Czoło

Czoło ("forehead" in Polish) is a modest 815 m summit in the Pieniny proper, the easternmost top on the main ridge of the Czorsztyn Pieniny. The mountain lies entirely within the Pieniny National Park; the ridge marks the boundary between Sromowce Niżne (Czorsztyn municipality, southern slope) and Krościenko nad Dunajcem (northern slope) in Nowy Targ County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship. To the west Czoło borders on Łączana, while on the east the Szopka pass (779 m), only 400 m away, separates it from the Trzy Korony massif, whose summit is about 1 km away. Sromowce Niżne is roughly 2.6 km away.

Czoło has two tops: the higher eastern one and the lower western one, from which the Wysoki Dział ridge runs north. A little further west, near the Zakoczył (Czerniawa) pass, the Nowa Góra ridge branches south. Because the mountain sits where ridges diverge in four directions, its slopes are drained by four streams. The gentlest, northern slope falls to the Pieniński Potok valley, while the southern slopes drop steeply to the Szopczański gorge and two small valleys that meet at the Rojowa Skała rock, the southern end of Czoło; their streams feed the Szopczański Potok.

How to get there / routes

• Blue trail – Main Pieniny Trail (part of the Tarnów – Wielki Rogacz route): Czorsztyn – slopes of Macelak – Czoło – Szopka pass – Trzy Korony. The path crosses both tops of Czoło. From Szopka to Czorsztyn via the Trzy Kopce pass, Macelak and the Osice pass takes about 2 h 10 min (2 h 20 min in the opposite direction).
• Yellow trail Sromowce Niżne – Szopczański gorge – Szopka pass: 1 h 15 min up, 1 h 05 min down; it runs along the southern slopes of Czoło.

The Szopka pass is the main trail hub of the Pieniny proper, with routes to Trzy Korony, Czorsztyn, Krościenko and Sromowce Niżne. Most walkers therefore cross Czoło on the way from Czorsztyn to Trzy Korony or back.

The view from the summit

The main top and the southern slope are forested, so there is no panorama from the summit itself. Views open from the glades below: Wielka Dolina and Wydziorki on the northern slopes and Toporzyskowo on the southern side of the main ridge. From the glade at the Szopka pass you can see the Spiš foothills and the Tatras, and from the glade above the pass the Gorce.

Nature and history

The glade at the Szopka pass is covered by the so-called moderately dry Pieniny meadow – an artificial community that developed where forest was cleared several centuries ago; the park mows it. Rare species such as the gladiolus Gladiolus imbricatus, eastern goat's-beard and elder-flowered orchid grow here, and an endangered fungus has been recorded. Near the spring on the northern side of the pass there are rushes, sedges and cotton grass. The Szopka has long been the easiest crossing between Krościenko and Sromowce Niżne; in the mid-19th century the first tourists were driven up in highlanders' carts, and a shelter near the pass was often used overnight by Dunajec raftsmen.

Safety, season and rules

The route over Czoło runs through forest and is easy, but roots and limestone are slippery after rain, and in season the Szopka and Trzy Korony get crowded. Strict rules apply in the Pieniny National Park: walk only on marked trails, stay in the park only in daytime – from an hour before sunrise to an hour after sunset – and do not bring dogs, fly drones, camp or light fires. The trails are free; from 1 April to 15 November only the viewing platform on Trzy Korony charges a fee (10 PLN, reduced 5 PLN). Rules and news are on the Pieniny National Park website.

The Pieniny are covered by the mountain rescue service GOPR (Podhale group): call 985 or +48 601 100 300, or 112; installing the "Ratunek" app is a good idea.

Interesting facts

• The Szopka pass below Czoło is also called "Chwała Bogu" ("Praise God") – possibly from walkers' sigh of relief after the climb.
• Czoło's slopes feed four streams at once, because four ridges meet here.

Photos: Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0; Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0; Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons.