“Crazy about travel and adventure,” is how the Kaunas University of Technology Hikers Club Ąžuolas members describe themselves. Aistė Zizevskytė, who has been participating in the club’s activities for five years, recalled a thought shared by one of the club’s first members, Linas Kulakauskas, at the very beginning of the conversation, “Dragging heavy stuff up a mountain seems like such a pointless activity – why would anyone even do it? It seems so silly. But people don’t want to rot on the couch; they want to achieve something.” However, by the end of the conversation, it was clear that the club’s activities are indeed meaningful, and their scope is much broader than the club’s name suggests.
The club has been active for over 60 years. How and who initiated Ąžuolas?
Linas Kulakauskas has shared that the club was born almost naturally, as funny as that may sound. What do people who want to go out into nature, hike, or climb mountains do? Well, they simply do it – meet like-minded individuals, and form groups.
That’s more or less how Ąžuolas came about. Officially, the founders of the club are considered to be Jonas Vitkauskas and Juozas Dapkevičius. Of course, a club can’t operate solely on the initiative of two people, but they were the main men around whom others gathered.
From the very beginning, the club focused on much more than hiking; we can’t overlook other values such as preserving Lithuanian identity, love for nature, and its protection. During the Soviet era, when the club was established, members would carry the Lithuanian tricolor on their hikes and sing Lithuanian songs.
At that time, when KTU was still known as the Kaunas Polytechnic Institute, Ąžuolas was the organization most disliked by the KGB. This was precisely because the members upheld national values.
What activities does your hiking club currently organize?
Oh, what doesn’t it organize [laughs]. We make all kinds of trips: cycling trips, canoeing trips, hiking with shelter dogs, mountain hikes, and triathlons. We even organized a sailing trip on a large sailboat across the Curonian Lagoon this summer.
In addition, club members organize technical mountaineering training sessions that can also be implemented indoors. We recently started organizing the technical mountaineering competition, which has become one of our biggest events. Another large-scale event is the annual Easter hitch-hiking to the Estonian island of Saaremaa.
Another very important event for us is the trip to the Tatra Mountains in Poland. However, our biggest event is the Rasos Festival in midsummer. We always organize it in nature, usually near ancient mounds. During the Rasos celebration, we dress in traditional clothing, light a huge bonfire, and sing songs.
We also have more intimate activities. When we’re not hiking, we host Lithuanian song evenings, travel presentations, and pottery classes. At the beginning of this year, I led a linocut workshop where we made prints on T-shirts. In the summer, we also play football and frisbee.
What motivated you to get involved in the club’s activities?
I have been a child of nature since a very young age. I loved sleeping in tents and going to camps. Through participating in activities I enjoyed, I met many like-minded people with whom I would go camping and hiking. Later, I found out about the Ąžuolas club, where people with similar interests gather. Quite a few of my acquaintances were already attending it.
I lived in Vilnius, so I wasn’t very involved initially, but after moving to Kaunas, I began actively participating in the club’s activities. Now, I’m part of the annually elected Ąžuolas council. We have a self-governing structure that includes positions like chronicler, leader, photographer, repairman, and other roles.
What was your first trip with the club?
I don’t really remember the very first one since I didn’t participate in those grandiose hikes back then – I was younger and a bit intimidated. But among the most memorable trips I’ve been a part of is the annual triathlon With Paddles, Shows, and Wheels, which means we travel by kayaks, bicycles, and on foot. I really love kayaking, and biking is fun too, so I remember this three-day hike well, where we travelled each day using different means. A particularly memorable moment was kayaking on the Šalčia River and getting caught in a strong hailstorm.
Another trip that will definitely stick with me for a long time was this summer’s journey to Georgia. We climbed snow-covered mountain peaks there. This trip required a lot of strength and endurance, which made it all the more impressive.
Have you ever found yourself in unpleasant, maybe even dangerous situations?
There are certainly all kinds of situations during trips and hikes. The most important thing if you want to avoid this is responsible preparation. Last year, we went on the annual newcomers’ hike, which led through a swamp. A few first timers showed up with white sneakers and white socks. And we had to wade through mud up to our knees. I think it’s really important to emphasize the importance of proper footwear because those who want to hike sometimes don’t realize that you won’t always find well-maintained trails.
Well, a personal experience was trail orienteering at night when we couldn’t use GPS, only a compass and a map. We got lost in the forest, in the dark. In the end, everything worked out, they found us, but I remember the fright very well. So, it’s important to consider both the time of day and your own abilities.
How have Ąžuolas activities changed over the years? Has technological advancement or greater freedom to travel influenced your activities?
I can’t answer this from personal experience, but according to the older members, the club used to focus on two main areas: hiking in Lithuania’s forested areas and mountaineering. Since there are no mountains here, and at the time Lithuania was part of the Soviet Union, members would travel to the East, to the Caucasus, for mountaineering. Over time, as the situation changed, the whole world opened up for hiking and climbing. So now we travel to a much wider variety of places.
Another aspect that has changed significantly is safety. With modern technologies and devices, traveling is much safer now. We can more easily monitor weather conditions and avalanche risks – something that was harder to predict in the past. The range of activities has also expanded greatly. We now have many more opportunities to do whatever we come up with.
Mountaineering may seem very distant and impossible to some. Can newcomers who lack equipment and experience join your mountaineering trips?
They definitely can. The most important thing is the desire and motivation. And, of course, common sense and cautious behavior in the mountains. As I mentioned, we organize an annual trip to the Tatras, which is open to all newcomers who want to try mountaineering.
Some people say, “The Tatras are such easy mountains, what could possibly go wrong?” I don’t agree with them. Of course, there are much more dangerous mountains, but all mountains are still mountains. They are not playgrounds; you need to climb them with focus.
By the way, it is possible to borrow all the necessary equipment from the Ąžuolas club. Whether it’s a tent, sleeping bag, or boots, we can find everything in our storage. You would only need to bring your own clothing. We also provide a list of equipment so the newcomers know what they might need and won’t come unprepared.
I understand that it can seem scary or even impossible for beginners, but we offer all kinds of help and also share our experiences to make it easier to travel.
What would you like to convey to those considering joining the club’s activities?
I want to encourage everyone and say that we are always looking for new people. We really welcome everyone. Although it is a club of the Kaunas University of Technology, it is made up of very diverse people. For example, I am not a KTU student.
Even if you’re scared of hiking or don’t feel ready for it, you’re sure to find something you’ll enjoy. Maybe it will be a workshop or a pottery class; perhaps you will want to get inspiration from the travel stories of others. And for those who want to hike, it’s a great opportunity to join our club: every fall we organize a beginner’s hike. Maybe after coming here, like me, you will feel that you have found your place or new interests.
