Zadni Granat

Zadni Granat (Slovak Zadný Granát) is the highest of the three tops of the Granaty massif, at 2240 m. It stands on the long eastern ridge of Świnica in the Polish High Tatras, which links Świnica via Kozi Wierch with the Buczynowe Turnie, and the famous Orla Perć crosses it. On the ridge it is bounded by the Sieczkowa Szczerba notch (about 2210 m) and the Pośrednia Sieczkowa Przełączka (2218 m), beyond which stands Pośredni Granat (2234 m). The western slopes fall into the Czarna Gąsienicowa valley, the eastern ones into the Dolinka Buczynowa. Kuźnice in Zakopane is just over 6 km away in a straight line.

How to get there / trails

• The red Orla Perć follows the ridge from the Zawrat pass over Kozi Wierch, the Granaty and the Buczynowe Turnie to the Krzyżne pass. The whole route takes about 6 h 40 min; from Kozi Wierch to Zadni Granat 1 h 15 min, from Zadni to Skrajny Granat 20 min. The Zawrat – Kozi Wierch section is one-way (towards Kozi Wierch only). The traverse of the Granaty is the easiest part of the Orla Perć.
• The easiest ascent is the green link trail starting above Zmarzły Staw Gąsienicowy from the yellow trail to Kozia Przełęcz: about 1 h 15 min up and 1 h 05 min down. The base is the Murowaniec hut on Hala Gąsienicowa.

The view from the top

From its position in the heart of the Orla Perć, the summit looks over the neighbouring tops of the ridge and the valleys on either side — the Czarna Gąsienicowa with Zmarzły Staw and the Dolinka Buczynowa. The Granaty massif itself is well seen from Mały Kościelec and from Hala Gąsienicowa.

Nature and history

The south-western slopes are moderately and evenly inclined, about 300 m high and covered with scree — the green path runs across their lower part. The roughly 500 m west face has three tiers: the grassy, slabby Kozi Taras, the Kozi Zachód ledge and a triangular summit wall. Rare plants here include Saxifraga retusa and Carpathian everlasting, species that in Poland grow only in the Tatras.

The first documented ascents of the Granaty were made by the priest Eugeniusz Janota and Bronisław Gustawicz with the guide Maciej Sieczka on 19 September 1867, although on Skrajny Granat they found traces of earlier human presence. The first winter ascent was by Henryk Bednarski and Stanisław Zdyb on 29 March 1908. A metal cross was erected on the summit in 1989. The Granaty area is open to rock climbing: the west face has nine routes graded 0–V on the Tatra scale.

Safety, season and rules

The Orla Perć is the hardest marked trail in the Polish Tatras: chains, rungs and exposure. Tatra National Park recommends a via ferrata self-belay kit (lanyard, harness, helmet) on such trails and proper boots — trainers and sneakers are not suitable. In thunderstorms ridges and chained sections are especially dangerous. From autumn to spring there is snow and ice, and ski tourers use the south-western slopes. Entry to the park is paid, and walking is allowed on trails only. Rescue: TOPR, 985 or +48 601 100 300; emergency number 112.

Photos: Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0; Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0; Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0; Aneta Pawska, CC BY 3.0; Jacek.Ky, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons.