Żleb Szczerby is a massive gully cutting down the northern walls of Giewont, one of the most recognizable peaks of the Western Tatras. It catches the eye immediately - a white, deeply carved corridor in limestone and dolomite rock, polished by falling stones and snow avalanches until it gleams even from a distance.

The gully drops from the Szczerba pass, which separates the main summit of Wielki Giewont from Długi Giewont, all the way down to Mała Dolinka at the top of the Strążyska Valley. Its lower section shines white thanks to the limestone slabs known as Blachy - a roughly 60-metre rock step where avalanche snow can linger well into summer. Above the slabs the terrain turns very steep, grassy and dangerously exposed, making it hazardous even for experienced mountaineers. The upper part of the gully is somewhat easier, though it ends in an almost vertical rocky shaft near the top. This is a wild, raw place whose stark beauty comes hand in hand with real danger, and it is not meant for casual hikers.

How to get there

• Strążyska Valley (Zakopane) — yellow trail to Mała Dolinka, beyond which the terrain requires mountaineering skills and is not suitable for hikers

Practical information

• The gully once held a climbing route graded III with variants up to V+, but the Tatra National Park (TPN) has since banned climbing in this area
• Several tourists have attempted to descend the gully directly into the Strążyska Valley, and many of these attempts ended in tragedy - such attempts should never be made

Żleb Szczerby reveals the far wilder side of Giewont, hidden in the shadow of its rock walls, far from the crowds heading for the summit.