Ski touring like a pro in Poland

Good news: winter is coming! In order to not freeze 🙂 it much better to stay active and find an activity that will make this season enjoyable. If you haven’t yet tried ski touring trips – after reading this post we hope you will definitely be ready to do so!

Ski touring is one of the types of off-piste skiing that is recently gaining more and more popularity. It’s all in one: you may ski on the flat paths, descent and climb steep hills. They are much lighter than downhill and cross-country skis so you may explore mountain trails more freely and off the beaten tracks – no need to follow ski lifts anymore.
This type of ski adventure attracts both advanced skiers as well as free riders thirsty for untouched snow and exploration of more remote places. It’s definitely a challenging and physically demanding form of activity, but highly rewarding as well!

It’s good to start under supervision – no matter what’s your initial experience in any given skiing technique. It would be best to meet with a professional and experienced ski instructor to verify your skiing (downhill) skills. And what makes a good instructor? Wojtek Malawski, an experienced Polish Alpine Association instructor, climbing instructor and international mountain guide (IVBV) sums up: “In mountains we’re a team. To enjoy our time close to nature and with great sports we’re sharing our experience to make the best of time up on the hills while guaranteeing safety”. More about Wojtek and his trips at Around Poland here.
Most likely no extra training would be needed but before going into wild and high mountains you need to be sure you’re ready. And if you are – then after a brief introduction on the equipment specifics all what’s left is to choose the ski run! Where? In Spain, Norway or… Poland!

Southern part of Poland is mountainous and there you’ll find some great places for ski touring. Tatra Mountains, the highest Polish mountain range, offers great runs far from the noisy and often crowded ski lifts. Only 2 hours drive from Krakow (with Balice Airport) you may reach Zakopane village and from that point explore some of the stunning pistes. A great way to try that is with an “extended weekend” – from Friday to Sunday. Check one of the trips like that that you may book with Around Poland from January 2021 here. There’s also an option for people ready for more rough options, with little comfort but great satisfaction: ski touring in more wild Gorce Mountains. Less popular than the majestic Tatras, but equally interesting, Gorce are also easily reachable by car from Krakow. With a backpack on, for three days we move from shelter to shelter, or hut-to-hut, enjoying a very simple and beautiful experience of a wintry skiing adventure. And if ski touring will be only a part of your stay in Poland and you won’t bring your own equipment – ski rental is quite an easy option on site.