Malinów

Old folk tales say that deep inside this mountain there is a chamber where a rabbit of solid gold sits at a table. Malinów (1,115 m) is a broad, flat summit in the Silesian Beskids, on the boundary between the resort towns of Wisła and Szczyrk, and just below its ridge lies Malinowska Cave – a protected natural monument you can climb down into on your own, using metal ladders. From the Salmopolska Pass it takes about an hour to get here, with wide views along the way.

A summit made from the seabed

Malinów lies in the Barania Góra and Skrzyczne range, on a ridge running from the Salmopolska Pass towards Malinowska Skała, from which it is separated by the deep Malinowska Pass (1,012 m). The ridge is made of Malinowska conglomerates, found only in this part of the Silesian Beskids. They formed 100–65 million years ago on the floor of a Cretaceous sea, from slumping sand and gravel. Because they weather unevenly, the slopes bristle with rock towers and pulpit-shaped outcrops up to 9 m high. Malinowska Skała itself is a single thick slab measuring about 13 × 5 × 5 m, studded with quartz pebbles up to 4 cm across.

As recently as the early 1990s the summit was covered in spruce forest. After the trees died back and were felled, views opened up to the Stożek and Czantoria range, Klimczok, Kotarz, Skrzyczne and Szczyrk.

Caves beneath the summit

Several caves lie in Malinów's slopes, including the longest cave in the Polish Carpathian flysch – Wiślańska Cave (about 2,275 m of passages) – and the second longest, Miecharska Cave (about 1,838 m). Neither is open to visitors. Malinowska Cave, a protected natural monument with its entrance at about 1,080 m, is open, however. The way in is a fissure about 10 m deep, fitted with metal ladders and handholds. Inside it stays around +6°C all year; it is damp, muddy in places, and after the spring thaw water drips from the ceiling like underground rain. Legends link the cave to Hussites, persecuted Protestants and the outlaw Ondraszek's band – none of them confirmed.

Trails

• Red trail from the Salmopolska Pass – over Malinów and the Malinowska Pass to Malinowska Skała: about 1 h 05 min, 300 m of ascent, around 1 h back.
• Green trail from Szczyrk Solisko via the Pośrednie meadow – about 1 h 20 min and 450 m of ascent, about 55 min down; it ends at the summit.

To reach the cave, walk a few hundred metres from the summit along the ridge towards Malinowska Skała and turn right onto a clear, almost level path. The entrance lies on the southern slope, facing Wisła Malinka, just below the ridge.

Tripto tip

Malinów is a natural summit with no fees or opening hours. There is no mountain hut on the ridge, so bring water and a warm layer. For the cave you will need a torch or headlamp and clothes you don't mind getting dirty – the main passages are easy, but the deeper parts require caving equipment. The entrance fissure is not suitable for small children or anyone with a fear of heights. The Salmopolska Pass is on the road between Szczyrk and Wisła; allow 2.5–3 hours for the whole outing including the cave.