As we neared the peak of Mount Giewont, I stopped. I was on the verge of hyperventilating. I hung onto the handgrips carved into the mountain with all my strength and tried to control my ragged breathing.
One minute passed. Maybe two minutes.
I was scared shitless, but at that point, quitting wasn�t really an option. This trail section was one-way at a steep 75-degree angle and lined by a heavy chain pathway. The only way to escape was to keep climbing and pulling myself up. My husband was already ahead of me, so he couldn�t help me get down either.
About 5 minutes earlier, a girl around age 12 had simply scampered up the mountain path following her father. If she could do it, surely I could, I thought.
Oh how I wish I were young and fearless again!
If I had known that climbing Mount Giewont would have been this difficult, I probably would not have done so. Instead, I went in blindly, figuring it wouldn�t be any different from other hiking trips we�ve done in Poland.
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| My view from the top of Mount Giewont. |
How wrong and inexperienced I was! But at least, I was wearing the proper hiking gear, including a pair of gloves and a winter hat. Even during the middle of summer, the mountain peaks in the Tatras were chilly and some peaks still were covered in snow!
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| Sign pointing to the last 40 minutes of hell. |
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| On the right is the path we had to take to reach the top and looks deceptively easier in this photo! |
After hiking about 20 km the day before in Morskie Oko, my muscles were straining to keep up. Small rocks slid out from under my hiking boots as I slowly inched my up the mountain. Larger rocks were damp and a thick cloud of moisture hung in the air.
Finally, my painstakingly trek was rewarded with a marvelous view over the town of Zakopane and the surrounding Tatra Mountains. I paused a moment and then sat down on some of the large boulders as far away from the jawdropping edge as possible. No handrails here!
On top of the 1894-meter summit is a gigantic, steel cross, constructed by the local Highlanders. A plaque on the cross reads: �To Jesus Christ, from the Highlanders of Zakopane. 1900.� I wonder how the heck those Highlanders carried all that heavy metal up to the mountain�s peak!
We rested at the top of Mount Giewont for about 10-15 minutes, long enough to catch my breath and to have a small snack. Apparently, other hikers thought it was a good time to have a drink because that�s what I�d like to do when I�m near the edge of death!
Soon, our clear view of Zakopane was covered up by a fast rolling mist. We quickly decided we didn�t want to be anywhere near that giant lightening rod on top of the mountain in case a storm was on its way!
My descent was 10 times easier than my ascent to the top. I even paused a moment on the heavy chains so hubby could take a photo of me. See, I can do it!
Our total hike took a little over 5 hours. I�m pleased I climbed to the top Mount Giewont simply to say I accomplished that, but I doubt I�ll ever do it again.
Would you climb up Mount Giewont?
Would you climb up Mount Giewont?
3 lessons learned from climbing Mount Giewont:
- Make sure you�re not standing at the top during a thunderstorm!
- Do not climb Mount Giewont if you are afraid of heights!
- Wear the proper hiking gear. Tennis shoes do not count! The trail is rocky and slippery in many places.
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| We passed this pretty green valley during our hike to Mount Giewont. |
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| This looked like a fun lodge to stay in along the trail. |