Silesian Beskids: Szczyrk > Skrzyczne

Skrzyczne is the highest mountain of Zywiec Beskids mountain range. There are plenty of ski lifts here, and because the nearby Szczyrk city attracts crowds of tourists, there is a lot of traffic here. Thus Skrzyczne is not the best place for a quiet hiking in the middle summer.

During my hike to the Skrzyczne peak I managed to see the Vipera Berus venomous snake. It is the only species of poisonous snake found in Poland. The snake I met was was a young specimen, as it was less than 30cm long, while adult snakes may reach even 1 meter. The snake was running away and definitely did not want to pose for a photo, and I obviously did not want to stress him. But all in all I managed to take one interesting picture, the one that you can now see as the leading photo of this post.

Fun fact: the Vipera Berus is another reason why you should wear high boots. The snake only attacks when it feels threatened, but when it does attack, it often does so at the ankle. Thus flip-flops and similar shoes in the mountains are a really bad idea, even on Skrzyczne, where you can go up by a lift. As you can see on the map, I met the snake only a few meters from the buildings of the ski lift station. The snake was basking in the middle of the rocky path.

A map of the hiking trail, which I recommend only during the off-season hovewer, is here. Total ascent: 740 m. Step count at the end of the day: 18,000+.