Banie is a rocky gully tucked away in the upper reaches of the Strążyska Valley, a place better known to climbers than casual hikers, yet full of character for anyone curious about the wilder corners of the Western Tatras. Its name recalls a long-gone era of ore mining that once took place in these mountains.
The gully descends from the Wyżnia Sucha Pass, curving in a distinctive arc around the base of the middle section of Długi Giewont, before merging into the upper part of Wielka Rawień. It is flanked by steep, jagged rock formations - depressions, pillars and chimneys - that give the place a raw, alpine feel. In summer the gully is often dry and rocky, in spring and after rainfall water rushes through it, and in winter it becomes a demanding terrain suited mainly to experienced mountaineers. This is a place of quiet and wildness, far from the crowds walking the main trails of Strążyska Valley.
How to get thereThe name Banie comes from former ore mines in the area, once called banie - it is hard to imagine today that mining life once thrived in this wild corner of the Tatras.