Skiing in the Little Beskids (Beskid Mały)

The Little Beskids (Beskid Mały) are a small, compact range – about 35 km long, around 800 m high on average, with Czupel (931 m) as the highest peak. They are no match for the big resorts, but in winter they offer a few solid places to ski close to Bielsko-Biała, Andrychów and Wadowice. The largest resort is Czarny Groń in Rzyki, complemented by a small slope on Kocierz Pass and the runs on Mount Żar above Lake Międzybrodzie.

Czarny Groń in Rzyki

The station lies on the Pracica glade on the northern slopes of the range, and the top of its highest lift is near the Przykra Pass (757 m) on the main ridge. The pistes total about 2 km. The longest, blue, is 1,300 m with 210 m of vertical, served by a six-seat chairlift. The red run for more advanced skiers is 750 m with 150 m of vertical and a four-seat chairlift. All pistes are floodlit and have snowmaking, and beginners have a practice area and the Penguin Glade.

The resort's calling card is the Tiger Snowpark, about 23,800 m² and over 300 m long, with more than 15 features in several lines. It is lit, so it stays open for night skiing from 17:00 to 21:00. Note that for technical reasons you cannot ride the chairlifts down.

Kocierz and Żar

Kocierz Resort on Kocierz Pass, at about 750 m, is a place for first turns on skis. The pistes lie on a north-east slope sheltered by forest, served by platter lifts of 150 and 500 m and a children's conveyor; there is snowmaking, a ski school and equipment hire.

Since 2004 a 1,300 m funicular has carried visitors up Mount Żar (761 m) in 5.5 minutes. In winter two lifts operate here with runs alongside them, and there is a paid car park at the lower station.

Did you know

The oldest ski lift in the Little Beskids ran on the Beskid glade below Groń Jana Pawła II. It operated for 55 years, but skiers gradually stayed away – few wanted to climb that high with skis. Today it no longer operates, and beyond the slopes the range is crossed by a dense network of trails, including ski-touring routes.

Tripto tip

Lift hours, piste conditions and pass prices change from season to season and depend on snow – check them on the resorts' websites before you go. Czarny Groń sits deep in a valley on the north side of the range, so according to the resort the snow lasts a long time here. For a family day with small children Kocierz is the better choice, for evening skiing and freestyle Czarny Groń, and for skiing with a view of Lake Międzybrodzie, Żar.