Wyżnia Białczańska Przełęcz is a double-saddle pass in the Żabia Grań ridge of the High Tatras, sitting at 2085 m between Żabi Szczyt Wyżni and Żabi Mnich. It is rarely a destination in itself - climbers usually pass through it as the easiest way down from these peaks, or on the way to other climbing routes.

The terrain here is rugged and alpine, split by a small ten-meter rock tower called Białowodzka Turniczka, with both saddles lying at almost the same elevation. In summer the surrounding gullies and rock towers create a dramatic high-mountain atmosphere, while in winter the approach becomes technically demanding, with ice falls forming in some of the gullies. The Polish-Slovak border runs across the pass, and on the Polish side the Wyżni Białczański Żleb gully descends toward Czarny Staw pod Rysami - a route so popular among climbers that visible erosion has formed along the path.

How to reach the viewpoint

• From Czarny Staw pod Rysami - via Wyżni Białczański Żleb (route no. 3), demanding terrain suitable only for experienced climbers
• Alternatively via Owczy Uplaz, Białczański Upłaz and the upper part of the gully - a roundabout route, practically never used

Practical information

• The Slovak side is a strict nature reserve (Bielovodská dolina) and closed to hikers and climbers
• This is climbing terrain reserved for experienced mountaineers, not a marked hiking trail
• The easiest approach variants are graded 0- to I on the Tatra scale, the hardest reach grade V

The first recorded tourist summer ascent took place in 1905, and the pass likely takes its name from the nearby Valley of the Białczańskie Frog Ponds.