Koscielec

Peaks: Koscielec (2155m)

Area: High Tatra, Poland

My third trip to the Tatra spread over 22 years. Very late in the season to be visiting any kind of 'high' mountains, but conditions were superb for the first few days, apart from strong winds at times, and a few small patches of verglas on north-facing slopes. Kate and I first visited Zakopane in 1999, when 'Eastern Europe' retained a touch of mystique. I later did a long traverse of the Slovak Tatra in 2007 with Pete Jordan. It's a perfect destination in many ways, which combines interesting folk culture with fantastic scenery, and is also very convenient (easy public transport from Krakow Airport). I didn't want to bother with buses this morning, so after breakfast in my Zakopane lodgings, I walked briskly up towards Kusnice and the entrance to the National Park. The cable car (which Kate and I used last time) was shut, meaning the path towards Hala Gasienowca was even fuller than it would normally be. I felt good, and passed hundreds of walkers as the path climbs up gradually to a viewpoint at Boczan (just a spur really). Above this, it got very windy indeed as the path emerges from the tree line and weaves up a broad ridge towards the obvious pass and path junction of the Przelecz miedzy Kopami. Views opened out over Giewont (which I did in 1999, the 'sleeping knight' and the signature peak of Zakopane). The path then descends towards the Murowaniec refuge but there was no time to waste, so I continued up towards the amphitheatre of peaks surrounding the azure blue lake of Czarny Staw Gasienicowy, a stunning spot. Bitter windchill, but exhilarating in otherwise perfect weather. After a short breather I began the business end of the day: Koscielec itself. This towers above the lake and becomes more and more impressive from the very steep climb up to the forepeak of Maly Koscielec at 1863m, a superb location from where Koscielec towers as a classic pyramidal peak. A delightful narrow ridge with low bushes forms a beautiful gangway down to the pronounced col of Karb. Then comes the final climb, in the shade so rather cold throughout! The path, well populated with early aspirants, weaves around continually with a short easy chimney early on, then a few mild polished slabs higher up. It gets mildly exposed just before the summit, which is small and in a stupendous position below the main Orla Perc ridge. In effect, Koscielec is a satellite peak of the magnificent Swinica (which Kate and I climbed in 1999, the zenith of her mountaineering career), but it is so shapely that it retains its identity among its higher neighbours. It was pretty chilly in the wind, unsurprisingly, although the few patches of verglas on the climb didn't cause any issues beyond very cold hands on the granite (they swelled up later). The descent was simple, back down to Karb and then the Murowaniec refuge for a superb lunch - I went for the local Kwasnica soup with cabbage and sausage, a Goral speciality. The hut was crowded, but as superbly atmospheric as I remember the huts from the 2007 trip. Refreshed, I jogged back to the Kopami pass but then took the path down the Jaworzynca Valley through stunning autumnal scenes as I regained the treeline: ambers, reds and oranges all the way back to Kusnice and then my hotel (26k, 1650m in 4.5 hours).