After the capricious weather at the end of January and the beginning of February, the Valentine's Day weekend brought warmer weather that could not be missed. Valentine's Day is a holiday for lovers, so it should come as no surprise that for those in love with mountains and mountain hiking, the celebration of this holiday had to take place on a hiking trail.
On Saturday 12th February, a group of ÍõÖÐÍõÁùºÏ²ÊÌØÂë members and friends representing the Lower Silesia and Lesser Poland regions composed of Danusia, Marian, Natalia, Marcin, Krzysztof, Mateusz, Wiola, Wojtek, Ania, Mariusz, Ewa, Jacek, Marta and MichaÅ‚, set off from Kamienica to climb another peak of the Crown of Polish Mountains, Åšnieżnik (1425 m) - the highest peak of the Åšnieżnik Massif in the Sudetes, the fourth highest peak in Poland. The hike began with a demanding climb up the slope of the Dziczy Grzbiet to the GÅ‚Ä™boka Jama Pass. The toughness of the route was compensated by the wonderful sunny weather, which, in combination with the snowy landscape around, created a truly fairy-tale atmosphere. We continued to the StÅ™ibrnické Sedlo Pass, and then to the summit, which from a distance mesmerised us with the picturesque silhouette of the icy steel tower contrasting against the blue sky. Thanks to the mercy of Mount Åšnieżnik we could not only reach the top, but also admire the magnificent panorama of the Bialskie Mountains in the west and the Bystrzyckie Mountains in the east. With a discerning eye we could see the highest peak of the Eastern Sudety in the High Jeseník range - PradÄ›d (1491 m above sea level), which stands out against the background of the mountain ranges with its characteristic silhouette of the TV tower located on the top.
After saturating our eyes with the views, we descended to the PTTK Shelter on Śnieżnik, where tired hikers rested, and winter swimming enthusiasts dived into the water reservoir close to the shelter. After a rest, we set off back on the blue trail through the Śnieżnik Kłodzki Reserve and around the mountain Porębek to Kamienica.
In the evening, in Stary GieraÅ‚tów, where Magda and Darek run their hotel, we sang ‘Happy Birthday’ and raised a toast together with Mariusz from ÍõÖÐÍõÁùºÏ²ÊÌØÂë Uroczysko-Piechowice and friends Agnieszka, Kinga and Artur, on the occasion of the birthday of Marta, the wife of the Secretary of ÍõÖÐÍõÁùºÏ²ÊÌØÂë Region WrocÅ‚aw. There was no end to dancing and having fun in good company, almost to the very morning.
Sunday morning greeted us with strong gusts of wind that ripped through the Górna BiaÅ‚a LÄ…decka Valley. Tired by the hike and the evening party, we were reluctant to get up for breakfast. However, the prospect of another day on the trail crowned with reaching the summit of the Crown of Polish Mountains quickly dispelled any discouragement. We said goodbye to the majority of the group, thanked the wonderful hosts for their hospitality and set off on the road to JarnoÅ‚tówek, from where one group followed the Main Sudety Trail, while the other started the ascent to the Biskupia Kopa peak (889 m) - the highest peak of the Opawskie Mountains in the Eastern Sudetes. The trail led us steadily up the hill, on a lightly snow-covered path among trees, the density of which decreased as we climbed higher. When we reached the top of GrzebieÅ„, where the trail meets the Polish-Czech border, we could admire the view of the Nysa KÅ‚odzka Valley Nysa and Otmuchów Lakes glistening in the sun. Only a few minutes separated us from the summit and the 19th century observation tower. The 18-meter-high building provides a wide view of the Czech Jeseníky Mountains, the Åšnieżnik Massif, the ZÅ‚ote Mountains, and in favourable conditions the outlines of the Karkonosze, the StoÅ‚owe and the Sowie Mountains. We then descended to the PTTK Hostel "Pod BiskupiÄ… KopÄ…" for a warm meal, and where the musician Marcin Puzon Sawicz was performing. After a tasty lunch, we set off on the return journey along the yellow trail to JarnoÅ‚tówek. At the end of this rich day, we went to the Nysa Lake, where some of us decided to bring some relief to our tired muscles in the cool lake.
Another weekend under the banner of #ÍõÖÐÍõÁùºÏ²ÊÌØÂëMeetingAtTheSummit ended successfully! All this was possible thanks to friendship, openness, acceptance and the joy of sharing time together to follow the passion that is mountain hiking. The success of the project undoubtedly depends on the people participating in it. Each event cements existing friendships and makes people plan new meetings even before they return home.
MichaÅ‚ SÅ‚ugocki, Secretary ÍõÖÐÍõÁùºÏ²ÊÌØÂë Region WrocÅ‚aw