Mountains & peaks

Suche Czuby (the Dry Peaks of the Western Tatras)

Three dark rock towers rise from the main ridge of the Western Tatras between Kasprowy Wierch and Kondracka Kopa — the Suche Czuby, properly called Suche Czuby Kondrackie. The Polish–Slovak border runs across them, and so does one of the most scenic sections of the red trail in the Polish Tatras.

A ridge of three towers

From west to east stand Mała Sucha Czuba (1,840 m), Pośrednia Sucha Czuba (1,850 m) and Wysoka Sucha Czuba (1,870 m), separated by the notches of Gładki Przechód, Skryte Wrótka, Niskie Wrótka and Wysokie Wrótka. The towers are built of the granites of the so-called Goryczkowa crystalline island. Their southern slopes fall gently towards the Slovak side of the Cicha Valley, while the northern faces are sheer and precipitous, dropping into the glacial cirque of the Sucha Kondracka Valley.

The Brocken spectre and the climbers

The red trail from Kasprowy Wierch to Przełęcz pod Kopą Kondracką follows the southern slopes, reaching the ridge at the notches. Hikers pass rare alpine plants — the Sudeten yellow violet and mountain houseleek — and with a bit of luck may spot chamois. In autumn 1907 the composer and Tatras devotee Mieczysław Karłowicz observed and photographed the Brocken spectre here. In the 1970s the north faces of Suche Czuby were climbed for the first time by the Zakopane climbers Maciej Pawlikowski, Mieczysław Ziach and Zbigniew Młynarczyk.

Practicalities

The red route starts on Kasprowy Wierch and runs along the main ridge, through Goryczkowa Czuba, to Przełęcz pod Kopą Kondracką. In winter great care is needed: huge avalanches pour off the southern slopes into the Cicha Valley, notably down the Wielki Żleb Kondracki, so keep strictly to the ridge and away from snow cornices.