Climb the Polish rocks!
The trip has taken place. Check out upcoming rock trips HERE.
A beautiful September day. After a hearty breakfast, you throw on your backpack filled with climbing equipment and step out of the door of a cute little hostel. In front of you, just a few dozen meters away, picturesque cliffs rise with green forest tufts. You tie yourself to a rope with your partner and rest your fingers against the cliff. The cool, but rough touch of the rock creates awe and excitement at the same time. Panting and accompanied by a slight tremor in your feet, you reach the top after a lot of effort. You stop for a moment to enjoy the breathtaking views that stretch for kilometers, and you feel a great sense of satisfaction in your soul - climbing is over!
A scene from a fiction novel? No, just a classic day climbing the Jura cliffs.
We pack our ropes, helmets and express, get into a nice minibus and drive to southern Poland, to the Bedkowska Valley near Krakow. There, a lovely hotel awaits us, the main purpose of which is to accommodate climbing enthusiasts like us (and offer them refreshing meals). By the way, the hotel is in such a great location that you can put on your slippers and go climbing right after waking up - you can even guess the movements of the nearest trails from the hotel window. In total, there are more than 1,5 different trails, both sports and trad-climbers, so no one should get bored. For more information about the trails in the area, see FROM HERE.
We will spend a total of 4 full days at the cliffs. During this time, the schedule is completely free - those who want to, climb all days from morning to evening; those who want to, take a few hiking days in between or enjoy the local atmosphere in another way that suits them. In case the weather does not want to treat us to dry weather, we can take a half-hour drive to Krakow, where we will find several climbing halls and sports shops.
A little bit about the region. We climb limestone cliffs in the Jura Mountains, in the Bedkowska Valley. According to independent sources, this is the largest and most beautiful valley in the Jura Mountains, where, in addition to numerous rock routes, there are also a large number of different hiking trails. There are different rock routes: 10-meter, 30-meter and even 95-meter multi-pitch routes. The difficulty of the routes varies greatly - there are simple turns as well as complex projects on cornices. So there is a choice for both novice climbers and experienced climbers.
We will travel there together by minibus. In order not to waste precious climbing time, we do not plan to make major stops during the journey, but will solve various everyday problems with roadside gas stations and eateries. In the hostel located on site in Poland, both breakfast and dinner are included in the price, everyone has to provide lunch themselves. Of course, this can also be purchased on site at the hostel (there are stuffed pancakes and various dumplings), but if necessary, we can also visit nearby grocery stores. At the hostel, we sleep in bunk beds in rooms for up to 6 people, bed linen is provided on site. There is also a small kitchenette on site with a sink, stove and refrigerator, if anyone wants to prepare their own lunch. Everyone has to bring their own towels.
NB! To come on the trip, you must be able to climb and belay at least with a safety harness.
It is not essential to have personal climbing equipment on your trip, but since ropes and expressways do not just hang on natural rock, you will need to assemble the necessary equipment for at least a couple of people. An alternative is to use group equipment, but then you have to take into account that there may be others who want to go along with you.
👉 SEE EQUIPMENT LIST HERE 👈
Overview - short & sweet
Goal: rock climbing trip to Bedkowska Valley, Jura Mountains, Poland
Dates: 17.-22.09.2023
Activity: rock climbing
Adventure guide: Kaarel Kuslap, accompanied as an auxiliary tractor Kelli Kuslap
Technical difficulty level: 2/5 (belaying skills required)
Physical difficulty: 1-3/5 (according to the goals you set for yourself)
Group size: min 8, max 16
Early bird ticket (until 31.07.2023) — €490
Less dizzy chicken (from 01.08.2023) — 590€
Please note: For community members discount of -5% applies
Travel cost
Price includes
Minibus (with trailer if necessary)
Bus fuel
Hostel accommodation (all nights during the trip)
Breakfasts and dinners at the hostel
Group equipment: 4 ropes, 50 express, pharmacy
Good/bad weather
Price does not include
Lunches on climbing days
Food on driving days
Insurance (travel insurance and MANDATORY sports insurance suitable for climbing)
Personal hygiene products and medications
Personal climbing equipment (can also be rented if necessary from Elamus Pluss)
Unscheduled excursions, transportation, etc. (or if you want to do something extra)
Registration for the trip
Before registering, please read travel conditions. To secure your place on the trip, a prepayment (20%) must be paid within 3 working days of receiving the confirmation and invoice by e-mail. If there are less than 30 days left until the trip, the total cost (100%) must be paid. Read more: frequently asked questions ja package tour information sheet.
Schedule
Day 1: Driving through the Baltics
We start on Sunday at 05.00:XNUMX from the center of Tartu, from the Fortuuna parking lot. A long drive awaits us, where we will eat as we go along, according to the group's wishes, at gas stations along the way. The bus window will pass by the hogweed fields of Latvia, the plains of Lithuania and the highway gardens of Poland. By late Friday evening we will reach the Jura Mountains, where a cozy hostel with bunk beds aimed at climbers awaits us.
Days 2-5: CLIMB!
The hostel we wake up in in the morning is located in the middle of Poland's largest climbing area. There are over 500 sports and cycling trails, many hiking trails and several caves in the immediate vicinity. Everyone can choose a suitable difficulty level for themselves on the rocks. If you feel like you need a day off, please do - the hiking trails, caves and hostel recreation areas are waiting for you. According to the group's wishes, we can also make day trips to rock trails located further away. If it seems that the weather is still not good and you don't feel like climbing the rocks, we pack climbing harnesses and ropes on the bus and as an alternative we can drive 30 minutes away to the indoor climbing halls in Krakow. In general, however, the plan is free and we don't force anyone to go anywhere, everyone acts according to their wishes and abilities.
DAYS 5-6: RETURN HOME WITH TIRED MUSCLES
In order not to miss work and other tasks the next day, we set off for home on the evening of the last climbing day around 17.00:6 PM. The journey home had to be faster than leaving home, despite the fact that the number of kilometers covered is the same. We will drive in shifts through the night and arrive in Tartu on the morning of the 8th day of the trip around 9.00-XNUMX:XNUMX AM.
NB! The schedule and planned activities may be subject to minor (or major) changes — for example, due to weather and conditions or passenger requests.
Don't worry, let's do it!
I've never climbed natural rocks before. Can I still do it?!
If you're not unfamiliar with belaying and belaying, or at least climbing with belaying, then you definitely can! Rock climbing is not much different from climbing on interior walls, the only difference is that instead of a predetermined path consisting of colorful blocks, you have to find a suitable rock curve for yourself by feeling it out with your hands.
I really want to come on the trip, but I don't know how to do this security stuff. Can I still come?
However, it is necessary to learn how to belay in order to be able to climb rocks. If you don't know how to do it yet, you can take our one-day belay training courses, which we will announce soon. You can also take one from us in Tartu. private training take.
But I don't have any personal climbing equipment. Where can I get it and what kind is suitable?
You can rent or buy climbing equipment. When renting or borrowing, keep a critical mind. The lifespan of climbing equipment is 8-10 years. If you find used old equipment somewhere, it is worth remembering that your own life depends on it. If things seem to be in good condition, renting can really save you some money by bringing it with you for one trip. The equipment rented by Elamusplus is safe and has already been inspected by the locomotives, so there is no reason to worry when renting from us.
It is wise to definitely try on the equipment when buying. A climbing harness and slippers should be comfortable. When buying a rope, it is worth choosing a dynamic rope that is 50-70 m long, weatherproof and of suitable thickness. The thicker the rope, the more difficult it is to climb with it. At the same time, a thicker rope has a longer lifespan. If you are a confident climber and are missing a few things that you need advice on when buying, feel free to ask the tour guide for advice.
Read more also frequently asked questions.
Travel documents and footnotes
The participant is responsible for the validity and condition of their travel documents. For this trip you will need:
ID card/passport;
sports insurance suitable for climbing (read more on the FAQ page). A suitable sports insurance policy must be carried and is a prerequisite for participation in the trip;
travel insurance.
Plan your trip early and start training for it. If you haven't encountered rock climbing before, now is the right time to familiarize yourself with the terms: eight-knot, express, station, backstep and belay device. It would be a shame if you couldn't come along just because you don't have belaying skills. If necessary, we can arrange some private training to reinforce safety techniques when climbing a big wall. Read more FROM HERE. ;)
Although at the end of the day everyone is still responsible for their own actions and consequences, we do our best to mitigate the risks associated with climbing. As a result, the group leader has the right to make ongoing decisions about the competence of the participants, the suitability of their equipment, physical fitness, etc., and, if necessary, prohibit access to certain routes if it endangers the health of the group or the participant themselves. Hopefully, of course, there will be no need for this.
Read also travel conditions.
