Karkonosze closed until further notice. Fatal situation at Kamieńczyk Waterfall and Szklarki Waterfall Photo GERARD/REPORTER/East News/Karkonoski National Park
The Karkonosze Mountains are very popular with tourists in September. They delight with their autumn palette of colors, but also with trails that even less experienced hikers can handle. But not now. The conditions on the trails are so bad that all trails have been closed until further notice.
Since this morning, we have been reporting that more trails are being closed in the Karkonosze Mountains. Initially, the exclusions mainly concerned the area around the Szklarki Waterfall, where, due to the rising water level in the stream, a section of the green trail was first closed, and then a nearby sidewalk was flooded.
Almost at the same time, the Karkonosze National Park informed that tourists would not be able to go near the Kamieńczyk Waterfall. At that time, they also appealed to not approach waterfalls and streams, because they would be particularly dangerous. Further exclusions included the blue trail leading to Samotnia and the red trail from the Nad Łomniczką shelter to the Silesian House. It was reported that Łomnica had flooded the trail.
However, the situation escalated with every minute. For this reason, the decision was made to completely close the Karkonosze National Park. “Due to the persistent heavy rainfall, which resulted in sudden water surges in streams and rivers in the Karkonosze National Park, the director of the KPN decided to close all tourist trails in the Park until further notice,” it was reported.
“Intense and long-lasting rainfall caused flooding of many sections of tourist trails, footbridges and bridges, which became dangerous to cross. In addition, the risk of rock and mud avalanches has increased, especially in the areas of glacial cirques and nival niches. The weather situation is dynamically and constantly deteriorating. All persons staying in the KPN area are asked to go to the nearest safe place: a shelter or their lodgings,” the announcement added.
The Karkonosze National Park regularly publishes new recordings that show how dramatic the situation there is. The picturesque and very popular among tourists Kamieńczyk Waterfall has turned into a white demon, with water pouring down at an incredible speed, which can be clearly seen in the recording provided by the park.
The Szklarki Waterfall has become equally powerful and dangerous. Even before the trails were closed, Rafał Kotylak, a photographer from the Karkonosze Mountains, was on site. “I have never seen such a high water level at the Szklarki Waterfall, and I have lived here since I was born,” he wrote on his social media profile. He also attached a photo of the dangerously foaming river and waterfall to the post.
The situation is also bad on the Czech side of the Krkonoše. Heavy rainfall has turned the area around the Luční bouda chalet into a lake. A decision has been made to allow tourists in through a different entrance. “Luční bouda wishes people around the Elbe River happiness and strength. God is trying to get drunk… and we will keep you updated,” the brief announcement read.
However, the season in the Karkonosze Mountains is not yet lost. As Krzysztof Krakowski, meteorologist and climatologist of the Karkonosze National Park, informed, the forecasts already show an improvement in the weather. – Warm and sunny weather will return for the third week and the last ten days of September. It will not be as warm as it was until the beginning of September. In the foothill regions it will be between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius, and in the mountains between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius. It looks like summer will still be here until the end of September – the expert reassured.
