Three trails to Giewont
Several waymarked routes reach Great Giewont (1,895 m) and the cross. These are three ascents people actually walk: the climb from Zakopane via Kuźnice and Kondratowa, the track from Dolina Strążyska via the Siklawica waterfall, and the ridge route from the cable car on Kasprowy Wierch.
Each map is its own GPS track. Download the GPS tracks in GPX and KML (for Garmin and phone navigation apps). The geometry comes from field recordings; a short ridge piece over Kopa Kondracka follows the official red OSM trail.
The mountain itself, the 1901 cross and the queues on the chains are on the Giewont page.
Distance, ascent and time are one way, up to the summit.
| route | via | km | ascent, m | descent, m | time, h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue | Kuźnice - Kondratowa hut - Kondracka Przełęcz | 5.9 | 914 | 53 | 3:16 |
| Red | Strążyska - Siklawica - Grzybowiec - Kondracka Przełęcz | 7.2 | 1166 | 223 | 4:05 |
| Cable car | Kasprowy - Przełęcz pod Kopą - Kopa Kondracka | 6.6 | 707 | 827 | 3:50 |
Blue route from Kuźnice via Kondratowa
The most popular climb. Blue trail from Kuźnice via Kalatówki and the hut on Hala Kondratowa, then up to Wyżnia Kondracka Pass and the chained blue finish to the cross.
The hut (1,333 m) is a sensible pause; 24 beds, book ahead. The last metres are one-way: up on the right, looking from below.
Hover the profile or track to see a point
Red route from Strążyska via the waterfall
Red track from Strążyska. The valley is short and handsome; many people stop at Siklawica and never go on with the ascent. Those who do continue via Polana Strążyska and the Grzybowiec pass to the same Wyżnia Kondracka, then the blue chains.
Hover the profile or track to see a point
Ascent from the Kasprowy cable car along the ridge
Start at the upper station on Kasprowy Wierch. Then west on the red ridge - not out to Małołączniak, but over Przełęcz pod Kopą Kondracką and Kopa Kondracka (2,005 m), then north on the yellow to Kondracka Pass and Giewont.
Less climbing than from the valleys, but a high day: wind, cloud, fast weather. The cable car is a separate ticket; in season the queue can start in the morning.
Hover the profile or track to see a point
Chains, storms, tickets
All three routes finish on the same chains. Wet rock is soap. Summer storms in the Tatras like the afternoon. If thunder is forecast, that is not a Giewont day: iron on top, chains on the trail, and the queue down will not clear quickly.
Tatra National Park entry is ticketed. Winter on the chains is a different mountain. The yellow trail from Gronik up Dolina Małej Łąki is not in this GPS-track set; it is described on the Giewont page.