Dzicza Góra (Rudawy Janowickie)

Dzicza Góra is the second-highest peak in the Rudawy Janowickie after Skalnik, rising to 880.8 metres above sea level. It lies on the main ridge of the range, between Wołek to the north-east and Bielec to the south.

Geology

The mountain has a complex structure: the western slopes are built of Variscan granites with aplite veins, the summit of Silurian graphite-sericite phyllites and mica schists, and the eastern slopes of quartz schists, amphibolites and greenstones. The slopes were once mined; on the Rędziny side, on the eastern spur, former workings and quarries have survived.

Forest and summit

The slopes are covered with spruce forest, artificially planted in the 19th century, in places with an admixture of beech as a remnant of the original stand. Deforestation of the upper sections, which did not reach the summit itself, means that the characteristic clump of forest on the top is clearly visible from a greater distance. The summit of Dzicza Góra itself is inaccessible to tourists; no path leads to it.

Trails and views

About 50 metres below the summit, on the western slope, the mountain is crossed by the Ridge Path linking Wołek with Skalnik, followed by the blue trail that forms part of the international E3 hiking route.

On the northern slope, the blue trail joins the yellow trail running from Wielka Kopa towards Wołek and on to Janowice Wielkie. Thanks to the deforestation of the upper sections, the slopes form a viewpoint offering views over the eastern part of the Rudawy Janowickie and the Central Sudetes. The mountain lies within the Rudawy Janowickie Landscape Park.

Practical information

• Location: main ridge of the Rudawy Janowickie, within the Rudawy Janowickie Landscape Park
• Access: the summit itself is inaccessible, but about 50 m below it runs the blue trail (a section of the E3) along the Ridge Path
• Worth combining with a trip to Bolczów Castle
• The Coloured Lakes are also nearby