The native Polish rocks await again!
Registered: 14/15 - 1 SPACE LEFT!
A beautiful day in May. 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 tower 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 within a radius of the nearest 500 km, both sports and trad-climbers, so no one should get bored. For more information about the trails in the area, see FROM HERE.
We plan to be at the cliffs for 4 full days. During this time, the schedule is completely free - those who want to, can climb all days from morning to evening; those who want to, can take a few hiking days or enjoy the local atmosphere in another way that suits them. If 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.
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 trails. 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 long stops during the journey, but will solve various everyday problems with roadside gas stations and eateries. In Poland, the hostel located on site has both breakfast and dinner included in the price, everyone has to provide their own lunch. Of course, this can also be purchased on site at the hostel, but if necessary, we can also visit nearby grocery stores. At the hostel, we will sleep in bunk beds in rooms for up to 6 people, and bed linen is provided on site.
NB! To come on the trip, you must be able to climb and belay at least with a safety harness. However, if you still lack these skills, but are highly motivated to travel, you can take part in the safety training courses offered by Elamusplus. When? Keep your eyes open on our website and social media.
Having personal climbing equipment on a trip is not essential, but since ropes and expressways do not just hang on natural rock, you should pack at least a few pieces of the necessary equipment.
👉 SEE EQUIPMENT LIST HERE 👈
Overview - short & sweet
Objective: rock climbing trip to the Bedkowska Valley, Jura Mountains, Poland
Dates: 10.-15.05.2024
Activity: rock climbing
Adventure guides: Kaarel Kuslap ja Kristen Tamm
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 (including 2 adventure guides)
Price per person — 625€
Please note: For community members discount -5% (594€) applies
Travel cost
Price includes
A seat on a minibus departing from Tartu
Bus fuel
Tolls
Accommodation in a hostel next to the crag (all overnight stays during the trip)
Breakfasts and dinners at the hostel
Group equipment: 5 ropes and rope bags, 80 express, pharmacy
Good/bad weather and awesome photos of you in the project
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 needed) 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 (3%) must be paid within 30 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 at 5.00:XNUMX from Tartu (city center / Lõunakeskus). A long day of driving awaits us, where we will eat as we go along, according to the group's wishes, at gas stations along the way. Latvian hogweed fields, Lithuanian plains and Polish highway gardens pass by the bus window. By midnight we will reach the Jura Mountains, where a cozy hostel with bunk beds for climbers awaits us. Tired, we go to enjoy a restful sleep after a long day of driving.
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.
Day 6: RETURN HOME WITH TIRED MUSCLES
We have our last breakfast at the hotel and head back home. The journey home was supposed to be faster than leaving home, despite the fact that the number of kilometers covered is the same. We arrive back in Tartu between 1 and 2 am.
NB! There may be minor (or major) changes to the schedule and planned activities — 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 climbing from above, or at least climbing with belay, 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, belaying is necessary to learn in order to be able to climb rocks. If you don't know how to do it yet, you can learn it at our one-day belay training courses (more information later). It is also possible to take private training, which take place at the Tartu University Sports Club.
But I don't have any personal climbing equipment. Where can I get it and what kind is suitable?
It is possible to rent or buy the 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 Elamus Pluss is safe and has already been inspected by the adventure guides, 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 60-100 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.
