Mały Kozi Wierch (2226 m a.s.l.) is one of the most rewarding summits on the famous Orla Perć (Eagle's Path) ridge traverse in the High Tatras. Wedged between the Zawrat pass and the Zmarzłe Czuby crags, it offers a panorama that already in 1876 was described as wider and more interesting than the view from nearby Zawrat — high praise in these mountains.
The peak is a sprawling massif with three ridges, two of which run along the trail. Its northern faces plunge dramatically into the Zmarzły Staw Gąsienicowy cirque, while the southern ridge separates two scenic side valleys leading toward the Valley of Five Polish Lakes. The rocky, exposed character of the terrain makes it a genuine alpine experience — thrilling in summer, serious and committing in winter conditions.
How to reach the summitThe first recorded summer ascent was most likely made by Karl Kolbenheyer on 24 August 1875 — the same man who championed the summit's panorama in his guidebooks for decades. The first winter ascent followed much later, on 1 April 1911, by a four-person team including the legendary Polish mountaineer Mariusz Zaruski.