ROUTE VII Powiatsuski 10 February 2022

ROUTE VII

Zawoja Widełki (approx. 640 m amsl) – Hala Barankowa (approx. 800 m amsl) – Hala Kamińskiego (approx. 1100 m amsl) – Mędralowa (1169 m amsl) – Przełęcz Jałowiecka (998 m amsl) – Zawoja Czatoża – Zawoja Widełki (approx. 640 m amsl)

 

Walking time: 3 hrs 45 mins

 

An interesting route leading through the south-western edges of the Babia Góra Region, often avoided by tourists due to the proximity of the much more popular Babia Góra. On the route we can see the northernmost point of Slovakia – Mędralowa and the scenic Hala Kamińskiego, and in the season an additional attraction is the cultural pasturage of sheep on the Hala Barankowa.

 

The route begins in Zawoja, at the fork in the road called Widełki (or Małe Widełki). Following the black, yellow and green trail signs head towards the centre of Zawoja, through the hamlet of Składy. Soon, together with the black trail, we turn left into a side road. Leaving the asphalt behind, we go along the stream between the last houses of the settlement, then through the forest. In the end we come to the edge of Hala Barankowa, where every summer there is sheep grazing, and in a shepherd’s hostel we can buy sheep products.

At the crossroads, we leave the black trail and continue following the yellow signs. Now a longer climb awaits us, first through a shady ravine, then through stretches of a sparse beech forest and slowly overgrowing windfalls. Finally, we cross the belt of the forest and emerge on the north-eastern end of Hala Kamińskiego. Here the black trail from Zawoja Czatoża joins the yellow trail. We pass the peak of Magurka and then descend briefly to the crossing of trails in the most scenic part of the mountain pasture, which offers views of the nearby Mędralowa, as well as the Śląsk Beskids with the highest peak of Skrzycze and the groups of Magurka Wilkowicka and Czupel in the Mały Beskids.

Following the yellow signs, initially accompanied by green ones, through the beech forest, we reach the main ridge of the Żywiec Beskids and the Polish-Slovakian border on the eastern top of Mędralowa. It is the northernmost point of the Slovak Republic. It is worthwhile to go from here several hundred metres to the right following the red signs to the main peak of Mędralowa.

Having seen the view, we return a few hundred metres and continue along the red Main Beskid Trail, descending steeply. Soon, the green trail, with which we recently parted, comes from the left. Following the red and green trail signs, the route continues to the Przełęcz Jałowiecka Północna (998 m), where it first follows the yellow Slovakian trail to Oravská Polhora to the right and, 100 m further, the black trail to the left, which we choose, continuing the hike with a beautiful view of the Babia Góra massif.

Following the black trail signs we descend steeply, first through a clearing and then through a high beech forest, to the bottom of the valley of one of the source streams of the Skawica River. We go further down the valley, passing several crossing points. At one of them the yellow trail joins from the right. Even lower – another fork where we part with the black trail turning left. Continue straight ahead following the yellow trail signs, reaching the first houses in the village of Czatoża in Zawoja. After a few more minutes we pass a very interesting complex of three cellars and a simple Loretto bell tower on your right. From here it is still approx. 1 km along the road to the crossroads in Zawoja Widełki, where we started our trip.

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