Valley of Five Polish Ponds comes to life! (Poland)

I love the Tatras. We have many wonderful mountains in Poland, but the Tatra Mountains have always made me delight in their size and beauty. The Valley of Five Polish Ponds is a special place for me. It is probably the most beautiful mountain valley in the entire Polish Tatras. Spring here begins much later than in the lowlands. At an altitude of about 1700 m a.s.l. temperatures are much lower, which means that the snow cover, whose layer reaches up to 2 meters here, lasts practically until June. The lakes remain frozen even longer. At the highest situated Zadni Pond in Poland there is record-breaking ice thickness. In 1938, it was 3.75 meters thick!

It is practically summer in the lowlands in May, but up here we must be prepared for snow. Tourist routes below to a height of about 1,400 m a.s.l. they should be quite dry and without snow. So you can safely go here. Probably many of you were at Morskie Oko. A trip to the Valley of Five Polish Ponds is something much better. It requires more effort, but believe me, it's worth it. Here you will feel what real mountains are. Asphalt road to Morskie Oko is a misunderstanding in my opinion. There are no horse carts here that tire these poor animals. A huge attraction on the trail to the Five Polish Ponds Valley is the largest waterfall in Poland - The Siklawa (photo above). Its height is about 65 meters! As you can see, the man is very small with him.

After about 7 kilometers from the parking lot at Palenica Białczańska (the same from which you are going to Morskie Oko) we reach the goal. The name valley is a bit misleading, because in fact we are constantly going up the hill, and the very end of the route at the waterfall becomes very tiring. Fortunately, the final, sharp approach is not long. Walking the Valley of Five Polish Ponds alone, we can admire the spring and winter landscape. The ridge of the massif called the Orla Perć exposed to the sun is almost snow less (photo below), while on the northern slopes of the Miedziane massif there is winter with layers of snow (photo above).

This contrasting landscape looks great. The air temperature at this time can reach around plus 10 degrees Celsius. Due to the high altitude, you have to watch out for the Sun, which is already very high, and therefore without sunscreen creams you can already experience sunburns at this time, especially since you do not feel hot here. Below is a view of the Miedziane and Szpiglasowy Wierch (the central peak in my photograph) One of the most important peaks over the Valley of Five Polish Ponds, to which the official tourist trail leads. From this side of the valley, however, it is difficult to get in winter and spring, because it is a trail running through the north wall, on which a lot of snow lies.

I haven't been there yet in winter. An easier way leads there from Morskie Oko. Focusing on the valley itself, however, just leaving here guarantees great views, unforgettable emotions and great photos. This place in such a scenery looks completely different from in summer. That is why I strongly recommend going here in May, preferably in the second half of the month. Great views await you! Greetings to all those who love mountains!