!

Hana offered a skating lesson early for the more experienced skiers - up in the practice field above the village.

Skating on skis is a way to go faster, and not in the set tracks. It's a different style of XC skiing.

Hana had some great exercises to suggest - like pushing someone ahead of you while skating - to get the push off correctly while helping with balance.

The 'improvers' then headed up to the loop about half an hour later to have their lesson with Hana.

She concentrated on snowploughing - so that by the end of the lesson everyone was confident that they could stop safely.

Some of them were then planning to take the rest of the day off - which meant that Hana headed off along the blue route with a smaller group (the blue route currently has the best snow despite the warm sun).

Anita and the stronger skiers - whose group has now doubled in size - had a wonderful day of adventures with Anita.

They headed first towards Horsca Kvilda, then took a new run through the woods towards Filipova Hut - another clearing surrounded by hills and forest.

Poor signposting resulted in a little confusion near the hut, but they made it there - passing some highland cattle on the way.

Refreshments were enjoyed in the sun at the hut - where they spotted Jan out skiing with some of his friends.

From here, some of the group returned the way they had come with Anita, while a small number took a shorter but trickier route back to Kvilda along the yellow route.

The snowshoe group had meantime indulged in the glorious scenery of the meadows above the Vltava river.

We spotted another set of snowshoe tracks for the first time - someone out with their dog.

We followed these through the woods, then circled around to cross the Vltava river back to Kvilda so that Olwen could have just a half day.

On our way back we found a perfect snack spot - which afforded some fun and games afterwards - running down a steep bank.

A smaller group of us then headed up into unknown territory, passing a herd of cows, and following a track into the woods.

We then lost the track, found it again, reached the green track, then walked back down the snowy road next to the track with our snowshoes off.

We finished with another foray through the woods - for the hell of it, emerging on the side of a nearby hill with excellent views over Kvilda village.

Some women went for a sauna after skiing - at the Sumava Inn across the road.

Others chatted over cups of tea at the pension, then took it easy until supper (after which the table football & pool gang were at it again!)

Today a now good-sized group of stronger skiers skied together from Kvilda to Borova - a village to the east of Kvilda.

This involved skiing south along the green track to the lookout point towards Bavaria.

From here then headed east with plenty of 'ups' and 'downs till they reached the long steady descent down into Borova.

Hot wine was sampled at this point, with rum added for extra flavour! Not sure whose idea this was, but a very merry group made it back on the public bus up the Vltava valley to Kvilda!

Anita had accompanied the group part of the way, then turned back with a couple of women who realised that possibly Borova was too far just yet. They returned down the green track instead.

Hana's gentle improver group had meantime spent a busy morning mastering those techniques like snowploughing that would get them ready for a journey tomorrow.

They practiced on the loop above the village, then some took the afternoon off while others opted to continue on in the afternoon, extending their downhill range by 5 metres each time till finally all could ski down the downhill section and stay fully in control.

Hana meantime went off to check on the snow quality where we planned to all go the following day. She returned with a glowing report as it was getting dark.

In the afternoon some women had visited the bakery at the far end of the village (where I had been buying donuts each morning to add to our packed lunches), and sampled the cakes and hot chocolate at the tea shop there.

The snowshoe group had meantime increased in size again today with a few XC skiing migrants with tired XC skiing muscles.

We circled higher around the most beautiful meadows, clipping the top edges for the views, then diving into the trees again.

We refound the lone snowshoe tracks of the previous day, and followed them to a steep hill - which we climbed with heels raised and toes digging into the snow. A tough climb!

Lo and behold at the top of the hill we reached a new track - and turned along it untill it started to loose height, at which point we left it to contour south around a higher hill and reach a vast clearing.

Here - far from habitation and relatively high up we found many new tracks we hadn't seen before, including a large cat-like set of tracks with an indentation around the paw as if made by overhanging fur (right).

Lynx we thought for almost certain, and were very excited.

There was also the tracks of a large bird who liked to explore at ground level - so, not an eagle or buzzard, but with a large claw print. And other tracks that we couldn't be certain off (above)...

From here we headed through the woods to pick up the path we'd found on our second day.

We found it successfully by walking due south, then turned back along it to finish through our favourite meadows for the last time.

The sky was getting cloudier as the day finished. Had we come to the end of the good weather?

Later there was more table footie and pool over the road, while other women chatted on after dinner or headed to bed early.

Today for the first time we woke to cloud, mist, and snow falling.

The air was colder without the sun, and we wrapped up with extra layers for our trip to Modrova beyond Filipova Hut.

We had hired a coach to get us there and pick us up later.

The snowshoe group were dropped off at Filipova Hut on the way, along with Nicolette who wanted to do some off piste meadow skiiing, then walk back along the road.

The snowshoe group circled around the large Filipova clearing, ducking into the trees for sections to avoid the cold wind.

At the end of the clearing we picked up a track through the trees to reach the river where we stopped for a break - and the sun came out.

Now following the road and branching off over the shoulder of a hill we reached Modrova and the hut we planned to meet up at later.

The promised warmth inside proved too great a temptation and we ducked inside for the best hot chocolate of our whole stay! Thick like Italian hot chocolate!!

Emerging again into sunshine, we found a little chapel on the hillside below, then made another circuit - this time over the hill and through the meadows to the north of Modrova.

It was definitely getting colder, snowing fairly consistently, but the birches and streams were beautiful.

Back at the hut we found the rest of the XC skiers stuck into hot chocolate, hot wine, and cake....

The more experienced skiers had skied to the end of the Breznik run from Modrova, found out how cold it was there, then skied back to esconce themselves in the warm hut.

In fact, everyone else also reached the confluence of tracks 5k to the south of Modrova, and most reached the end of the run at Breznik meadows.

This produced a return trip of from 10 to 13 kilometres - a considerable achievement, especially when so many women had never skied before this holiday.

They stopped for lunch out of the cold wind in a small shelter, all crowding in to stay warm.

This had definitely been the coldest day's skiing, and still the snow fell between spells of sunnier weather.

By the time the improvers with Hana & Anita arrived at the hut, the faster skiers had consumed a 3-course meal and several more hot wines....!

The evidence of this showed in Kerina's back to front sweater and the general hilarity and good humour.

They were definitely a bad influence on everyone else - the snowshoe group also ordered hot wine when they arrived!

Back in Kvilda, more women went for a sauna across the road, and others chatted over several cups of tea.

It had been our last day's skiing and snowshoeing. Tomorrow we'd travel to Prague....

Sadly today we said goodbye to Roman and his staff, and boarded our transfer coach to Prague.

It was interesting to see the landscape we'd driven through in the dark on the first night, and we looked forward to Prague - but it was sad to leave the snow.

We arrived near the Ibis Hotel in Prague - I say 'near' because our country-bred coach driver couldn't find the way to the front of the hotel...

Though large and modern, the Ibis was an immediate hit: comfortable rooms, good ensuite facilities, internet, conveniently located, 24 hour bar and reception, lifts, luggage store for the next day...!

However, we were soon out again, headed for the Old Town Square, and aiming to find a rendezvous restaurant for later so that folk could do their own thing inbetween times if they wished.

Tea and cake opposite the Astronomical Clock, Charles Bridge, the Vltava River - now huge...

Prague Castle and Golden Lane, St Vitis Cathedral...

Lots of lovely details on the buildings in Nerudova - where Neruda once lived...

And of course, hot chocolate and apple strudel to warm up again after the Castle visit - till finally we window-shopped back to the hotel to get ready for dinner.

There was a mixed report from the Prince Hotel Restaurant which we'd chosen for dinner: some women very happy, others reporting tepid food and an unhelpful waiter....

Lots of the group had ended up at the Castle. However others had visited interesting galleries and museums, and some women had gone to a Jewish music concert at the Spanish Synagogue - which was apparently excellent.

We wandered back to the hotel to have drinks in the foyer and play cards - or head for bed tired after so much sightseeing.

Most women had time for a little more sightseeing today before their flight - to visit the Jewish Synagogues mainly, or re-visit bits of the Castle they hadn't seen the day before.

Fantastic small vegetarian cafe's and scrummy cake shops were discovered.

Jane climbed to the top of the Astological Clock Tower for a superb view over Old Town Square and the surrounding spires.

Quaint corners and back streets were explored, and steadily over the day women drifted back to the hotel to pick up their gear and catch the airport bus from around the corner.

It was sad to say goodbye, and we'd had a great time. What's more the weather had been excellent. The sky was blue again as women headed to the airport....