Trekking to Skalny Stół in the Karkonosze Mountains (Alternatively through Poland)
The yellow trail from Kowary through Budniki and the black trail that starts in Karpacz also leads to the summit. However, from the latter you have to go down the blue trail anyway at the end of the route. What's more, from Skalny Stół you can go directly to Śnieżka, continuing along the blue trail, joining on Sowia Przełęcz with the red one. If you don't like a lot of tourists, this road is definitely less crowded, and in addition it is almost 4 kilometers shorter than the most frequented route from the Wang Temple.
Originally, we planned to enter Skalny Stół from Karpacz. However, due to the early time of getting up, we decided to choose the shortest route possible: from the Okraj Pass. None of us had followed this route before, which is why we had to leave a time buffer, primarily because we planned to arrive at the summit at sunrise, which was associated with trekking in the dark.
DESCRIPTION OF THE trail FROM THE Okraj Pass through Skalny Stół
We follow the blue trail, which starts about a hundred meters after entering the forest at the first crossing with the red, green and yellow trail. This is also where the entrance to the Karkonosze National Park is located.
A bit further we turn left at the diversion with the green trail and continue with the blue one.
For the next kilometer we walk along a rocky path uphill. It is well marked and even in the dark we know where to go. This is the most difficult stage because the elevation is 250 meters here.
After overcoming the approach, the trail leads through the forest, practically on a flat ground straight to Skalny Stół.
We headed towards Śnieżka to be able to admire the sunrise along the way. It was a very good decision because we actually wouldn't see it from the top of Skalny Stół. The slopes from which the views are located are on the north side, therefore no sunrise or sunset can be seen from there. The best time to observe the picturesque landscape is in the morning and late afternoon, but when the sun shines above the horizon, or it has not yet hidden behind it.
DESCRIPTION of the trail From Skalny Stół to Śnieżka
Here is the further route we have covered:
We stopped somewhere near Czarna Kopa (it can only be seen on the map, it's not marked on the trail) and we decided not to go further because it was getting very bright and the sun was casting sharp shadows. We headed back to the Okraj Pass along the same route through Skalny Stół. Of course, from the "Jubilee Road" you can continue to the top of Śnieżka for another 600 meters along the red trail. The route from the Okraj Pass, through Skalny Stół, to Śnieżka is 5.3 kilometers long and it takes about two hours.
I recommend trekking to Skalny Stół especially to beginner mountaineers, families with children, or as part of longer treks, for example to Śnieżka. This doesn't mean that the trail doesn't require proper preparation, on the contrary. Outdoor shoes, a waterproof jacket and a bottle of water are essential. Nevertheless, it's worth climbing there for interesting views, especially for observing the highest peak of the Karkonosze Mountains from a very nice angle!