Żar

Żar is a 761 m mountain in the Little Beskids in southern Poland, above Lake Międzybrodzie on the Soła river. Its western slopes drop to the reservoir, its south-eastern slopes to the Isepnica stream valley and its northern slopes to the Mała Puszcza valley, while a ridge runs north-east to Kiczora (Kiczera), linking Żar with the rest of the Kocierz group. Administratively the summit belongs to the village of Międzybrodzie Żywieckie in Żywiec County, Silesian Voivodeship. The name probably recalls that pastures on its slopes were once cleared by burning the forest; it is very common across the Beskids.

The look of the summit was transformed by the Porąbka-Żar pumped-storage power station, built in 1971–1979: instead of forest the top now holds an artificial upper reservoir shaped like a kite.

How to get there / routes

Since 2004 a funicular about 1,300 m long, owned by Polskie Koleje Linowe, has carried visitors to the summit in 5.5 minutes; it reuses rolling stock taken from the Gubałówka funicular in Zakopane after its modernisation. An asphalt road has led to the top since 1979, but since the funicular opened only authorised vehicles may use it; walkers can still follow it.

• The red Little Beskid Trail crosses the summit: from the Porąbka dam via Żar (reservoir), Kiczora, Isepnicka Pass, Cisowe Grapy and Wielka Góra (Kocierz) to Kocierska Pass — about 4 h 05 min.
• From the Żar car park along the asphalt road via Isepnicka Pass and the slopes of Kiczora — about 2 h.
• Green and black trails also climb from Międzybrodzie Żywieckie.

What you can see from the summit

Żar is an excellent viewpoint. You can see the Żywiec Basin with Lake Żywiec and the peaks of the Żywiec and Silesian Beskids above it, and across the Soła almost the whole Magurka Wilkowicka group, from Łysy Groń via Rogacz, Magurka Wilkowicka and Chrobacza Łąka to Bujakowski Groń. To the north, beyond Lake Czaniec, lie the Silesian Foothills with their towns and factory chimneys, and to the east, above the reservoir embankment, Złota Góra, Kiczera, Cisowe Grapy and Potrójna. Viewing binoculars and a labelled panorama stand by the upper station.

Nature and history

In 1936, on the initiative of the Air and Anti-Gas Defence League, the Żar gliding airfield opened on the summit. In 1947 an airfield for glider-towing aircraft was built at the foot of the mountain (they were not allowed to land on top). Construction of the power station closed the summit airfield; it was moved to the middle slopes and joined with the aircraft airfield. The "Żar" Mountain Gliding School still operates at the foot, and paragliding is popular here.

The power station's upper reservoir, opened in 1979, is about 650 m long and up to 250 m wide and holds 2.31 million m³ of water up to 28 m deep. It is sealed with several layers of asphalt and reinforced concrete, and its embankments are over 30 m high. It is the highest-lying reservoir of its kind in Poland, with the greatest pumping head — 440 m. The station's output is 500 MW; pumping takes about 5.5 hours and generation about 4 hours. There is also a weather station on the summit.

Safety, season and rules

Żar is accessible all year. In winter two lifts and ski runs operate on the slope, so walkers should keep clear of the pistes. The summit reservoir is an industrial facility: do not climb the fences or approach the water. Gliders and paragliders fly over the slopes near the airfield. In an emergency call GOPR mountain rescue on 985 or +48 601 100 300, or 112.

Interesting facts

• Lake Międzybrodzie at the foot lies at 318 m — more than 440 m below the summit.
• The efficiency of the station's pumping-generation cycle is about 75%.
• In German the mountain is sometimes called Feuerberg, "Fire Mountain".

Photos: Pborys, CC BY-SA 4.0; Pudelek at Polish Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0; Michał Płachta (micio), CC BY-SA 2.5; Multi Passionate Guy, CC BY-SA 4.0; pufacz, Public domain; Milosz B., CC BY 3.0; Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons.