Klimczok

In the early 19th century nobody called this peak Klimczok: it was known as Goryczna Skałka, and its present name came from a Romantic-era tale of an outlaw who supposedly hid in a cave below the summit. Klimczok (1,117 m) is one of the most visited peaks of the Silesian Beskids, between Bielsko-Biała and Szczyrk. The historic border between Silesia and Lesser Poland runs across the summit, and in clear weather the Tatra Mountains appear above the ridges of the Żywiec Beskids.

The name and the legend

On the western slopes just below the top lies a system of ridge trenches and rock fissures, hence the old name Skałka ("little rock"). The fissures contain several small caves; the largest, 26 m long, was said in local lore to be the hideout of the outlaw Klimczok, famous along the Żywiec–Silesian borderland. In the Romantic period his name passed to the mountain; the form Klimczak was also used. The slopes also hold caves such as Ali Baba's Cave and the Two-Storey Cave.

Nature and records

The slopes falling towards the Białka, Wilczy Potok and Barbara valleys are steep and covered with beech and spruce forest; the Białka stream rises on the north-eastern flanks. In the Biła forestry district there is a group of trees over 45 m tall, and one Douglas fir measured about 57 m in 2018, with an estimated age of 115 years. The rare Moravian monkshood also grows here. The climate is harsh: snow lies for around 125 days a year on average, and on 14 March 1993 a record 305 cm of snow was measured.

Trails to the summit

Most routes lead to the pass below Klimczok, from where the summit is another 10 minutes:

• from Szyndzielnia – about 30 min, the easiest option, especially after taking the cable car up from Bielsko-Biała,
• from Szczyrk Centrum via Podmagura or via Biła – about 1 h 45 min,
• from Bystra via Magura – about 1 h 45 min,
• from Wapienica via Szyndzielnia – about 2 h,
• from Wilkowice Bystra railway station – about 2 h.

At the Kowiorek pass, between Klimczok and Magura, trails branch off to Szczyrk, Bystra, Brenna, Błatnia and Szyndzielnia. A 430-metre button ski lift runs on the meadow on the mountain's eastern shoulder.

Mountain hut and views

About 700 m east of the summit stands the PTTK Klimczok mountain hut, formerly known as the Klementinenhütte. The summit itself carries a steel transmitter mast. Until the late 1970s a wooden survey tower stood here, offering views of the Carpathians from Łysa Góra to the Tatras. Today trees around the top restrict the panorama to the south-east, but that is exactly where the Tatras rise above the Żywiec Beskids.

Tripto tip

The easiest plan is a loop: cable car up to Szyndzielnia, along the ridge to Klimczok, then down to Szczyrk or Bystra. Don't go to the summit for the view alone; the meadows by the hut and open stretches of ridge give better panoramas. Klimczok gets up to 1,300 mm of rain a year, so pack a waterproof and expect mud after wet weather. In winter the trails require proper equipment and a check of the mountain rescue (GOPR) bulletins.