Korona Gór Polski in English

Today I would like to suggest some active downtime ideas when in Poland. Specifically Korona Gór Polski (KGP) which means in English: The Crown of a Polish Mountains. The Crown of the Polish Mountains is, in simple terms, a list of the highest peaks of individual mountain ranges in Poland. The concept itself is quite simple, but it is a lot of fun, because it allows you to collect stamps for every single peak you reach. It is a great motivator, especially for kids. Honestly, I love to spend my time in the mountains, and I managed to spread this passion among my family. But what exactly is this mountain crown all about? How does it work, how much does it cost and how can you tackle it? Let’s get straight to the point:

• What exactly is the Crown of Polish Mountains?
• List of peaks to be climbed
• Planning routes
• How much does it costs?
• How to sign up

What exactly is the Crown of Polish Mountains?

You can see above photos of some of our adventures in the mountains from our private family archive. The idea itself was aimed at popularizing mountains other than the Tatra Mountains (Tatry) in Poland. This means getting to know their nature, geology, geography and the plot twists of history. The mountains consist of 28 peaks that belong to the Crown of Polish Mountains project. This list is consistent with the current list of peaks published on the official KGP website.

However, it is mainly about sightseeing and having fun. But also wandering, exploring, enjoying the nature and beautiful views. You can do it alone, with friends, with family or with a club/group. If you reach all 28 peaks from the list, you will be awarded with the honorable title of “The Conqueror of the Crown of Polish Mountains”. Sounds impressive, right? So, in order to receive proof of reaching the top, we need to obtain a stamp and a photograph of ourselves at each point. Importantly, we have to reach the mountain peak ourselves with the strength of our own muscles. Additionally, peaks that were achieved before joining to a club/group will not be considered. So, to the point, what are these peaks and where to find them.

List of peaks to be climbed

This Map is the best way to show all of the peaks in one go. This is a useful visualization because you can quickly and easily find out which region, you have not visited yet and which peaks are missing to your collection. You must admit that the Crown of Polish Mountains covers quite a large area. Anyway, see for yourself:

In addition to the Interactive Map, which was prepared by the KGP club, I would like to show you also a beautiful KGP list which sorts the peaks from the lowest to the highest. However, I must admit that the Map works much better if we intend to focus on a specific area. However, nothing prevents you from attaching the poster with the mountains to the refrigerator with a magnet. As is the case with my kids, such marking of the points generates an additional air of excitement, the thought of upcoming expeditions often opens a discussion about the adventures we already had.

Route planning

When it comes to approaching and reaching the tops, I would like to recommend, without the unnecessary beating around the bush a travel blog “Hasające Zające” (The Wandering Hares). It is a blog devoted to traveling, where “the titular Hares” describe their adventures step by step in detail. Therefore, I am giving you a link here to their main article about the Crown of a Polish Mountains. The blog is in Polish, but for that we do have Google Translate in our browser 😉

Most of the peaks have already been described by them. And their descriptions really titillate. Starting from the parking lot, through the available routes to the top and the attractions that can be found along the way. You will also find their information about the distance you have to cover, how steep the climb is and how long the whole trip takes. I hope that you are turned on already. Therefore, we can take the natural step to move on to the next question on the list.

How much does this all cost?

No worries – not much. The price for the registration of one person at the day of writing this article is PLN 35 + PLN 5 for the booklet (PLN 40 in total) in which we collect the stamps mentioned at the beginning. In addition, PLN 12 for shipping the entire package. In the case of my family of four, I would pay PLN 132 for the whole package which contains 4x booklets and confirmation of successful registration. It is a one-time payment. It does not require any renewals or subscriptions. Importantly, there is also no expiry date. The club does not impose any rigid limits on the time in which the peaks must be reached. It’s all about having fun there.

What else do you need to remember? Some of the aforementioned mountain ranges are located in national or landscape parks. This means that admission fees may be charged. Let me reassure you now – usually these are amounts ranging from 5 to 10 zlotys per adult. However, it is important to remember that we are going to the mountains. Thus, comfortable sports shoes (preferably trekking shoes), appropriate clothing adapted to the weather, provisions and drinks are practically obligatory. I personally, for every single trip of this type, also take with me an ordinary car first aid kit in which I have painkillers. Also, in a form of a cream. Fortunately, I haven’t had the chance to use it yet 😊

Is this the only cost?

Last thing worth mentioning here is about the general good health condition. Which also cost us energy, time and money. Majority of these peaks are pretty gentle, however in some of the cases, you need to be in a really good shape to get on the top of the mountain. Hence, I advise to take care about your stamina and do some fitness before you hit the mountains. It is especially important to the novice. To give you some picture – I managed to climb Rysy peak from the parking level and come back within 14 hours. In my case, it was physically very demanding. I know that my kids are not ready for it yet. However, on the other hand, we managed to reach the top of Łysica within 4 hours. This is a time for both ways (up and down) with my children.

How to sign up

Since we already know what, why, where and for how much, it’s good to find out how we can actually sign up. So, we should complete the questionnaire, which is linked here (click). This is where we can register ourselves and our team of mountain travelers. We must remember that the minimum age for joining the club is 7 years. And the estimated time for processing the application is from 16 to 18 days. Payment should be made to the account number provided on the questionnaire no later than 10 days after registration is completed. Originally, this form is written in Polish, but Google Translate handles it really well.

I also contacted the KGP Club via email to ask if they have any restrictions on Foreigners. And guess what. No! You don’t need to have a PESEL number or a Polish Personal ID. And if you have more questions about the club itself, feel free to email them. I have received the positive confirmation that they will respond to e-mails written in English. However, before you write an email, I highly recommend checking out their FAQ (click), available at this link.

Summary of Korona Gór Polski in English

I have to admit that recent events and information from all over the world have left their mark on my psyche. And the mountains have always been a kind of reset therapy for me. I thought that you could take advantage of it at the same way. And maybe even persuade your family or friends to actively spend some time together. For me (actually for the four of us) it’s a lot of fun and a distraction from everyday problems. Therefore, I hope that you will also find this information useful.

Would you like to read more publications about “Hobby” on my blog? Click here. You may also get to main “Table of content“, which is available here. Do you want to stay in touch and get updates about new posts? Subscribe now and follow EinP in social media!

Special thanks to Eamon Gosney, who has helped with proofreading of this article.

https://kgp.info.pl/; https://hasajacezajace.com/

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