Kudłoń

Kudłoń is a 1,274 m summit, the fourth-highest in the Gorce. It lies north-east of Turbacz on the ridge that links Turbacz with the Island Beskids via the Przysłop Pass, and is regarded as the most prominent peak of the Gorce National Park. The name comes from the surname Kudeł or Kudła. The nearest hamlets of the Konina, Mszanka and Kamienica valleys lie 3.5–4 km from the summit.

Kudłoń is a junction of several ridges. To the north-east a ridge descends via Gorc Troszacki and Jaworzynka to the Przysłop Pass; to the south-west another runs via Przysłopek to the Borek Pass (1,009 m) and on to Turbacz. Two side ridges also leave the summit: a north-western one about 4 km long with Kopa, and the 6.5 km northern ridge of Kiełbaśna. The watershed between the Dunajec and Raba basins crosses Kudłoń: streams from the southern slopes flow into the Kamienicki Potok (Dunajec), from the northern slopes into the Mszanka and from the western slopes into the Konina (both Raba basin).

How to get there / trails

• From Konina via Cyrla Hanulowa, Kopa, Figurki and the Pustak clearing — 4.5 km, 610 m of ascent, about 2 h (1 h 10 min down). In OSM this is the black trail Turbaczyk – Konina – Kudłoń – Lubomierz.
• From Rzek (Lubomierz) via Trusiówka, Papieżówka, the Stawieniec clearing and Gorc Troszacki to the junction below Kudłoń — 7.9 km, about 3 h (2 h 20 min down).
• Yellow ridge trail: Przysłop Pass — Podskały — Adamówka — Gorc Troszacki — Kudłoń — Pustak — Borek Pass — Hala Turbacz — Turbacz. 11.4 km, 810 m of ascent, 3 h 35 min (3 h back).
• A green trail also leads to the summit from the Kamienica valley.

The view from the top

The summit barely rises above the ridge and is wooded, so there are no views from it; it bears a survey marker post, and the trails cross a little lower down. The best-known viewpoint is the Kudłoń clearing on the northern slopes, with a wide panorama of the Podskały clearing and the Island Beskid peaks.

Nature and history

As on other Gorce summits, Kudłoń has clearings that were grazed for several hundred years. Grazing peaked before the Second World War, then gradually declined until it stopped altogether, and since then the clearings have been overgrown by bilberry and forest. Besides the Kudłoń clearing they include Pustak, Cerla Hanulowa, Pyrzówka, Kopa, Figurki Niżne and Wyżne, and Stawieniec.

Kudłoń has the most numerous and best-known rock outcrops in the Gorce: the summit area holds three groups of impressive sandstone rocks up to 20 m high, the most famous being Kudłoński Baca on the northern slopes. There are also small caves: Szczelina w Kudłoniu near the Kopa clearing and Kudłońska Koleba in the Za Palaczem stream. When the summit was still open, it carried the only stand of dwarf pine in the Gorce, probably planted; once the summit was afforested, the pine died out.

Safety, season and rules

Kudłoń lies in the Gorce National Park, where walking is allowed only on marked trails. The ascents are long and in winter deep snow lies on the ridge, so plan your time and carry water. Take care near the rocks: they are high and steep.

Mountain rescue in the Gorce is provided by GOPR: 985 or +48 601 100 300, and 112.

Photos: Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 3.0; Krzysztof Dudzik-Górnicki (User:ToSter), CC BY-SA 3.0; Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0; Jarekbarcelona, CC BY 3.0; Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 3.0; Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 3.0 — Wikimedia Commons.