Trail on Waligóra Ruprechtický Špičák & Waligóra Winter on Bukowiec Bukowiec trail Bukowiec view
In the northern central Sudetes, Waligóra occupies a particular place. Despite beeing the top of the Dry Mountains (Góry Suche) and Stone Mountains (Góry Kamienne), it is not very high and fails to reach the 1000m limit.
But its shape is unusually complex, and we should rather speak about a "Waligóra massif" instead of a single mountain. With a little club of smaller sisters, it is dug by deep valleys and steep slopes. The Pass of the Three Valleys (Przełęczy Trzech Dolin), just below the summit, illustrates it perfectly by its name.
The geology is also very special: while the top is made of the Permian porphyries of quartz, the surroundings are full of minerals of other nature, like a reddish sandstone that colorizes the neighbouring soil. The mountain is covered with forests mixing of beech, spruce, and other high coniferous, artificially replanted after the 80's ecological disaster of the acid rains.
Waligóra was named Heidelberg (heather hill) when it was in Germany before WW2. The origin of Waligóra is unclear, but it may originate from the name of a giant from fairy tales who could overturn mountains. The Polish would mean : "the one who overturns mountains". There is no particular Czech name, despite it is spelled "Valigora" from time to time (Czechs use V and not W).
On the foot of the top is located a famous and beautiful mountain hut,
Schronisko Andrzejówka, fine wooden construction.
Waligóra is bordered by secondary peaks like Ruprechticki Szpiczak (Ruprechtický Špičák, on the border), Bukowiec, Stożek Wielki or Lesista Wielka, forming all of them a complex structure.
Paradoxally, despite being steep and complex, Waligóra is a reknown biking place, with numerous suiteble path, and a great terrain in winter for ski touring.
The top of Waligóra from Andrzejówka hut | N View from somewhere near Waligóra |
Winter lights |
Winter lights |
Getting There
Sign near Andrzejówka Sign on the top Trail on Waligóra Flowery hill... Winter on Bukowiec Winter on Bukowiec
As the route section below may suggest, there are as many possible trailheads than routes, most of them in Poland, but few also on the Czech side.
All of them are located on the circumference on the mountain, except on the SE side.
All polish trailheads are reached almost the same way, by Wałbrzych if we come from Wrocław. From Czech Republic, the best is to head to Náchod, if we arrive by Hradec Králové.
Beware about the place you park. Wałbrzych neither Náchod are the whealthiest regions of those countries. Use preferably a guarded car park, or a large car park in a visible place, where you can make sure it will not disturb anyone. Cars registered with another location than Wałbrzych tend to be seen as "rich tourists" by unemployed locals, and antipathic behaviours are not rare.
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Trails on Waligóra |
Trails on Waligóra |
Winter lights |
Waligora, Wlostowa & Kostrzyna |
Routes
Trail near Andrzejówka Winter on Waligóra View from Andrzejówka View from Bukowiec Winter atmosphere Winter atmosphere Trailhead Top of Bukowiec
A crowd of trails allow to reach Waligóra, as you can see :
- Two blue trails from Hynčice
- Red trail from Sokołowsko
- Blue, green and yellow trails Unisław Śląski
- Green trai from Rybnica Leśna
- Yellow, blue, red trails from Grzmiąca
- Red trail from Łomnica
Trails on Waligóra |
Trails on Waligóra |
Accomodations
Andrzejówka hut Andrzejówka hut Andrzejówka hut Andrzejówka hut In Sokolowsko In Sokolowsko
- Bivouacking / wildcamping : Normally not forbidden, but avoid to do it in the surroundings of Schronisko Andrzejówka. The top could ba a good place.
- Mountain hut : Schronisko Andrzejówka, just below the top.
- Hotels / Accomodations around :
http://agro-wiecha.pl/
http://www.alfa.gory.net.pl/
http://www.agrosierpnica.pl/
http://www.sniezynka.szczyrk.pl/
http://www.pensjonatkoziol.pl/
http://malydum.penzion.com/
http://www.penzion-zamecek.cz/
Andrzejówka hut on Waligóra |
Andrzejówka hut on Waligóra |
yatsek - Sep 13, 2010 3:53 am - Voted 6/10
Miss :)"The origin of Waligóra is unclear, but the prefix "wal" (similar to what it says in english might have something to see with its steepness." Waligóra (Polish) is a fairy tale character, a kind of giant.
visentin - Sep 13, 2010 4:01 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Miss :)thanks ! I'll correct that. I used "might" so forgive me ;) p.s: do you know that there is a Baligura hill in the basque country ?
yatsek - Sep 13, 2010 4:12 am - Voted 6/10
Re: Miss :)A Baligura? Funny.:) Well, in Romania, a "gura" means the mouth of a river.