Skupniów Upłaz is a ridge in the Western Tatra Mountains that rewards hikers with far more than just a trail to tick off — it offers botanical wonders, sweeping views and a fascinating layered history. Stretching between the Jaworzynka valley and Olczyska valley at elevations of 1300–1470 m, it is a place where nature and human story intertwine beautifully.

The eastern slopes facing the Olczyska valley are smooth, moderately steep and open, giving lovely views of Wielki Kopieniec and the iconic silhouette of Giewont. The western side drops more steeply toward Jaworzynka, with rocky outcrops bearing their own local names — Parzące Turnie, Gruba Turnia and Mnich among them. In summer, the limestone grasslands burst into colour: alpine edelweiss, alpine clematis, several species of saxifrage, round-headed rampion and many more calcicolous plants cover the unfenced meadows. Remarkably, two extremely rare species have been recorded here — Hoppe's cudweed and alpine moonwort, both found in Poland exclusively in the Tatras.

• Kuźnice (starting point, parking available) — blue trail via Boczań and Skupniów Upłaz to Przełęcz między Kopami, continuing to Hala Gąsienicowa; approx. 1 h 40 min uphill, 1 h 10 min downhill; difficulty: moderate

• This is one of the busiest trails in the Polish Tatras — expect heavy foot traffic during summer weekends.
• The trail follows a historic mining road once used to haul iron ore down to the Kuźnice ironworks.
• Entry to Tatra National Park requires a valid admission ticket.

In 1933, geographer Antoni Wrzosek described these slopes as a 'bleak karst gravel desert' — the result of centuries of overgrazing and deforestation. Today, after decades of reforestation with larch and natural regeneration, Skupniów Upłaz stands as a remarkable comeback story for Tatra nature.