Small Beskid Trail

The Small Beskid Trail connects the city of Bielsko-Biała with the peak of Luboń Wielki (1022m). It goes through 3 mountain ranges: Beskid Mały, Beskid Makowski, and Beskid Wyspowy. The trail is marked red and the markings are very visible, so you can hike without frequently checking the map. There is a red dot at the beginning and the end of the trail. The direction of the route does not matter for the difficulty of the walk. The only exception is if you want to start on Luboń Wielki, you need to climb to the peak first. The estimated walking time for the entire trail is about 44 hours, depending on your shape and your style of trekking. Most of the peaks on the trail are in the forests, so there are no views from them. The most panoramic sections are in the beginning and on the last day of the trail.

The trail is not very popular, apart from places that are easily accessible from nearby towns and the areas around popular shelters. On the trail itself, you will meet few people during the day. The trail passes through several towns and villages, but most of the route leads through the forests. There are sections where you walk through the forest for several hours and see nothing but trees and mud in the ruts left by off-road vehicles and bridges, which cause significant damage to several of the most popular sections. From higher points on the trail, the views are nice, but if you see anything, there are always buildings in sight.

The constant presence of human civilization makes it hard to feel like you are on a real mountain trail. For someone who loves long hikes alone with nature, this proximity to civilization might be a disadvantage. However, for someone who is just starting their adventure with the trail, and long-distance hikes, it may turn out to be a huge advantage and give such a sense of security – that if something happens, you can always get help or get to the town easily.

The trail runs through several viewpoints, from which you can see beautiful panoramas. One of such places is Chrobacza Łąka. At the top stands a 35m high steel cross, under which there is a viewing terrace. With good visibility, you can see the Tatras from there – the highest range in the Carpathian chain. The Tatras are the only mountain range in Poland with an alpine character, so you can easily distinguish them from other mountain ranges.

You can access the trail year-round. In winter, there may be snow on the trail. In recent years, climate changes have caused issues in weather forecasting and winters have become very capricious. Sometimes in December, it is possible to walk the trail with dry feet, while in April there can be huge amounts of snow. That is why you need to monitor the weather forecast for a given region before planning your route. The amount of snow therefore depends on what kind of winter the region has. When the snow melts, there is a lot of mud on the trails. And in some places, the path can turn into a stream. If you come across a typical Polish winter, the trail is very beautiful at this time of year. However, you must remember that you may have to devote a few more days to completing it.

Every few hours or so, you will pass various types of lodgings, cottages, or shelters, so if you plan to take this trail lightly, it will not be a problem. There is also no shortage of places for wild camping. The areas are mostly forested, with plenty of flat spots. It does not matter whether it is a tent, hammock, or tarp – finding a place to camp should not be a major problem. If you care about privacy, you should avoid camping on mountain peaks because this is where you’ll have the highest probability of meeting someone there – especially on the weekends. An exception can be made on Potrójna because there is a clearing, large enough to accommodate a lot of tents and it is a nice place for both sunset and sunrise.

If you are going with a tent, aim for the months of June – September. If you intend to sleep in lodgings and in shelters, then you have a wider range of possibilities, you can aim for the months of May to October. If you do not like the heat, aim for May/June or September/October.

Theoretically, it will be easiest to complete the trail in summer, especially if you take a tent with you. Then it is warm and relatively dry, and there will be the least amount of mud on the forest roads. However, the temperature can exceed 30 degrees C (90F), and in such heat, you have to remember to carry more water with you. In spring, temperatures will be lower and there will be the most mud, sometimes there might be frosts and light snowfalls. In autumn, trees change the color of leaves, so this time of the year will undoubtedly have its charm, but you have to take into account that, just like in spring, there can be rapidly changing conditions, icy trails, and frost.

The trail can be completed all year round, but in winter it may be the most difficult. Everything will depend on the weather, there may be a lot of snow, and completing it will not be easy without additional equipment (spikes, crampons, snowshoes, gaiters, etc.). Sometimes during very harsh winters, there may be problems with reaching the shelters, and the shelters themselves may lack electricity or water.

The trail is very suitable for people who are just starting their adventure with long-distance trails. There are no dangerous places on the trail. The only threat may be the weather in the mountains, so before setting out, you should check the weather conditions (preferably every day before setting out on the trail). In winter, there may be quite a lot of snow on the trail and the walk may be very demanding.

When it comes to equipment, it is definitely good to have trekking poles with you regardless of the season. When there may be icy conditions, it is worth having crampons/spikes, and in the winter season, gaiters and snowshoes. It is worth installing the RATUNEK application. In the event of an accident, just press the button on your phone’s display three times and the emergency services will be informed about the need to carry out a rescue operation. The application transmits our current location to the services using GPS and the battery level in our phone. The app is free of charge, like all rescue operations in the Polish mountains.

Emergency numbers:

• 999 – Emergency medical services. The call is answered directly by a medical distributor.
• 112 – emergency number valid throughout the European Union. After the call, the operator notifies the appropriate services: ambulance, fire brigade, police, water rescue services, etc.
• +48 601 100 300 GOPR – Mountain Volunteer Emergency Medical Services, emergency services in the Beskid Mountains. Calling for help and rescue operations are free in Poland.