Rocks of the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland

White rock outcrops rising from forests and fields are the most characteristic feature of the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland. Their material settled on the floor of a shallow, warm sea during the Jurassic period, between 201 and 145 million years ago, and the rocks themselves are estimated at about 150 million years old. The hardest blocks have survived to this day as outcrops of fanciful shapes, often bearing vivid names.

Symbols of the Jura

Hercules' Club near Pieskowa Skała in Ojców National Park is the region's most famous rock, known from schoolbooks; climbers once ascended it, but climbing is now forbidden. In the northern Jura the symbol became Okiennik Wielki near Skarżyce, a mighty rock with a 5-metre opening — a remnant of an old cave that can be reached without gear, though with great care.

Gates and rock cities

Rock gates are also worth seeking out. The Bolechowice Gate, formed by two rocks up to 30 metres high — the Penitents' Pillar and the Abaze Pillar — opens the Bolechowice Valley. It is a training ground for climbers: in 1993 Wojciech Kurtyka climbed the route Chiński Maharadża on the Penitents' Pillar without protection. The Jura rocks also hide fossils of ammonites, the spiral shells of the sea organisms that built the local limestone.

Climbing and practice

The Jura is one of the most important climbing areas in Poland, with hundreds of routes of varying difficulty. The most popular centres include the Podlesice area with Góra Zborów, the Rzędkowice Rocks, the Rock City of Podzamcze and the crags of the Kraków Valleys. Most rocks are accessible free of charge around the clock; exceptions apply near castles and in national parks.