Waligóra

In the northern central Sudetes, Waligóra occupies a particular place. Despite beeing the top of the Dry Mountains (Góry Suche) and Stone Mountains (Góry Kamienne), it is not very high and fails to reach the 1000m limit.

But its shape is unusually complex, and we should rather speak about a "Waligóra massif" instead of a single mountain. With a little club of smaller sisters, it is dug by deep valleys and steep slopes. The Pass of the Three Valleys (Przełęczy Trzech Dolin), just below the summit, illustrates it perfectly by its name.

The geology is also very special: while the top is made of the Permian porphyries of quartz, the surroundings are full of minerals of other nature, like a reddish sandstone that colorizes the neighbouring soil. The mountain is covered with forests mixing of beech, spruce, and other high coniferous, artificially replanted after the 80's ecological disaster of the acid rains.

Waligóra was named Heidelberg (heather hill) when it was in Germany before WW2. The origin of Waligóra is unclear, but it may originate from the name of a giant from fairy tales who could overturn mountains. The Polish would mean : "the one who overturns mountains". There is no particular Czech name, despite it is spelled "Valigora" from time to time (Czechs use V and not W).

On the foot of the top is located a famous and beautiful mountain hut, Schronisko Andrzejówka, fine wooden construction.

Waligóra is bordered by secondary peaks like Ruprechticki Szpiczak (Ruprechtický Špičák, on the border), Bukowiec, Stożek Wielki or Lesista Wielka, forming all of them a complex structure.

Paradoxally, despite being steep and complex, Waligóra is a reknown biking place, with numerous suiteble path, and a great terrain in winter for ski touring.

The top of Waligóra from Andrzejówka hut	N View from somewhere near Waligóra
Winter lights	Winter lights

Getting There

Sign near Andrzejówka

Sign on the top

Trail on Waligóra

Flowery hill...

Winter on Bukowiec

Winter on Bukowiec

As the route section below may suggest, there are as many possible trailheads than routes, most of them in Poland, but few also on the Czech side.

All of them are located on the circumference on the mountain, except on the SE side.

All polish trailheads are reached almost the same way, by Wałbrzych if we come from Wrocław. From Czech Republic, the best is to head to Náchod, if we arrive by Hradec Králové.

Beware about the place you park. Wałbrzych neither Náchod are the whealthiest regions of those countries. Use preferably a guarded car park, or a large car park in a visible place, where you can make sure it will not disturb anyone. Cars registered with another location than Wałbrzych tend to be seen as "rich tourists" by unemployed locals, and antipathic behaviours are not rare.




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Trails on Waligóra	Trails on Waligóra
Winter lights	Waligora, Wlostowa & Kostrzyna

Routes

Trail near Andrzejówka

Winter on Waligóra

View from Andrzejówka

View from Bukowiec

Winter atmosphere

Winter atmosphere

Trailhead

Top of Bukowiec

A crowd of trails allow to reach Waligóra, as you can see :
- Two blue trails from Hynčice
- Red trail from Sokołowsko
- Blue, green and yellow trails Unisław Śląski
- Green trai from Rybnica Leśna
- Yellow, blue, red trails from Grzmiąca
- Red trail from Łomnica

Trails on Waligóra

Trails on Waligóra

Accomodations

Andrzejówka hut

Andrzejówka hut

Andrzejówka hut

Andrzejówka hut

In Sokolowsko

In Sokolowsko

- Bivouacking / wildcamping : Normally not forbidden, but avoid to do it in the surroundings of Schronisko Andrzejówka. The top could ba a good place.

- Mountain hut : Schronisko Andrzejówka, just below the top.

- Hotels / Accomodations around :

http://agro-wiecha.pl/
http://www.alfa.gory.net.pl/
http://www.agrosierpnica.pl/
http://www.sniezynka.szczyrk.pl/
http://www.pensjonatkoziol.pl/
http://malydum.penzion.com/
http://www.penzion-zamecek.cz/

Andrzejówka hut on Waligóra

Andrzejówka hut on Waligóra

Additions and CorrectionsPost an Addition or Correction

Viewing: 1-3 of 3

yatsek - Sep 13, 2010 3:53 am - Voted 6/10

Miss :)

"The origin of Waligóra is unclear, but the prefix "wal" (similar to what it says in english might have something to see with its steepness." Waligóra (Polish) is a fairy tale character, a kind of giant.

visentin - Sep 13, 2010 4:01 am - Hasn't voted

Re: Miss :)

thanks ! I'll correct that. I used "might" so forgive me ;) p.s: do you know that there is a Baligura hill in the basque country ?

yatsek - Sep 13, 2010 4:12 am - Voted 6/10

Re: Miss :)

A Baligura? Funny.:) Well, in Romania, a "gura" means the mouth of a river.

Viewing: 1-3 of 3

Images

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