A popular trail in Poland’s southern mountains is open to hikers again today thanks to a tank-like vehicle, originally developed for the Swedish army, which was used to clear trees brought down by avalanches in the area.
The shelter in the Valley of Five Polish Ponds – at 1,670 metres above sea level the highest in the Polish part of the Tatras – had been cut off from the outside world for two weeks since heavy snowfall and a high avalanche risk had forced it to close, reports RMF24. Snowslides had also blocked the trail leading through the Roztoka Valley.
Posting a video showing the operation to clear trees from the trail, the shelter team praised the “tank” and its driver, Wojciech Stawy, and thanked Tatra National Park for its support. The Roztoka Valley had been left “unrecognisable” after “enormous avalanches scythed through the forest”, they said.
The “tank” in question is a Bandvagn 206, a tracked articulated, all-terrain carrier initially designed to carry troops and equipment through snow and boglands in Sweden and now used by military and civilian operators in testing conditions throughout the world.
The vehicle has been used for some time to deliver supplies to the shelter, although the last leg of the journey is covered by a ropeway, as there is no road.
Mountainous parts of Poland have been hit by major snowfall this winter. In late January, staff at the shelter posted a video of the perilous conditions, urging hikers to stay away, while those already staying there waited until the avalanche risk had lessened before beginning their descent. The day before, two people had died in avalanches nearby.
The popular path to Morskie Oko, the largest lake in the Tatras, which is the first part of the route to the Valley of Five Ponds, was also temporarily closed. It was only when it was reopened yesterday that further sections of the trail were found to have been blocked by trees brought down by four large avalanches.
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Ben Koschalka is a translator and senior editor at Notes from Poland. Originally from Britain, he has lived in Kraków since 2005.
