Some info and pictures from Babia Góra

Hello:) Today I would like to write a bit about Babia Góra region which is the second highest mountain area of Poland (apart from the Tatras) with its highest peak Babia Góra 1725 metres above sea level,deep in the south ,in Malopolskie Voivodeship ,on the borderline with Slovakia . The map beneath with location of Babiogórski National Park is not too good. It lacks Zawoja village and some other important towns but you can easily compare how far is it from Zywiecki Nature Park within Sielsian Voivodenship (big black rectengular) to Babiogórski National Park in Malopolskie Voievodeship (small black rectengular).

Babia Góra is several kilometer long carpathian ridge that forms a prominent part of West Beskidy Mountains ,more precisely Beskid Zywiecki also called Wysoki (High Beskid) . According to some old legends Babia Mountain is a sitting old woman ("baba") turned into stone or a huge heap of rubbish raised by women pilgriming to nearby sanctuary in Kalwaria . Babia’s summit was famous for centuries among local people as a place where witches have their black sabbaths . Babia Gora often referred to as ”the Queen of the Beskidy”, ,was mentioned already in late-medieval chronicles ,since the early 19th century it has been a major centre of mountain tourism .
Since 1955 the exquisite natural and landscape values of the Babia Gora Ridge have been protected by the Babiogorski National Park ,which was introduced by the UNESCO Organization into the network of world biosphere reserves in 1977 . Dominating in the area - Babia Gora is a brilliant decoration of most Beskidian panoramas . Babia Góra itself is called by the local people "The Fickle Mountain" (“Matka Niepogod” , “Mother of Bad Weather”)because of very changeable, treacherous weather in the summit area. Also, the mountain sculpture varies considerably - it is gentle on the South and very steep, even with cliff faces on the North.

You can climb Babia Gora all year round . I think the best time when you can count for relatively long periods of good weather and clear views from its top (very rare at all) is from August to October. In July frequent storms and foggy weather . In winter months check actual avalanche danger state and seasonal closings of some trails.

Lots of accommodation possibilities in villages around Babia Gora ,especially in Zawoja ,huge amount of private rooms to get . In the mountains there are a few chalets . The most popular one and definitely the best to choose when You want climb the peak quickly is old Markowe Szczawiny chalet opened all year . Most of marked trails going from Zawoja into Babia’s massif will lead you there . From there – only about 1,5 to 2 hour climb to the summit in good conditions without snow .

Now I would like to enclose some pictures from Babia Góra denagerous peak where many people died. Not high though very treacherous as deals changeable weather conditions. I would like also to notice that on the pictures beneath there isn't any forest while lower slopes of Babia Góra National Park are full of really amazing natural spruce and pine forest that could be a background of many tales about witches and stories like that. Unfortunatelly at this moment I cannot find any suitable pictures of forest around Babia Góra on the Net.

But I hope to give you some clues soon.

In the meantime some panoramas from peak of Babia Góra and I have to admit that once I also almost died there because of wind and rain on its peak that came all of sudden when sun at Markowe Szczawiny region.

On the thrird picture you can admire general view from Babia Góra peak when the weather is OK. When rain comes, you will not see anything at all and when you lose you trail then you can very easily to fall down the slopes blown by cruel wind. Believe me. I experienced it on my own skin:(