GrapaSki

Czarna Góra, right next to the famous Białka Tatrzańska, is not particularly well known among skiers, although for several years it has been a good alternative to the sometimes crowded slopes of its famous neighbour. It has two ski areas. At the southern end of the village, which is picturesquely draped over the ridges of the Magura Spiska, is the relatively new Koziniec resort (described in a separate article), while in the northern part, on the slopes of Litwinka (also called Czarna Góra), a lift and a piste have been running for a dozen or so years, though only in the 2009/10 season were they completely modernised, changing their face almost entirely. The popular Litwinka slope used to be counted among Białka's ski areas: it lies on the north-western slope of Czarna Góra, almost exactly opposite the famous Kotelnica. The way to the lift led over a footbridge across the river (which for centuries was the border between Poland and Hungary). The slope was fairly popular back when the first chairlift was being built in Białka Tatrzańska, as it is somewhat steeper and more challenging than the wide "airfields" of Kotelnica, but over time it was forgotten. A new four-seater chairlift built in place of the old T-bar brought this interesting spot out of obscurity. Today's Litwinka-Grapa resort, despite its modest size, is one of the most interesting micro-resorts in Podhale, mainly thanks to its fairly challenging natural terrain and superb views of Podhale and the Tatras. The resort has a rather interesting layout: its axis is a four-seater Doppelmayr chairlift with detachable chairs. Its capacity is 2,400 people per hour. The lift is 1,000 metres long, and the floodlit slope has a vertical drop of 160 metres. It is a fairly steep slope, quite evenly pitched and wide, and since it is almost never crowded, it is very well suited to skiing wide carving turns. There are car parks at both the top and bottom stations of the lift. The upper car park is smaller and the road up to it much steeper and narrower, but your first run is "free". The lower, larger car park is at the bottom, reached by an almost level road from the northern part of Czarna Góra. At the bottom there is a small snack bar, while an inn stands just below the summit, and there is also a ski hire shop, a ski service and a ski school. On the lower part of the slope there is also a 400-metre T-bar, plus a short lift on the nursery slope for beginners. There is also a snow tubing run. The resort is a good place for anyone looking for something more challenging in Podhale that is not crowded. Beginners will also find something for themselves here, though not very much. In fact the resort's only serious drawback is that it is simply too small. But that is the charm of skiing at home in Poland. It is definitely worth coming here on a clear day, because the view from the summit (there is a special viewing shelter) is one of the finest in the whole of Podhale. Litwinka-Grapa is part of the TatrySki region, covered by a joint ski pass, which also includes Białka Tatrzańska, Kluszkowce, Jurgów and Czarna Góra Koziniec.