Krkavčí Rocks, nicknamed 'Vajoletky' by climbers, are sandstone towers and walls rising above the village of Křižany in the Liberec region. The nickname jokingly refers to the famous Vajolet Towers in the Dolomites - though here you'll only find two towers, they've drawn climbers for well over a century.

The ridge forms a distinct, asymmetrical formation running NE-SW, built from Cretaceous quartz sandstones. The rocks themselves, standing 10-20 metres tall, take the shape of narrow walls, towers and pillars, while the steep southeastern slopes feature sandstone faces and boulder fields. The surrounding hill is covered mostly with pine forest mixed with birch, and the terrain is scattered with numerous abandoned quarries. The summit offers pleasant views over the countryside, particularly striking in autumn and winter when the trees don't block the panorama.

How to reach the summit

• Křižany — green trail, approx. 15-20 minutes, easy route

Practical information

• The rocks are primarily a popular climbing area - 40 climbing routes are documented here, ranging from grade II to VIII, plus two demanding routes at grade IX
• Most of the hardest routes (20 of 40) are on the Small Tower (Malá věž)
• Routes approached from the plateau side are shorter and easier, while those from the valley are longer and harder

The rocks were first climbed by Saxon climbers Hans-Joachim Scholze and F. Siegmund back in 1893, while the first Czech route wasn't established until 1953 by Oldřich Kopal.