Kasprowy Wierch
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20 April 2022 - Zakopane
The plan today was to run up into the Tatra mountains and into Slovakia. We're staying in Zakopane, which is a bit like Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Okay it's a LOT like Gatlinburg. There are junk shops galore, parks with rides, zoos, performances, etc. A fool and his money are soon parted here too. I think we've bought half a dozen different bottles of Polish brandies made from local fruits rather than grapes. Tarnina has become something of a favorite. And of course pierogis, kiełbasa, borscht, etc. Polish cuisine was practically designed for the American palate. And I really wouldn't be surprised if one of the waitresses walked up and said "what can I get for ya, honey" instead of "dzien dobry". But back to the mountain...
Kasprowy Wierch rises to an altitude of 1987 meters, which is just about the elevation of Lake Tahoe. Unsurprisingly this time of year it's still clad in snow. And while it's not the tallest of the Tatras, it's one of the most accessible. There's a cable car up from Kuźnice on the edge of Zakopane. Unfortunately the closest parking is about a kilometer and a half away. Fortunately we're still in Corona times, so tourism has not picked up to where things are just packed here. Our hotel is pretty empty and parking near Kuźnice was not an issue.
So I started my run with a couple kilometers in a roughly flat valley before beginning my ascent. Tatra National Park really is a beautiful treasure and running through the forest was like a fairy tale. The snow was fortunately fresh and so not compacted and icy, which made for easy running. I am set in a Spring mode already, so I did not pack spikes or Winter gear beyond my wool. I really should learn to always be prepared to run up a mountain, even if it's not on the itinerary. The first 6 kilometers up where not bad, but things started to change at the tree line. The incline of the trail was not too steep, but it was set on the edge of a precipice that got sharper and sharper until it became too much for my acrophobia with only a few hundred meters left to go up. I tried following another hiker and looking at her feet instead, but it was just too much for me. I felt paralyzed like Jimmy Stewart in Vertigo. So I ran back down through the snow.
Give up on the summit and crossing into Slovakia I did not though! Back down in Kuźnice I mustered my courage and bought a ticket for cable car. Having been on a number in Switzerland I knew it would not kill me. Well, I hoped not to be a statistical outlier. It still feels like traveling in a hanging death box. Halfway up one switches to a new line and death box, but unfortunately one cannot just get on there. The views on the way up were breathtaking until we ended up in a cloud. There was no view down into Poland on Kasprowy Wierch, but a short walk over into Slovakia and the view down into the valley was clear and cold and sheer. There were no hikers up from the Slovakian side, but I did encounter the family that I passed when I wimped out on my run and turned around. A little girl not more than 12 managed what I could not. C'est la vie. Life is ever a learning experience...
