I am wanting to visit Zakopane in October and do some hiking around the Tatra mountains. I do a lot of walking in England but orienteering isn't my strong point. Is it easy to hike on your own in the mountains, I heard that there are colour coded walks, but then reading the information on the internet it says it's extremely dangerous. Is it safe to hike alone or is going with a tour guide better. If the latter is better does anyone know where you can book onto a tour and how much they are?
Hello FosterL3. I am from Ireland and I live in the mountains in Poland, not as far as Zakopane. There are many many treks, some better than others. The thing I do not like about the main stream treks in Zakopane is that there are far too many people on the path (directly infront and behind you) but do not worry there are plenty of treks.
Is it easy to hike on your own in the mountains, I heard that there are colour coded walks,
Yes, it is very easy. Some routes are dangerous especially at certain times of the year, nameingly winter. Go alone you will be fine. I have no idea about tours.
You will be fine, if there is anythig more I can help you with do not hesitate to ask.
That's annoying that morkie oko is closed off that's one of the places I was planning to go to. O well maybe I'll go off the beat and track a bit more and see places with more minimal tourist activity. Thanks for your comments.
Morkie oko is NOT closed to tourists. I actually slept there this week. The weather was TERRIBLE. A lot of snow and the Rysy was unreachable. You'll have to take the path form "Schronisko w Dolinie Pieciu Stawow" to get to Morkie oko. If you go right now double the time which you read on the signs and take care!!
if you search hard enough you may be able to find a map to all these. difficulty comes from the elevation gaines and steepness of trails. it's not dangerous if you're prepared. remember that even though tatra mountains aren't all that tall they are real mountains and thus carry some risk regardless. make sure to have enough water and clothes and have a map and good idea where you're traveling.
maybe I'll go off the beat and track
since this is an NP, bushwhacking is not allowed. otherwise, i don't think there is such a thing as 'off the beaten track' in PL. you will encounter people no matter where you go.
Please understand some trails were or are still closed because the Zakopane area received rainfall that created flooding in early July. Trails need to be repaired for safety. Nothing is done to inconvenience you all personally.
Do you still live in the polish mountains, I am considering going there at the end of April and doing some basic walks, nothing too strenuous, are there walks a girl can do at that time of year alone, are there huts near Zakopane I can stay at, at that time of the year.
Yes there are loads of places to stay in Zakopane and many walks and treks. Zakopane itself is a nice place to saunter around and there should not be too many people at the end of April. You will love it :)
[Moved from]: Polish Mountains in September (any tips or experiences?)
I'm looking to bring my Dad over to Poland for a long weekend doing something in the mountains; probably hiking up and down the trails between PL and Slovakia.
Does anyone have any tips, or recent experiences? Good trails, advice on where to spend the night, highlights; that sort of thing?
I have been searching on here for some information regarding Zakopane. I am going in June with my girlfriend, Looking forward to it.
SeanBM - A special thanks to you sir, I just read your thread "Recommendations for Zakopane" That is one awesome thread. There is no wonder you are famous on here :-)
Ofcourse I appreciate everyone else's input on these forums. Good work.
With Zakopane aporaching I must get physically ready and scratch up on my Polish. Wish me luck ;-)
I do not think you are running into any trouble hiking in Zakopane alone. We live in Zakopane where we moved from Krakow, and we love it. We hiked with children every weekend when we have no clientes in our Villa Pod Smrekami or St. Stanislaw House. There are great maps with all trails. You will meat people like you, who love this beautiful mountains, love to be close to nature. All bad ones in down town ha ha!
You can stay with us, as we tourist and nature oriented. You will get all advises you need from Greg runs both houses and who is profesional ski instructor. Last year he took part in expedition to ELBRUS in Russia. There is nothing or very few places like Zakopane Mountains. You my find us on web just looking for Villa Pod Smrekami or Zakopane instruktor narciarski.
hey guys, Is there a lot of snow on the trails right now up in the regular trails? I'm not gonna hike up to the top of a mountain. I looked on the mountain cams and there wasn't enough snow to justify putting on snowshoes but it looks like it'll be tricky hiking up on regular boots. What do you think?
Merged: The long proposed tunnel through the Tatra from Zakopane to Poprad
Will some of us live to see this? The Slowaks, who have tunnels everywhere (poor in GDP as they were in the past) OK'd this a while back, but the Poles couldn't or wouldn't fund it.
I would have thought it is a must for the development of the region, and the environment in my old favourite climbing ground of Zdiar and the Eastern Tatra is being damaged by heavy goods traffic.
If those Swiss can build this epic, surely a joint venture can pull off the short tunneling required between these two towns?
Be careful when hiking in the Tatra Mountains coz the weather is unpredictablem even ibn summer time. The news is tragic today - 4 people died and a few dozen are seriously injured after violent thunder storms caught umprepared hikers on Giewont Mount and others. Among them a Portuguese tourist. Rescuers say they have never experienced such a situation.
Ill be in Slovakia for 5 days near the Tatras then Krakow for a week. Looking for what the most beautiful trails are?? I have a drone for amazing pics. I can hike up to like 18 miles or a so and have no issues doing several thousand feet in altitude!!! Give me suggestions please!! Thank you!!! Or if there is an amazing hike within like 2 or so hours from krakow i'd be down for that also since I have a car!
Be careful when hiking in the Tatra Mountains coz the weather is unpredictable
One of the elements you need to be careful about is the mountain foehn wind called halny. It not only poses a threat to you physically when you are hiking, but also has an impact on your mind.
It prevents tourism in the Tatras. Tourists who find themselves on the ridge during the foehn may be blown away . There were cases when people who were in the mountains during the foehn crawled or walked on all fours to avoid being blown by the wind. A couple of tourists, who went to the Świnicka Przełęcz in snowy conditions, reached Kasprowy on all fours, sticking ice axes in the snow from time to time and waiting for stronger gusts to lie down. Fortunately, they managed to crawl to the top station of the cable car, where, despite the late hour, the door was opened for them and they spent the night.
Sometimes spruces fall like matches . When the foehn fades away, you can see the slopes devoid of trees.
In Zakopane and Podhale, firefighters have their hands full - they remove broken branches and trees from the streets and roofs. However, the influence of halny goes deeper - our hearts feel its arrival. It happens that there is increased traffic in the delivery wards - in some women, halny accelerates the birthing action. Doctors in the emergency department and cardiologists have more work to do . Halny affects not only the body, but also the psyche.
- Around the world, in areas where foehn winds blow, it has been noticed that certain ailments increase before or just after such a wind . It is confirmed that some people experience spikes in blood pressure before halny. Symptoms increase in people with cardiovascular diseases. Other psychiatric disorders are also observed .
- It is not scientifically proven that halny affects the increased number of suicides , and it is not a grateful topic for research, but then there is an increased tendency to depressive behavior and, unfortunately, an increase in such cases .
- The climate in Podhale is strongly stimulating - says Dr Iwona Koszewska, a psychiatrist from Warsaw, specializing in the research and treatment of depression. Four years ago, Dr. Koszewska started a depression and suicide prevention program in Podhale, "May halny not take anyone" . - Sudden changes in atmospheric pressure caused by e.g. wind, sudden temperature changes - all this affects our body, including the psyche. We are, after all, part of nature, nature, he says.
Fatal accidents happen regularly - about once a week. I have just read about a new one. In June!
There are difficult conditions for tourism in the Tatra Mountains. The second degree of avalanche danger applies. Snow cover varies in thickness and hardness. In places it is muddy, perishable, in others it is blown away or icy. Particular attention should be paid to blown snow near the ridge, in gullies and in snowfields. During the day, the temperature rises, causing the snow cover to melt.
Navigating high mountain trails in such conditions requires extensive experience in winter mountain tourism and appropriate equipment and skills. Mandatory equipment should include crampons, an ice ax, a helmet and the avalanche ABC, i.e. a detector, a probe and a shovel. It gets dark before 4 p.m., so you should plan your trip so that you return from the trail before dusk. A headlamp in a backpack may be necessary - reminds TPN.
Here is an exemplary photo showing a lethal fall of an unlucky climber.
Tourists from Arab countries siege Zakopane. They love the nature and weather.
The highlanders are particularly interested in the fact that tourists from the Middle East are very happy about the weather. - When Polish tourists run to restaurants and taverns during a downpour, they walk in the middle of the street and are happy that it is raining. This is an attraction and a blessing - emphasizes Agata Wojtowicz.
It is the nature and wildlife surrounding the capital of the Polish Tatras that are supposed to be the key to understanding the popularity of this destination. - For them, the greatest value is what we treat as commonplace: lawns, trees, proximity to parks . Last season, I met a group of young Arab women who took a picture of themselves at every flower bed - the head of TIG recalls in an interview with Interia. - They tell us themselves that the smell of our air is different , and greenery is within reach - she adds.
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