Słotwiny

Photo: SN Słotwiny. Stacja Narciarska Słotwiny is one of two ski areas in Słotwiny, a district of Krynica. Although its terrain is separated only by a narrow strip of forest from the slightly smaller but similar "Azoty" area, the two are linked neither by pistes nor by a joint ski pass, which, given the shared access road and much of the infrastructure, as well as the weaker competitive position of individual lifts, is slowly becoming an anachronism. The split dates back to the '80s, when Słotwiny (in the broader sense) was the most popular downhill area in Krynica (there were no lifts on Jaworzyna yet) and two independent T-bars stood here. After chairlifts were built at both resorts, some modernity reached the Słotwiny slopes, but rivalry with the neighbour across the fence still rules here rather than any wish to cooperate. So much so that the piste maps of both resorts do not even show the neighbouring lifts (even though they stand right next to each other), creating a virtual version of reality. Stacja Narciarska Słotwiny is above all a 4-seater chairlift running up to just below the ridge that descends from Runek towards Krynica. Next to the chairlift is a T-bar of the same length; in addition, another, shorter T-bar runs on a clearing off to the side, and there is a nursery slope for children and beginners. Two blue pistes lead down from the lift's top station; the slope on the right (looking uphill) in particular is wide with an even gradient, so it suits beginners and also polishing long-radius turns (as long as the slope is not too crowded). The slope is FIS-homologated for slalom and giant slalom races. Naturally there is a rental shop, a ski service and somewhere to eat. Compared with neighbouring "Azoty", the resort is smaller (only 2.5 km of pistes) and less varied, but better located (closer to the car parks, and with a bigger vertical drop). It is also slightly more modern and has higher capacity, up to 4,200 people per hour, which on the other hand means more crowding. All in all, though, there is no denying that the best solution would be to link both areas with a joint ski pass: skiers would have more than 10 km of pistes, two chairlifts and six T-bars, a good alternative to Jaworzyna Krynicka, at least for beginners. And finally, how can anyone believe in the "Seven Valleys" (Siedem Dolin) project, a ski circuit linked by pistes stretching from Roztoki through Słotwiny and Jaworzyna to Wierchomla, when two ski resorts sharing a boundary have failed to reach agreement for years?