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. |
