Babia Góra



Babia Góra (in Polish), or Babia hora (in Slovak) is a massif situated on the border between Poland and Slovakia in the Western Beskid Mountains. The name is also applied to the culmination of the massif, Diablak ("Devil's Peak"), which is also the highest peak of this part of the Carpathian Mountains, at 1725 m above sea level.

History
The first historical mentions of the massif date back to the 15th century, when it first mentioned in the writings of Jan Długosz. It was only in the 19th century that the area was explored and chronicled in greater depth, with the first known mountain hut constructed in 1905.

Nature
Gentle from the south, steep from the north, Babia Góra is home to bear, lynx, wolf and other species; as well as alpine flora endemic at this altitude. The first attempts to protect the area were made in the 1930s. In 1933 the Nature Reserve of Babia Góra was established on the Polish side. Later, in 1954, Babia Góra National Park (Babiogórski Park Narodowy) was established with an area of 17.04 km2. In 1976 it became one of the first Biosphere Reserves in the world. For a long time Babia Góra National Park was the smallest of the Polish national parks. In 1997 it was enlarged to 33.92 km2 and a buffer zone was created of 84.37 km2. Within the park, 10.62 km2 is under strict protection. There are calls for strengthening of cross-border cooperation with Slovakia to better protect the fragile environment of the mountain.

Climate
Babia Góra is sometimes nicknamed Matka Niepogód (Mother of Bad Weather). It is very susceptible to weather changes primarily due to the frequent winds that regularly hit the area. The mountain also experiences a strong inversion. Snow can cover the massif for over 200 days every year. In May 2016, a climber was killed by lightning while attempting to descend the mountain when a thunderstorm approached.

Hiking and skiing
Although generally relatively easy to hike, Babia Góra can be reached by a more difficult yellow route called Perć Akademików (Academics' Path). Today, despite (or perhaps because of) steep climbs, chains and metal steps fixed to the rocks along sections of the trail, it is very popular with hikers.

The whole Babia Góra National Park is a strict nature reserve: skitouring, for example, was only permitted from 2022 onwards and only if certain weather and snow conditions were met.