Kondracka Kopka (1776 m a.s.l.) is a small but characterful rocky knoll sitting in the northern ridge of Kopa Kondracka, wedged between Kondracka Pass and Wyżnia Kondracka Pass in the Western Tatras. It rises only a few metres above the surrounding saddles, yet it has a quiet charm that rewards those who pay close attention to the terrain around them.
The knoll is largely covered in mountain pine scrub, with occasional grassy and scree-strewn patches breaking through. Its eastern slopes descend towards 'Piekło' in Kondratowa Valley, while the western face drops towards 'Wyżnie' in Dolina Małej Łąki. A short rocky spur runs down from the knoll, separating two gullies that merge lower down into the Głazisty Żleb. On the opposite side, between Kondracka Kopka and the iconic Giewont, the impressive Kurski Żleb cuts into the hillside. Geologically, the knoll stands out from its largely limestone surroundings — it is built of quartzite sandstone, whose rubble fields are decorated with distinctive lichen species that give the rocks a colourful, almost painterly look.
How to reach the summitCenturies of pastoral activity kept these slopes open and grassy — shepherds regularly cut back the mountain pine. Since grazing was abandoned, nature has been steadily reclaiming the hillside, and the scrub now covers the knoll ever more thickly with each passing decade.