Smerek and Połonina Wetlińska

Smerek 1222 m amsl - the peak in the Western part of Bieszczady mountains in Poland.

In the morning, after a night spent in Polańczyk, we went towards the village called "Stare Sioło", where beginning our journey on this day. First we went yellow trail towards to Przełęcz M. Orłowicza.

a plan trip

height difference

start of the route

we went further

The beginning of the tour we walked through the wood quite steeply uphill, but this trail is good well for tourists, because here and there are placed special platforms made of wooden planks and you can walk on it.

through the forest

we felt fatigue

time to rest

When we walked around one hour we saw resting places for tourists. The day was very hot and stuffy and we felt hardship of yesterday's trip of the Tarnica and Halicz mountains, so we decided to relax in the pleasant atmosphere of the forest where no man has walked apart from us.

view of Smerek

way to Smerek

Tens of minutes later we walked out of the woods and saw a beautiful view of Bieszczady mountains. We got to the przełęcz M. Orłowicza, where two routes intersect yellow which we walked and red along the Połonina Wetlińska.

view from Smerek

on peak of Smerek

We went to the left where for about 20 minutes we reached the summit Smerek, from it we could admire wonderful views to all Bieszczady mountains.

beautiful views from Smerek

Połonina Wetlińska

Then we came back to przełęcz M. Orłowicza and went straight red trail along the Połonina Wetlińska.

view from Połonina Wetlińska

great views from Połonina Wetlińska

through bushes

wonderful views of Bieszczady mountains

great weather and beautiful mountains

Połonina Wetlińska is it a massif with several vertices, and it continuation is a mountain Smerek separated przełęcz M. Orłowicza. The south-western slopes of the massif are short and steep fall in Wetlinka valley, west to the Prowczy valley and Nasiczański stream, while the north-eastern pass in to long ridges that gently slope down towards the more distant San valley.

Połonina Wetlińska

shelter PTTK "Chatka Puchatka"

PTTK shelter "Chatka Puchatka" (in english: House at Pooh Corner) on Polonina Wetlińska (1,228 m) - the highest located shelter in the Bieszczady Mountains, was once called "the Taverna". It lies at the tip of the Hasiakowa Skała. It has 20 beds in two rooms of the collective, is open all year. It was built after World War II by the army and served as an observation post. In 1956 the building was taken over by the District PTTK in Rzeszów, but as a year-round facility with service operates only from 1967.

nice view of Połonina Wetlińska

a shelter far away

Then we headed in the the direction shelter PTTK Chatka Puchatka. We could admire amazing views, because Połonina Wetlińska is an open space and during good weather you can see all the great charms of polish Bieszczad.

Połonina Wetlińska

beautiful Bieszczady mountains

After descending from the "Chatka Puchatka" down yellow trail to the Przełęcz Wyżnia, we came back to the Stare Sioło by mini bus which in season is herein a lot of, and we hasn't wait on it much time. 

In summary, if ever you'll be in the Bieszczady mountains visit Połonina Wetlińska is almost a mandatory, it is worth it to come here.