Hidden in woods. Backcountry (skiing) trip.

More and more I enjoy backcountry nordic skiing! Of course the begginings are difficult and you feel strange with heels free all the time. But after a while you appreciate that the equipement is so light! It is a perfect option for those who are tired with crowds at downhill areas but still not convinced to more extreme alpine touring. You can hike on skis over the hills and through the woods and explore new sites. Suddenly it turns out that in your immediate surroundings there are plenty of interesting places to find and visit.

Yesterday we did a wonderfull trip - it took us around 4 hours. The same trip you can do in summertime on a mountain bike. We made a circle from Brzegi to Rynias and back to Brzegi. Rynias is located between Jurgów and Łysa Polana, 3 km from village Brzegi. It is on a border between Podhale and Spiš regions.

Rynias is a hamlet (a small settlement in a rural area) hidden on a glade in a middle of a forest and offering a beautiful panorama of Slovak and Polish Tatras. You can distinguish many famous peaks like Hawrań, Lodowy, Gierlach (the highest Carpathian peak) and the highest summit in Poland – Rysy. 

In a central place of the clearing you will find a chapel located in an old house from 19^th century. The house, like all houses in Rynias, is made of wood and was built using log construction. Life slows down here, you hardly meet people… the only sound accompanying us was dogs’ barking. Several years ago the well-known Polish actor Michał Żebrowski built house in Rynias, but it seems to be inhabited quite rarely.

There are many "new" places to discover - thanks to finding a new type of outdoor activity you see places in a different way. Something what seemed unattractive turned out to be an interesting trip destination. Wow, there are still so many thins to see! :)