GOPR Beskidy Group

The GOPR Beskidy Group (Grupa Beskidzka GOPR), with its Central Station in Szczyrk, is the largest of the seven regional groups of the Polish Mountain Volunteer Rescue Service. Its history began on 25 November 1952 with the Beskidy Volunteer Rescue Service; the first rescue stations in the Beskids had opened as early as 1933–1934 on Hala Miziowa and at Markowe Szczawiny below Babia Góra. The group is made up mostly of volunteers: in 2024 it had 358 rescuers, 23 of them professional.

How to call for help

The best way is the free Ratunek app, which gives the rescuers your exact location straight away. Without the app, dial the short number 985 or the 24/7 GOPR number shown below; with a weak signal, dial 112. Say where you are and what happened, how many people are hurt and how badly, and give a call-back number. Don't hang up first and keep your phone on.

Area and stations

The group covers the Silesian (Beskid Śląski), Żywiec (Beskid Żywiecki) and Little (Beskid Mały) Beskids and the western Maków Beskids with Babia Góra — over 3,000 km² and some 1,700 km of trails. It has six operational sections: Babia Góra, Bielsko-Biała, Cieszyn, Szczyrk, Wadowice and Żywiec.

• Central Rescue Station in Szczyrk — year-round, 24/7;
• Hala Miziowa and Markowe Szczawiny — year-round;
• Klimczok and Leskowiec — weekends, year-round;
• Wisła, Żar and Hala Skrzyczeńska — weekends, seasonal.

Good to know

• In winter the group also provides rescue cover at more than twenty organised ski areas in its region.
• The ridges of Pilsko and Babia Góra follow the Slovak border: on the Slovak side the HZS carries out rescues and charges for them.
• On the open summits of Babia Góra a light or sound distress signal (six times a minute) can be seen or heard; in the forest it may not be.