Waterfall on the Mosorny Potok

The waterfall on the Mosorny Potok (Wodospad na Mosornym Potoku), also called Mosorczyk, is one of the highest natural waterfalls of the Polish Beskids. It lies in the forest on the north-western slopes of the Polica Range (Pasmo Policy) in the Żywiec Beskids, just above the last houses of Mosorne, a hamlet of Zawoja in Sucha County, Lesser Poland, at about 750 m. Above the hamlet rises Mosorny Groń (1047 m).

The waterfall is about 8 m high (according to Polish Wikipedia, the Sucha County tourist portal and OpenStreetMap; the Lesser Poland regional portal gives "about 9 m" in one version of its text). The water drops from a vertical step built of layers of Carpathian flysch — sandstones and shales stacked like the pages of a book. The frothy stream runs over several rock thresholds, and picturesque walls a dozen or more metres high surround the fall on both sides. No deep plunge pool has formed below it, so you can get closer to the jet than at many other Beskid waterfalls. The Lesser Poland portal calls it one of the largest and prettiest waterfalls of the Polish Beskids.

What to see and do

• The waterfall itself in a stone "amphitheatre" of layered rock; there is a wooden bench and information boards by it.
• Best time — spring, when the snow melts and there is most water; in autumn the fall is framed by colourful beeches.
• A hike to Mosorny Groń: the same blue trail climbs to the summit with a new observation tower, from which you see Babia Góra, the Polica and Jałowiec ranges and, on a clear day, even the Tatras. At the top is the upper station of a year-round cable car, so you can ride down to Zawoja-Policzne.

How to get there

The blue trail Zawoja Mosorne – Nad Kiczorką leads to the waterfall. It starts by the asphalt road in Mosorne, where there is a small car park for a few cars at the edge of the forest. The path follows the stream, up and slightly down, and after about 20 minutes reaches the side path to the waterfall; trail services give 20–30 minutes to 50 minutes for this section. The last metres are a short, steep descent on steps with wooden railings; some steps are very high, so small children will need help, and a pram will not get through. Overall it is an easy family walk.

Beyond, the blue trail climbs through the forest to the ridge: from Mosorne to the top of Mosorny Groń via the waterfall it is 2.9 km and about 1 h 45 min with 408 m of ascent, down about 45 minutes. According to Polish Wikipedia, the full route Zawoja – Mosorne – Mosorna – Kiczorka takes 2 h 25 min (back 1 h 45 min). From the pass below Mosorny Groń a yellow trail follows the ridge to Cyl Hali Śmietanowej — there you can join the Zawoja Lajkonik – Cyl Hali Śmietanowej trail.

Season and safety

The waterfall is open all year with no tickets. Bathing below it is not recommended because of the strong current and changeable conditions; the stones by the water and the steps are often wet and slippery. Keep children close near the edge of the rocks. In winter the path can be icy and snow-covered, so wear shoes with a good tread or light microspikes. Mountain-bike routes cross the yellow trail from Mosorny Groń — take care. GOPR mountain rescue: 985 or 601 100 300.

Nearby

On the Polica Range lies the mountain shelter on Hala Krupowa, and in Zawoja the Babia Góra National Park Permanent Exhibition. Another large Beskid waterfall is Wodospad Magurski in the Low Beskids.

Roztoki Waterfall in Stryszawa

About 7.5 km north-west of Mosorne, in the Roztoki hamlet of the village of Stryszawa, lies another waterfall of Sucha County — Roztoki Waterfall, or the waterfall on the Uporny Potok. It is in the forest on the northern slopes of Jałowiec (1111 m) and has two rock steps with a total height of about 5 m; the stone of the step resembles a shark, a likeness underlined by a shark silhouette painted on the rock. By the road in Roztoki there is a car park, from which a forest road leads about 800 m (roughly 15 minutes) to the waterfall; wooden steps with handrails lead down to its foot. The yellow trail to Jałowiec and the Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński nature path pass nearby: a little above the waterfall stands a boulder with a plaque commemorating the Primate, who liked to rest here on his walks to Siwcówka. According to Polish Wikipedia, the route from Stryszawa-Roztoki past the waterfall to the junction with the blue trail takes 1 hour, 45 minutes back.

Photos: Mrug, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; VisitMałopolska — Urząd Marszałkowski Województwa Małopolskiego, official website.