Babia Góra (1,725 m) via Perć Akademików

Babia Góra (1,725 m), also known as Diablak, is the highest peak of the Żywiec Beskids and the entire Polish Beskids range. It is known for its beautiful silhouette, exceptional natural values, fantastic views in every direction, and unpredictable weather. The unique nature of Babia Góra is protected by the Babia Góra National Park, one of six national parks in the Polish Carpathians. I have already described Babia Góra in detail in my post about the loop from the Krowiarki Pass, which is by far the most popular way to climb Diablak. In this article, however, we will focus on climbing the Queen of the Beskids from Zawoja-Policzne via the famous Perć Akademików trail. I cordially invite you to read on!

Table of contents

1. Babia Góra – start from Zawoja-Policzne
2. Sulowa Cyrhla
3. Dejakowe Szczawiny
4. Markowe Szczawiny
5. Perć Akademików – the most interesting trail in the Beskids
6. Babia Góra – summit
7. Descent to Krowiarki Pass
8. Map
9. Bibliography

Babia Góra – start from Zawoja-Policzne

My companion today is Jula, my dear friend from high school. Since she came to the mountains for the first time in ten years, I wanted to show her something really beautiful. And maybe I’m cliché, but I think that the popularity of Babia Góra did not come out of nowhere, and this place can make a stunning first impression on visitors (and a tenth impression too…). However, to make it a little different than usual, we will not go from the Krowiarki Pass, but from Zawoja-Mosorne, and we will reach the summit via Perć Akademików.

At 8:00 a.m., we arrive at a free parking lot located behind Karczma Zbójnicka in Zawoja-Policzne (the exit is opposite the chairlift to Mosorny Groń; altitude approx. 700 m above sea level). The name “Policzne” supposedly comes from the bandits who once divided their loot here (“liczyli się” means “they counted”). Leaving the parking lot, we take the blue tourist trail and enter the Babia Góra National Park. It is worth remembering that the lack of ticket offices does not exempt us from the obligation to purchase tickets. This must be done online on the park’s official website. A reduced ticket costs PLN 4, a normal ticket costs PLN 8.

The wide path gently climbs uphill, now leading us through dense low-mountain forest. We come across a clearing after the first kilometer of the hike, when the trail takes us to the edge of the charming Stracona Polana (approx. 780-820 m) in the Norczak settlement. The clearing was cleared at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries for pastoral purposes. The site is now private property, excluded from the boundaries of the Babia Góra National Park. A few buildings still remain in the clearing (including the Stracona Polana student hut, which provides accommodation services). I particularly like the idyllic view of the nearby Mosorny Groń mountain that can be seen from this place.

Sulowa Cyrhla

Shortly after the clearing, the blue trail turns sharply to the right and then leads us back down the slope. For the next kilometer, we gently lose altitude, moving along a paved forest road. Then, the trail turns sharply again, this time to the left. We walk uphill again and after less than a kilometer we reach another clearing excluded from the Babia Góra National Park – Sulowa Cyrhla (approx. 810 – 860 m). The name of this place reveals how it was created. “Cyrhlenie” is a term of Wallachian origin, which means “obtaining clearings using slash-and-burn agriculture.” It consisted of stripping the bark from trees and cutting down the undergrowth in a designated area. The mutilated forest was then set on fire, thus obtaining a spacious clearing. Today, the clearing remains in private hands and has a few wooden buildings on it.

Dejakowe Szczawiny

The blue trail runs around the clearing from the east and then joins the black trail from Zawoja-Podryżowane. The black trail turns out to be a wide forest road, gently climbing up the slope. It only becomes steep a few hundred meters further, at an altitude of approx. 950 m. The trail now takes the form of carefully laid stone steps, even equipped with a wooden railing. Thanks to this, the altitude is gained efficiently and comfortably.

In this way, a few minutes before 10 a.m., we reach the charming Kaczmarczykowa clearing (also known as Dejakowe Szczawiny; approx. 1,100 m). I must admit that this is my first time here, and I immediately fall in love with it. The clearing, obviously also a former pasture, is not only incredibly idyllic, but also offers views of Babia Góra, the Policy range, and the Jałowieckie range. According to the BgPN information board standing here, sheep grazing on the Babia Góra pastures was still in full swing in the mid-20th century. After it ceased, numerous glades were left to their own devices and began to be overgrown with young forest. The same fate befell Dejakowe Szczawiny. The current appearance of this beautiful clearing is the result of the efforts of naturalists from the Bieszczady National Park, who recently decided to expand it to its original size.

Markowe Szczawiny

We leave the clearing and after just 500 meters of walking through the upper spruce forest, we reach the popular PTTK mountain shelter in Markowe Szczawiny (1,180 m). This is a unique place – well-deserved for the development of Polish tourism. It was here, on the initiative of Hugo Zapałowicz, that the first Polish mountain shelter in the western part of the Beskids was built in 1906. We also stop here for a moment – time for a short break and a second breakfast before we set off on the most demanding section of today’s hike. Jula takes a container with Stefanką out of her backpack – a cake layered with biscuits and semolina, among other things. I don’t need much persuading to enjoy such pleasures. Let’s be honest – eating sweets in beautiful places is one of the things we love about hiking in the mountains.

Perć Akademików – the most interesting trail in the Beskids

From the mountain hut in Markowe Szczawiny, we take the blue trail (i.e. Górny Płaj). It is an old horse trail, built by the Habsburgs of Żywiec in the second half of the 19th century. Today, it serves tourists, connecting the mountain hut in Markowe Szczawiny with the Krowiarki Pass. After 700 metres of hiking along Górny Płaj, we reach Skręt Ratowników (approx. 1,200 m)

At this point, following the yellow signs, we turn right onto the famous Perć Akademików (Academics’ Trail), one of the most interesting tourist trails in the Polish Beskids. The trail was marked out in 1925 by Władysław Midowicz, a pioneer of tourism in the Beskids. The first brackets were installed here in 1934 by Władysław Front, a stonemason from nearby Stryszawa. Perć Akademików is one-way (traffic is only from bottom to top). Due to the risk of avalanches, the trail is closed every year from 1 November to 30 April (sometimes it is opened earlier, depending on the current snow conditions).

The Akademików Trail is characterised primarily by its significant incline, which makes it quite demanding in terms of physical fitness: over a distance of less than two kilometres, we gain over 500 metres in altitude. The steep ascent is made easier by a carefully laid pavement, which forms a series of stone steps over considerable sections. The trail is quite narrow, which unfortunately makes it difficult to overtake slower tourists. In my opinion, the strongest point of the Akademików Trail is its incredible natural beauty. The stone pavement leads through a veritable thicket of spruce trees, ferns, wild raspberries, rowans and countless species of colourful flowers. Here, nature seems to embrace the weary hiker, overwhelming them in a positive way and affecting all their senses. The Szumiąca Woda stream flowing on the left adds to the charm of this place. Old highlanders say that whoever drinks from this stream will return to Babia Góra for the rest of their life. Hmm, who knows… maybe this is the water I drank as a child?

In my subjective opinion, the individual vegetation layers are not as clearly distinguishable on Perć Akademików as they are on the red ridge trail from the Krowiarki Pass. At an altitude of approx. 1,400 metres above sea level, we leave the upper border of the subalpine forest. Mountain pine appears, but it does not form a uniform and compact layer here. We continue to wander through a thicket of various plants – there are conifers, deciduous trees and lots of colourful flowers. Behind us, a panorama stretches out to the north: the Policy range, the Jałowieckie range and the buildings of Zawoja. In front of us, we see the majestic ridge of Kościółki, from which a steep, impressive slope descends to the north.

At an altitude of 1,450 metres above sea level, we reach what distinguishes the Perć Akademików from all other Beskid trails: artificial safety barriers! The first section secured with a chain is a narrowing of the trail at an interesting rock face. You will not find any technical difficulties here, but by Beskid standards, this place is indeed very exposed. A hundred metres further on, the steepest part of our trip begins – a passage through a large rock cliff called Czarny Dziob (Black Beak). This section has been secured with chains, although, to be honest, few tourists actually use them. In the last phase of the rocky ascent, we have to climb a small wall equipped with iron clamps. During the tourist season, Perć Akademików is quite popular, so when the weather is favourable, traffic jams form here. Remember that only one person can use one section of the chain at a time!

After climbing Czarny Dziob, we find ourselves at an altitude of approx. 1,550 m above sea level. It is still quite steep, but without any further rocky adventures. So we walk steadily on, passing the border of the mountain pine forest and coming out onto the grassy plateau. By the way, Babia Góra is the only peak in the Polish Beskids where this plateau occurs at all. The route continues to be marked by a carefully laid out footpath.

Babia Góra – summit

We reach the summit of Babia Góra (1,725 metres above sea level) at 1 p.m., five hours after leaving the car park in Zawoja-Policzne (and two hours after leaving the mountain hut in Markowe Szczawiny). Although the route was not the easiest, Jula did very well! For me, however, this trip is special because… it is a jubilee. Today is my tenth time on Babia Góra!

Diablak welcomes us with quite good visibility and, as is typical for it, strong gusts of wind. At the very top, there is a characteristic wall, erected in this place precisely to protect against the constantly rushing wind. In addition, the summit of the Queen of the Beskids also abounds in other types of souvenirs. Here, we can find, among other things, a plaque commemorating the pontificate of John Paul II and an obelisk commemorating… Archduke Joseph Habsburg’s visit to Babia Góra in 1806.

With perfect visibility, you can see practically everything from Diablak: the Tatra Mountains in the south-east, the Low Tatras, the Choc Mountains, Magura Orawska, Veľká Fatra, Malá Fatra and the Orava Reservoir in the south-west, the remaining ranges of the Żywiec Beskids in the west – the Mędralowa range, the Pilsko group, the Romanka and Lipowski Wierch group and the Wielka Racza group, as well as the entire Silesian Beskids range; in the north – the Jałowieckie range and the entire ridge of the Little Beskids; in the north-east, the Policy range and numerous peaks of the Makowski Beskids; in the east – the Beskid Wyspowy and Gorce. Today, visibility may not be fantastic, but it is good enough for us to recognise many of the above-mentioned ranges on the horizon.

Descent to Krowiarki Pass

After a well-deserved half-hour break, we begin our descent along the red ridge trail towards the Krowiarki Pass. At this stage of the trip, the most impressive thing is the omnipresent space, something that is so difficult to capture in two-dimensional photographs. The trail continues along a carefully laid out footpath (and due to nature conservation, it is forbidden to leave the designated path). After a kilometre of descent, we reach Gówniak (1,617 m above sea level), a peak that owes its name to what the oxen that once grazed here left behind.

Below Gówniak, we re-enter the mountain pine forest. In this section, a park sign with the words ‘beware of vipers’ catches our attention. For some reason (I don’t know why!), many women take souvenir photos with this warning. The red trail continues to be exceptionally picturesque. We walk surrounded by charming mountain pine, and the green range of Policy looms ahead of us. The only drawback of the trail is that it is quite narrow, which makes it a bit difficult to overtake slower tourists when there is heavy traffic. In this way, we pass Kępa (1,521 m above sea level) and, shortly afterwards, the viewing platform on Sokolica (1,369 m above sea level). The air is still very clear, so Babia Góra looks magnificent from here.

Below Sokolica, we re-enter the upper spruce forest. Here, we face a relatively steep descent of one and a half kilometres (losing 350 metres in altitude), which leads us to the famous Krowiarki Pass (1,010 metres above sea level), separating the Babia Góra massif from the Policy range. The name of this place comes from the cows that used to graze here. Krowiarki is the highest mountain pass in the western Beskids, through which a public road runs – in this case, provincial road No. 957. The pass is famous as the most popular starting point for trips to Babia Góra – there are two large car parks and the ticket office of the Babia Góra National Park. Today, at Krowiarki, I am once again convinced that the world is really small. At the pass, I meet a group from the Student Mountain Club in Warsaw, led by guides I know :D.

From the Krowiarki Pass, we take the blue trail leading towards Zawoja. We now have what is probably the least interesting part of today’s route ahead of us. The blue trail initially runs along the old route from Zawoja to Lipnica Mała, used by local highlanders before the asphalt road was built (the road to Krowiarki from this side was not built until 1968-1969). Interestingly, on the other side of the pass, the road was paved much earlier. The road was built there as early as 1938, and the then young Karol Wojtyła took part in its construction (as a student working in the Junacki Hufiec Pracy [Youth Labour Corps]). After a 1.5-kilometre stretch along a forest path, the blue trail leads directly to the asphalt road. We continue downhill for another three kilometres, steadily losing the last few metres of altitude. I think to myself that I would like to try riding my beloved road bike here someday :D.

We reach the car a quarter of an hour after 4 p.m. The whole trip takes us a little over eight hours. And the impressions? Well, as usual in the case of Diablak – very positive. And above all – Julia also enjoyed the trip, which, for me, a great connoisseur of Babia Góra’s nature, warms my heart considerably.

Date of trip: 6 July 2024

Trip statistics: 17.5 km; 1,115 metres of elevation gain

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Map

Bibliography

• Figiel S., Franczak P., Janicka-Krzywda U., Krzywda P., Beskid Żywiecki. Przewodnik, 4th edition, Rewasz Publishing House, Pruszków 2023,
• information boards of the Babia Góra National Park.