Biały Krzyż

Photo: J.Ciszak. Biały Krzyż is another name, used especially in the past, for the Salmopol Pass (934 m). It is a broad saddle where the Barania Góra and Skrzyczne range joins the Klimczok and Szyndzielnia massif and the Równica range. It takes its name from Salmopol, a remote mountain hamlet of Szczyrk that for many years was a refuge for Protestants who had fled persecution in the Duchy of Cieszyn. The sleepy place came to life after a road linking Szczyrk with Wisła was built here in 1968, making it the highest point in this part of the Beskids that you can reach by car. Below the pass, where the cross that gave it its traditional name still stands, lies a large clearing with two lifts, mainly for beginners. On site there is a ski hire and service shop and a bar, and nearby, by the road, a traditional regional inn. The place would be nothing special were it not for the fact that for many years the season here has started earlier than anywhere else in Poland, mainly because of its location, but also because the terrain is small and easy to cover with machine-made snow when conditions allow. So in terms of season length, Biały Krzyż beats not only its renowned neighbours such as Skrzyczne and SON, but in some years even Kasprowy Wierch! It is also worth mentioning the small but rather interesting snow park here, which thanks to the long season is popular even with serious shredders.