Sokoliki Rocks

The Sokole Gory of the Rudawy Janowickie - not to be confused with the Jura hills of the same name - are a group of granite towers standing out of forest above the Jelenia Gora basin, and they are one of the oldest climbing areas in this part of Europe: routes were being made here from the late nineteenth century and the crags have been continuously used since, with hundreds of lines from easy slabs to hard cracks, mostly traditional rather than bolted. The main summit, Krzyzna Gora at 654 metres, has a metal ladder and steps fixed to the rock so non-climbers can reach the top, where there is a cross and a view over the whole basin to the Karkonosze ridge. A mountain hut, Szwajcarka, stands below in a Swiss-style timber building of the 1820s, and the Karpniki castle and its park are at the foot. It is quiet compared with the Karkonosze.

The landscape

• Granite towers - one of the oldest continuously used climbing areas in the region.
• A ladder to the top - fixed steps letting non-climbers reach Krzyzna Gora.
• The Karkonosze across the basin - the whole ridge from the summit cross.
• Szwajcarka - an 1820s Swiss-style timber hut below the crags.

When to go

April to October. Half a day.

Good to know

The ladder is exposed and unsuitable for anyone uneasy with heights. Rockfall below the crags when parties are climbing is a real hazard. The hut keeps seasonal hours. Trails are marked but the terrain is steep.

Nearby

Kolorowe Jeziorka are south; Karpniki castle is at the foot of the hills.