Diablak - Babia Góra in winter

The second of January, and I went up Babia Góra alone. Winter on the massif they call the mother of bad weather: the highest peak of the Beskids, Diablak, under snow.

Babia Góra (Diablak), 1725 m / N ridge · red trail from Przełęcz Krowiarki

~3 h ascent (more in winter) / +700 m ↗ / Gear: crampons or spikes, ice axe, winter clothing

The classic winter line follows the red trail from the Krowiarka Pass over Sokolica, Kępa and Gówniak to the summit. It is a straightforward walk in summer, but in January the ridge is exposed to wind and the upper slopes ice over, so crampons or spikes and an axe earn their weight. The chain-secured Akademicka Perć (yellow) is closed for winter; the red trail from Krowiarki and the route over Przełęcz Brona stay open.

Logistics

Parking

Paid car park at the Krowiarka Pass (Przełęcz Krowiarki, ~1000 m), where the red trail starts. The Zawoja Markowa car park with the national park ticket office serves routes toward the Markowe Szczawiny shelter.

Approach

From the Krowiarka Pass, the red trail climbs roughly 4.6 km and about 700 m to Diablak, around 3 hours in summer and appreciably longer in winter conditions.