During our family trip to the Tatras, we wanted to climb a mountain that would give us a proper challenge but would not require any special equipment or technical climbing skills. We chose to hike to Kasprowy Wierch via the Murowaniec mountain shelter. From there, we continued with the more demanding climb to the summit. This time, no bikes were involved — this was a family hiking trip.

We started in Brzeziny and followed the trail towards Murowaniec. This first part was fairly long, but relatively easy, without any particularly demanding climbs. When we reached the shelter, we stopped to replenish our water before starting the more difficult section towards Kasprowy Wierch.

Not far from Murowaniec, my wife decided to turn back and wait for us at the shelter. She prefers the azure sea and white sand to hilly trails and mountain peaks, so my son and I continued on our own.

From there, we continued upwards. The route to Kasprowy was about 3 km of almost constant climbing. At first the trail was manageable, but as we gained height it became increasingly steep and rocky. The final section was particularly demanding, with parts of the trail resembling uneven stairs made from natural stones.

The last kilometre was the hardest. In some places, you really had to watch where you put your feet and carefully choose the next stone. There were quite a few people on the trail, and some hikers had to stop frequently to rest on the grass or among the rocks.

Luckily, the conditions improved as we climbed higher. The scorching summer sun gradually disappeared behind the clouds, making the ascent a little easier. More importantly, the views became increasingly impressive. Every time we looked around, there seemed to be another reason to stop for a moment — even if it was supposed to be just a short rest.

Eventually, we reached the summit area of Kasprowy Wierch. At an altitude of 1,959 metres above sea level, there is the highest-located restaurant in Poland. After the climb, sitting down for a meal there felt particularly well deserved.

But the restaurant wasn’t quite the end of our climb. From there, we continued a little farther to the top of the mountain, where the weather observatory is located. This was the true summit of Kasprowy Wierch and the point we had been aiming for all along.

After taking some time to enjoy the views, we finally started our descent. We returned towards Murowaniec, where we met my wife again, and from there continued down towards Zakopane.

Kasprowy Wierch turned out to be exactly the kind of mountain we had been looking for — accessible without special equipment, but still demanding enough to make reaching the summit feel like a real achievement. And with the changing light, dramatic peaks and wide views along the way, it certainly gave me plenty of reasons to take my camera out.

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If you enjoy photography, travel and stories from places in Poland, have a look around the rest of the blog. You might also like my Beskid from Kasprowy Wierch post, where I focus on the mountain landscape and the views from the ridge.