Czerwone Wierchy

The chamois

An hour or two before sunset, when almost all hikers have gone, encounters with chamois are highly likely. (Once I was lucky to face a bold young buck that barred the trail, hissing at me and kicking the ground with his front hoof so that I wouldn't dare get closer to his two female companions.)

Krzesanica Kresanica, 2122m (in mid-C19 known as Zadni Upłaz), 2096m The south face of Červené vrchy; Kresanica in the centre - photo by Konrad Sus. Krzesanica is the highest limestone summit within the territory of Poland. Its finest feature is its northwestern, vertical face which forms the headwall of the Mułowa Dolina. There are cliffs on its northeastern flank too, and southerly, into the Slovak territory, Kresanica sends a craggy spur called Rozpadlý grúň, which looks fairly similar to the Czerwony Grzbiet of Małołączniak.   Rozpadlý grúň   Top of Krzesanica's cliff   Kresanica on the left Ciemniak Temniak, 2096m (in mid-C19 known as Czerwony Wirch Upłaziański), 2096m The west face from across Dolina Kościeliska. Tomanowa Przełęcz on the right. The red trail runs all the way along the shoulder left of the summit - photo by Visentin.   On the red trail   Nearing the summit   Summit view, December Kopa Kondracka Kondratova kopa, 2005m (in mid-C19 known as Kondratowa), 2096m Kopa Kondracka shot from the trail to Giewont - photo by Henryk.   Zakopane cable car   Dolina Kondratowa   Kopa Kondracka on the left From the upper station of the cable car at Kasprowy Wierch, it takes less than two hours' hike to get to the summit of Kopa Kondracka via a pretty scenic part of the Tatras' main ridge. However, unless you go off season, trying to get a ticket can be difficult and time-consuming, or simply put, a waste of time. Getting There Zakopane sits at the foot of the Tatra Mountains about 100 km south of Kraków, where there's an international airport. BTW Talking of Europe's medieval architecture, the city of Kraków certainly boasts one of the most interesting old towns in East Central Europe: Hopefully all you need to know about Kraków. It should take you less than two hours to drive from Kraków to Zakopane, but at the weekend or in high season, it can take much more than 3.5 hours, which is how long a journey by train lasts. Here's the bus timetable (The station adjoins the central railway station "Kraków Główny")   Czerwone Wierchy fromTichá dolina, Slovakia   Halfway from cable car   W face of Red Ridgefrom red trail, mid-1990's Apart from the options depicted in the above chapter, from the outskirts of the town of Zakopane - the Polish, bigger version of Chamonix - a few marked trails lead to the tops of Czerwone Wierchy. In my view, the most interesting – scenic and with relatively little traffic – is the blue trail. But the yellow trail through the compact glacial trough of Dolina Małej Łąki (Valley of Little Meadow) is hardly less attractive in terms of scenery. From Dolina Kościeliska a red trail toils up along the divide between the Kościeliska and Miętusia valleys, to the summit of Ciemniak. There is also a longer, all green variant – see the map – which is a bit more interesting. (I would recommend it for the first half of the hike whereas the shorter route is fine for a quick descent.) On the spur running north from Ciemniak (red marks - see Ciemniak chapter) Access from Slovakia doesn't make much sense, although it is possible. The marked route was designed in order to discourage you from crossing the border with Poland (now no problem any more) and takes a terribly long detour. Maps & Red Tape To see the area and the trails on an excellent Slovak online map, type (or copy and paste) Kresanica in the search box. There is also a good, older (before the Schengen pact embraced Poland and Slovakia) Polish map to be seen online, which has info on the times needed to walk the trails. You can purchase its paper version here. A westerly view from the summit of Małołączniak - photo by PiotrB. Red Tape In Poland, you have to pay for entry to the Tatra Mountains National Park – the fee is currently about €1 per day (a weekly pass: €4). The park rules are quite strict. In a nutshell, you are only allowed to walk along the marked trails. Rock climbing in the Western Tatras is forbidden for nature conservation reasons. In Slovakia, you don't pay an entry fee but the trails are closed from 1 November to 15 June. Here are the detailed regulations for various fun activities. Slovakia left, Poland right - photo by Tomek Lodowy. Weather & Hazards Czerwone Wierchy seem to be incapable of creating any problems but several dozen people have perished on them. Most of the accidents have happened in wintry conditions (which does not necessarily mean winter, summer snow occasionally occurs too), but the summer fog has led to fatal accidents also as some people have fallen down the northern craggy walls after taking the wrong turn while trying to descend. Mountain rescue team's phone number: (+48) 601100300   Surroundings of Kobylarz   From the west   From the east WEBCAM Avalanches? Current weather conditions in the Tatras and more live webcam views Weather Forecast | Weather Maps | Weather Radar | Hurricane Center another 6-day forecast for Zakopane Accommodation Hut in the Kondratowa Valley "Ornak" Hut in the Kościeliska Valley In Zakopane Also in Zakopane Glossary:   Hala Kondratowa Hut   Inside Noclegi/Kwatery/Zakwaterowanie - Accommodation Apartamenty – self-catering flats/apartments Domki - chalets Ośrodki wypoczynkowe – lower standard hotels/guesthouses/holiday camps   "Ornak" Hut Pola namiotowe – rudimentary campsites Wille – B&B/guesthouses Campingi - campsites Motele – motels Pensjonaty – B&B/guesthouses Wynajem pokoi – guesthouses Hotele – hotels (varied standard) Considering the crowds and prices in Zakopane, especially if you happen to have to go in peak season, it may be a better idea to stay in one of the numerous villages in the Podhale area , just north of the Tatras. Neighbourhoods of Zakopane More External Links Letter to NP Management requesting that ban on climbing on the Great Crag should be lifted in winter. Guidebook Tatry Polskie by Józef Nyka 360-degree 3D Małołączniak summit panorama Czerwone Wierchy from the north - from right to left: Ciemniak, Krzesanica, Małołączniak and the craggy bluffs of the Red Ridge in front of it just to the right of the centre, Kopa Kondracka, Giewont - photo by Visentin.