Szrenica Ski Arena

Szrenica (1,362 m) closes the long ridge of the Giant Mountains (Karkonosze) in the west, rising almost 800 metres above the centre of Szklarska Poręba. Its upper reaches above the tree line have a very harsh, raw climate with heavy snowfall, while lower down the fairly steep but evenly inclined slopes, free of rocks and avalanche danger, are ideal for skiing. That is why a sizeable ski resort appeared here as early as the '60s. It began with the construction of a two-stage chairlift in 1962-63: a single-seater made by the Polish company Mostostal, similar to the one that still runs in Karpacz, taking tourists and skiers up to Kopa. In 1993 the old lift was replaced by a newer Doppelmayr one with double chairs. That solved the problem for a while, but today this lift no longer meets skiers' expectations either. Because the resort lies entirely within the Karkonosze National Park, rebuilding it is neither easy nor quick, so the lift is still waiting for a more modern replacement. A modern lift did go up in 2010, however: a Doppelmayr six-seater chairlift that takes skiers to Świąteczny Kamień, a little below the summit of Szrenica. There are also four T-bars. The pistes on Szrenica are very varied and among the most interesting in the Sudetes, but they were designed decades ago and are therefore rather narrow by today's standards. Two pistes descend from just below the summit of Szrenica. The most popular is Lolobrygida, more than 4 km long, which runs across Hala Szrenicka and past the top station of the six-seater "Karkonosz Express" chairlift all the way down to the car parks and the valley stations of the chairlifts. On Hala Szrenicka there is a mountain hut, next to which is a field with two T-bars serving two simple beginners' pistes. The second red piste, Śnieżynka, about 2 km long, descends from Hala Szrenicka; at one point (a short stretch known as the "esses") it has a gradient of 45%. It ends at the middle station of the double chairlift and continues lower down as the very easy blue Puchatek piste, which runs along the lower section of that lift. For the most demanding skiers there is the FIS piste, which drops from below the summit of Szrenica down a very steep slope (more than 50% on the distinctive Ściana, "the Wall"). It is one of the hardest and best black pistes in Poland, but unfortunately it is very rarely open. In theory all the pistes in the resort are covered by snowmaking, but the system is not very efficient, and you can often find days when only the blue "Puchatek" is running. Building a modern system needs the approval of the Karkonosze National Park, and the decision process here is long and uncertain. Because Szrenica rises above a popular resort town, it has very good places to eat and stay, plus a wide choice of rental shops and ski schools. A major drawback, however, is paid parking at the valley station of the chairlifts and in most of the town.