Walking along the Wetlina Polonina ridge - Wetlina loop
Town: Wetlina Nearby: Ustrzyki Dolne| Distance | 16.0km |
|---|---|
| Time | 6h 10min |
| Ascents | 867m |
| Descents | 773m |
Elevation Profile:
wb_sunny Route in the sun
restaurant Restaurant or bar nearby
directions_car Access by car
directions_bus Can be reached by bus
warning No dogs allowed
Here is the most beautiful and popular "classic" Bieszczady route, perfect for a first encounter with the mountains, which you only visit once and then only return: a loop from Wetlina to Smerek and Wetlina Polonina.
Bieszczady is a mountain range that I remember from my high school hikes. Finally, I managed to bring my kids here. How to infect them with love for the Bieszczady meadows? For us, crossing the ridge of Wetlina Polonina worked: from Smerek to (no longer existing...) Chatka Puchatka. I'm glad they wanted to see this magical place!
...and it's a success! The kids fell in love with these "mountains that you keep walking and walking, and there are views all around."
I have to admit that our first Bieszczady route was not easy: we had to cover over 15 km, including over 850 m of ascent. So, we gave ourselves plenty of time - instead of the "calculated" 5 hours and 20 minutes, we hiked for about 8 hours with MANY breaks for rest, snacks, photos... or simply to admire the scenery.
We reached the ridge from Wetlina - following the yellow trail to Or艂owicza Pass. This section took us about 2 hours.
Medium
From Wetlina to Smerek
And here began the most enjoyable part of the hike: walking alternately on the rising and falling ridge of the meadows amidst a sea of waving grass and picturesque mountain beech trees with unique views. In summary: over 7 km and about 4 hours of continuous admiration!
The next points of the route are: from Or艂owicza Pass to Smerek and back. Then further, through a saddle with a small beech forest and extensive, picturesque meadows:
Ascent to the highest point of the route, Osadzki Wierch (1253 m above sea level) - probably the most difficult point of the ridge trail:
Then it's all downhill - straight to Chatka Puchatka:
Chatka Puchatka on Wetlina Polonina
In the new hut, there are observation decks and a gastronomic point (the new shelter does not offer accommodation). You can find more information about this place in this article:
Wetlina Meadow and trails to Chatka Puchatka
Chatka Puchatka on Wetlina Meadow is an extraordinary place and a must-visit destination for hiking in the Bieszczady Mountains. Although the old shelter has been replaced by a modern "shelter," the breathtaking views remain the same, consistently captivating and inevitably inspiring love for the Bieszczady region! ...
Return to Wetlina
We descended from Chatka Puchatka following the yellow trail:
...and then the black trail to G贸rna Wetlinka:
Medium
Black Trail to Chatka Puchatka from Wetlinka G贸rna
Unfortunately, here we had to walk along the asphalt road to the trailhead... Luckily, we managed to hitchhike!
PS. 1. Of course, you can also hike the Wetlina Polonina ridge in the opposite direction: from (former) Chatka Puchatka to Smerek - it will definitely be a good option on a sunny day: then, walking from the southeast to the northwest, we will have the sun mainly behind us.
Besides, walking from Smerek to Chatka Puchatka has more advantages, especially for children who consider reaching the shelter and getting a new stamp in their booklet as a crowning achievement, not the beginning of the hike.
PS. 2. We chose this route for our collection "Beskidy - the most beautiful trails and routes for children." Discover the others!
Beskids - the most beautiful trails and routes for children
The Beskids are gentle, forested slopes, scenic meadows and pastures, hundreds of kilometers of trails: easy, but also sometimes quite demanding. Which trail in the Beskids to choose for a trip with children? ...
Publish Date: 2019-07-28
Last Updated: 2023-08-01
More in the Region Bieszczady (Bieszczady)
Total Length 106 km
