Czerwone Wierchy Tatra Mountains
With its breathtaking views, the hike along the ridge of Czerwone Wierchy is considered one of the most beautiful trails in the Tatras. In summer conditions, the route through Czerwone Wierchy is an easy one. There are no significant challenges on the path between the broad and gentle peaks for those who would like to go on the trail. But, that doesn't mean that you can jump up from your desk in the office and charge up the moutainside. You need to have a modicum of physical fitness. As always in the mountains, you need to be prepared for changes in the weather because even seemingly harmless trails can be dangerous if the weather suddenly changes for the worse.
Three different passes run between the peaks of Czerwone Wierchy: Mułowa Pass (between Ciemniak and Krzesanica), Litworowa Pass (between Krzesanica and Mlaołączniak) and Malołącka Pass (between Malołączniak and Kopa Kondracka). In the upper layer of the massif, made of crystalline rocks, post-glacial reliefs in the form of glacial basins are visible, while the core of Czerwone Wierchy is made of Triassic limestone and dolomite. Thanks to the carbonate structure of the massif's base, this part of the Tatras abounds in the largest caves, e.g., the Wielka Śnieżna Cave, Miętusia Cave, and Marmurowa Cave.
Several trails lead to Czerwone Wierchy:
- The green trail to Ciemniak (2096 m) – the most extended trail starts in Kiry and runs through Koscieliska Valley, Tomanowa Valley and Czerwony Żleb (in winter, the section is closed due to frequent avalanches), and you can expect to take about 5 hours to get to the top.
- The red trail to Ciemniak (2096 m) or Krzesanica (2122 m) – the trail starts in the Cudakowa Glade in the Kościeliska Valley (the head of this trail is on the green trail about 20 minutes from Kiry) and follows the forested ridge of Adamica through the Upłaz Glade Twardy Grzbiet. The Ciemniak hike takes 4 hours 30 minutes, with the extension of the route to Krzesanica taking 15 minutes.
- The blue trail to Mt Małołączniak (2096 m) – the trail starts in Gronik at the mouth of the Mała Łąka Valley, then leads through Przysłop Miętusi and Czerwony Grzbiet. The only difficult moments on the trail are Kobylarzowy Żleb, which is quite steep and passes over a lot of scree – loose rock rubble, and a 12–metre high rocky threshold insured with a chain; it takes 4 hours to reach the summit
- The yellow trail to Kopa Kondracka (2005 m) – the trail starts in Gronik, goes through the Mała Łąka Valley, and passes below Mnich Malałącki and Kondracka Pass; the total walking time is about 4 hours.
