UKC

It seems impossible to research climbing areas in Poland on the internet, can someone help me out!

In reply to Mr Harry:
I was looking into this earlier in the year and you're right, it can be a tad difficult to find anything that comes close to the Rockfax guides over here. There are sources, though many are in Polish so i only tend to realise I'm in the right place when I see a list of names with grades next to them.
Try looking for guide books that might have translations, or perhaps search for specific areas e.g. I have heard the South is where most of the climbing is to be done with the sandstone towers etc (these may also be across the border in Czech). When I looked myself months ago rockclimbing.com seemed to have a good variety but I can't seem to find the same info after a quick search tonight.
Might be worth trying various other forums, Polish and English, to see if anyone could give you local info because (as you've found) it's not readily available with a bit of googling.
Would be happy to be proved wrong on this one and shown a really obvious source as it's somewhere I have plans to go in the future too.

Colin

In reply to Mr Harry:

Had a trip to the Tatra a few years ago (brill place) and there was a load of info available at the climbers campsite at Szalasziska (below Morskie Oko) particularly about routes on Mnich and Kazelnica, with lots of helpful local climbers. Mnich is a great spike (easiest route a horribly polished joke V Diff), it has a classic Severe groove on the right edge and longer harder E1ish stuff on the left. Kazelnica is huge, vertical and gobsmacking, lots of Grade VI & up (well beyond me, topo at campsite). Zamarla Turnia on the Orla Perc has some nice slabs at VS, a longish walk in with gear. The Orla Perc itself is like a giant Aonach Eagach with 3000m of up and down (a few cables & 1 ladder). Mieguszowiecki Sztyt is a cracking peak, Diff by the West Ridge from the col with Cubrina (dodge the steep bits on the right), Severe for the whole traverse. Zakopane is a good base, cheap flight to Krakow & 2 hrs bus.
Thoroughly recommend the place, had a great time.

Iain

In reply to Mr Harry:

Have a look at: http://mountainportal.com (this is the English version of http://www.portalgorski.pl ), and click the climbing guide link for a map (an article mentions an app being available as well). Not sure how much is in there as the map doesn't show anything in the Tatras (curious mention of 'Dorset' though!) so might only have a few climbing areas in there at the moment. The topos I clicked through to looked quite detailed though.