 Poster: A snowHead
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A friend and I are thinking about a short trip to Zakopane, and are trying to find out a bit more about it. I've read some of the posts on here, but they all seem quite old.
Getting there seems easy enough, Easyjet fly from Newcastle (among others) to Krackow, and the buses sound ok (They can't be worse than some of the nightmare transfers I've had to French resorts).
The thing that I'm a bit worried about is reading all about the nightmareish queues. Is it really 2 hours?!? Is that a one off first lift of the day to get you to the top, or is that a lift you will be taking again and again? And do you really pay for each lift one at a time, or can you buy a pass with a number of rides charged onto it?
How spread out are the various pistes? Are they easy enough to get to from the town (where I assume we'd stay) either walking or on a bus, or is a hire car needed?
Is hire equipment available?
Can anyone recommend any cheap hotels/hostels?
Does anyone know of any websites with pistemaps and weather reports?
Or to risk opening pandoras box of advice, can anyone suggest a alternative cheap and cheerful resort for a few days break?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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hi,
I've been to Krakow 2 weeks ago, looks like we have some snow:) From Krakow it's not too far at all (but it's mostly A-road) and there will be plenty of buses and mini-buses.
It's not the Alps, so the runs are shorter and you do tend to stand in queues a bit longer, but the Xmas break is over and the school breaks don't start till mid Feb. so it shouldn't be to bad.
The main gondola onto Kasprowy Wierch is busy- it can be a good half an hour queue, but you don't use it once you up there (you can ski all the way down to Kuznice if the conditions are good). it all depends on what time you're there- at weekends it's worth to get up early!
Avoid Szymoszkowa -it's possibly the flatest slope in my country! you'll be bored to death. Gubalowka is too crowded as well as all non-skiing tourists go there to take some pics:)
Kasprowy is the most challenging and has Gasienicowa and Goryczkowa that are quite long and steep, but again, it's not enough for 2weeks of holidays:)
I'm not sure about ski-passes. I'm only there for the ski instructors' comps so we don't have to pay.
I think you can get 10 or 5 rides on the same slope. I don't know if they still use the hole-puncher (however you spell it:) or maybe the magnetic cards made it to Zakopane!
I would stick to Kasprowy, but if you fancy a change you can try Nosal. It's interesting- the top is really steep, about 50 meters and then not too bad. The queues will be longer here, but again not so much during the week and not for the whole day. To get anywhere you can just call a mini-bus. Wherever you end up staying, they will give you a number to call.
Hire equipment is available. Like anywhere, you might be more or less lucky with it.
I'm usually staying with the highlanders in something like half-board accommodation, but in your case I would check first if they speak English (it might be easier to stay in some hotel)
I can check some websites for you with weather reports. I'm not sure about the pistemaps- it's quite straightforward:) But I can check with my friends who live there. Maybe they can give me some tips for you or know good place to stay!
Make sure you see some of Krakow (our previous capital city)! It's the most beautiful city in PL.
S.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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welcome to  s both. interesting first posts.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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sniezka and Jingies, , welcome to s.
sniezka, your review took me straight back to my childhood (my father was Polish and we spent a few summers in Zakopane - I even ended up having my appendix out in the hospital there!)
Jingies, we last visited Zakopane in the summer of 1995 so not very up to date - but I can tell you that I climbed up Nosal with my 4, 6 and 9yr olds so that gives you some idea of the length of the slope!
The main cable car up Kasprowy was a two stage pre-war job - don't know if that is still the case.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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We were thinking about going mid week, partially for cheaper flights and partly to avoid the weekend busy times.
To partly answer my own question, I've found some maps of the area at http://www.discoverzakopane.com/02en.html
I've also read somewhere (I've forgotten where now!) that the Kasprowy cable car was being modernised over the summer to reopen in Dec 2007. You can only hope that this may have made things a bit better.
Climbing is a potential back up plan! If we get there and the conditions are awful for skiing we can just strap on the crampons and see what else there is to do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hi Nick!
as Jingies pointed out they were knocking down the old cable car:(
It was part of the adventure (swollowing your stomach after the each pillar, or however you call those columns) The trick was not to eat too much for breakfast:)
And Jingies, the climbing around Zakopane is awesome! Depends what you like doing, but there is something for everyone near Morskie Oko, if it's winter climbing that you are after!
Make sure you go to 'Kolibecka' (a small restaurant next to the roundabout to Kuznice- where the cable car is; on the same road as a ski-jump). It will be the best stew in your life!!! that's if you are a meat-eater:)
Anyways, let me know if I should call my friends in Zakopane to find out if they know good places to stay!
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Hello,
Check out youtube, looks like there could be a new cable car system in operation on kasprowy wierch. I'm going on the 17th anyone been in Zakopane recently who can offer any advice?
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pacdorme, friends are back from Zakopane. Two metres deep snow on the top and good snow condition everywhere.
| pacdorme wrote: |
| looks like there could be a new cable car system in operation on kasprowy wierch. |
This cable car does not mean any serious improvement in terms of capacity. Still, you need to wait for hours in the morning.
But it is possible to buy tickets in advance in the evening for the following day to avoid queues.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Cheers for that Kerekip,
When you say hours what do you think it will be like midweek from the 17th to 22nd of Feb? Any other advice on other slopes worth a bash whilst I'm there?
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pacdorme, I have been going to hike and climb the rocks in these mountains for over 15 years, but I have never skied there. Beautiful mountains, nice town, and nice people.
That cable car is the bottleneck of the Kasprowy Mountain, but I have heard that you can buy tickets in advance for a fixed time (e.g. 10:15 lift) somewhere in the pedestrian street in the center, and you do not have to wait in the queues.
As for skiing, what sniezka wrote earlier is a good description. The slopes around Zakopana are not connected by lifts, be careful when deciding which hill you choose. Kasprowy is said to be good for advanced skiers, mostly black and red pistes. If you want blue pistes you may try Gubalowka, Bukowina Tatrzanska or Bialka Tatrzanska.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Hmmm... was thinking about going here in December but not so sure now.
Have been thinking about it for a while and knew I would find some info on snowheads 
Anyone know what the snow is like in December? If there is any?
Much obliged
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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trisco, December seems to be a bit early. Full operation usually starts at Christmas.
The most challenging slopes on the top need deep snow to cover the rocks.
Here is a small movie in the Who needs modern kit to have fun? Polish skiing in 1932 thread from the Piste section.
This movie was shot in the mountains above Zakopane in 1932.
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my nephew ripped his face badly on one of those pistes which need a lot of snow to cover them..... he had only skied in France before. Tough lad, ace skateboarder, rapidly improving snowboarder. He loved his trip to Poland, with a great mate from his village who is second-generation Polish and has loads of family there (and, of course, speaks Polish...). So he really met the people and drank a lot of vodka with them. But he did say the skiing was very poor compared to what he was used to, especially having to keep finding money for the lifts. He said he would never go to Poland for the skiing, or without a Pole. But no doubt when the snow is better it's better all round. He went at New Year and that year, at any rate, the snow at Zakopane was rubbish. His word was ruder. 
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