The Sudety Mountains are located on the Polish-Czech border with the
most western part located in Germany. The massif is approx. 300 km long
and 50 km wide. The main ridge goes from NW (Brama Łużycka, a border
with the Erzgebirge) to SE (Brama Morawska, a border with the
Carpathians).
The main ridge is a watershed between the Baltic Sea basin in the
north, the North See in the west and the Black Sea in the south.
Trójmorski Wierch in the Śnieżnik massif is the triple divide of
the three basins.
The highest peak, Śnieżka/Sněžka (1602m/1202m) is located in the
Karkonosze and is also the highest point in the Czech Republic.
The Sudety Mountains are split into four main massifs that are divided
into smaller mountain groups:
1.
Sudety Zachodnie (Western Sudety), located between Brama Łużycka and
Brama Lubawska, HP Śnieżka/Sněžka (1602m/1202m).
2.
Sudety Środkowe (Central Sudety), located between Brama Lubawska and
Międzyleska Przełęcz, HP Velká Deštná (1115m/581m).
3.
Sudety Wschodnie (Eastern Sudety) located between Międzyleska Przełęcz
and Brama Morawska, HP Praděd (1491m/981m).
4.
Przedgórze Sudeckie (Sudety Foreland), located between the main
ridge and a city of Wrocław, HP Ślęża (718m/468m).
The precise division of the massif with the highest peaks (including
old German names) is presented in the table at the end of the text.
The Polish Sudety Mountains cover an area of approx. 9.300 sq. km
(which equates to approx. 50% of the whole area of the range). The
attached prominence list refers to the Polish part of the range. It
shows all summits of which the highest point lies wholly in Poland or
on the Polish border. The list contains 88 peaks with prominence value
equal to at least 100m.
Six peaks have prominence greater than 300m:
1. Śnieżka (Karkonosze) 1202m
2. Śnieżnik (Masyw Śnieżnika) 657m
3. Wielka Sowa (Góry Sowie)
485m
4. Śleża (Masyw Śleży) 468m
5. Waligóra (Góry
Kamienne) 366m
6. Wielki Szyszak (Karkonosze) 331m
Ten prominent peaks have height over 1000m:
1. Śnieżka (Karkonosze) 1602m
2. Wielki Szyszak (Karkonosze) 1509m
3. Śnieżnik (Masyw Śnieżnika) 1425m
4. Mały Śnieżnik (Masyw
Śnieżnika) 1337m
5. Skalny Stół (Karkonosze)
1285m
6. Czarna Góra (Masyw
Śnieżnika) 1205m
7. Łysocina (Kakonosze) 1188m
8. Wielka Kopa (Góry
Izerskie) 1126m
9. Czernica (Góry Bialskie)
1083m
10. Wielka Sowa (Góry Sowie) 1015m
For each peak the following information is provided:
1. Peak – official name, with the
part in italics and inverted commas added by the author in order to
avoid duplicated names. Disclaimer: the author does not intend to
propose new names.
2. Height – taken from the Source
Map.
3. Prominence – the difference
between Height and Key Col Height.
4. Key Col – name of the Key Col;
if the whole name in italics, it refers to the nearest named point (as
a short description of the location; note: “pod”=below a named peak,
“nad”=over a village).
5. Col Height – taken from the
Source Map, if in italics estimated from contour lines.
6. Prominence Parent – name of the
Prominence Parent (a higher and more prominent neighbour).
7. Latitude – rounded to 5’’, if in
italics this might be inaccurate due to lack of a precise grid.
8. Longitude – rounded to 5’’, if
in italics this might be inaccurate due to lack of a precise grid.
9. Source Map – a map described in
the additional list as being a source for the prominence calculation.
10. Country – PL: wholly in Poland, PL/CZ: Czech border.
11. Group – part of the geographical massif, if in italics
introduced by the author for more precision.
12. Massif – official name of the massif.
14 maps were used to estimate the official name, prominence and
geographical location of a peak. In the list of the maps one can see
the scale and contour lines grid utilised for the estimation of key col
heights (this allows for the assessing of the maximum error of a
calculation).
Source number, name of the map, scale, contour lines grid, editor and
edition year.
[1] Góry Izerskie, 1:40k, 20m, Plan 2005
[2] Karkonosze, 1:30k, 20m, ExpressMap 2005
[3] Rudawy Janowickie, 1:25k, 10m, Plan 2005
[4] Góry Kaczawskie, 1:40k, 20m, Plan 2005
[5] Góry Wałbrzyskie i Kamienne, 1:40k, 20m, Plan 2005
[6] Góry Stołowe, 1: 60k, 20m, ExpressMap 2005
[7] Ziemia Kłodzka, 1:50k, 10m, Compass 2005
[8] Jeseniky - Rychlebske Hory, 1:50k, 10m, SHOCart 2003
[9] Jeseniky - Kralicky Sneznik, 1:75k, 20m, SHOCart 2004
[10] Masyw Ślęży, 1:25k, 10m, Plan 2005
[11] Sudety Zachodnie, 1:75k, 50m, Plan 2005
[12] Jelenia Góra, 1:100k, 20m, WZKart 1996
[13] Przedgórze Sudeckie, 1:50k, 10m, Plan 2005
[14] Ziemia Kłodzka, 1:60k, 20m, ExpressMap 2005
The peaks on the list belong to 16 geographical massifs (not
orographical ones). Their characteristics are briefly described below. Góry Izerskie
Broad massif located on the Polish-Czech border. The high Nysa Łużycka
river is a border with Ještědsko-kozákovský hřbet in the
Czech Republic. Szklarska Pass is a border with Karkonosze in the east.
The northern foothills are known as Pogórze Izerskie (between
Nysa Łużycka and Bóbr rivers).
The highest and the most prominent peak is located in Poland: Wielka
Kopa (1126m/240m).
Number of P100m summits in Poland: 2.
Karkonosze
The highest part of Sudety with flat bare ridges and steep rocky
slopes. The main ridge on the Polish-Czech border and a watershed
between Odra and Elba basins.
The key col of Snieżka is located in North Bavaria (Germany) at the
Main-Rhein canal, 1 km NE from Pierheim near Hilpoltstein. A precise
altitude of the pass is difficult to estimate due to artificial cut.
The highest and the most prominent peak is HP of the Sudety Mountains:
Śnieżka (1602m/1202m).
Number of P100m summits in Poland: 6.
Rudawy Janowickie
Tiny mountain group located NE from Karkonosze, separated from them by
the Kowarska Pass. The northern gritstone part is known as Sokoliki and
is a popular climbing region.
The highest and the most prominent peak: Skalnik (945m/220m).
Number of P100m summits: 5.
Góry Kaczawskie
Broad massif of low hills located north of Karkonosze on the right
riverbank of Bóbr. It is orographically connected with
Góry Wałbrzyskie in Central Sudety. The northern foothills are
known as Pogórze Kaczawskie.
The highest point is divergent depending on the source. In the majority
of books Skopiec is mentioned as the highest summit of Góry
Kaczawskie, with an altitude of 724m. Nevertheless the newest map [4]
shows the following altitudes: Baraniec 720m, Folwarczna 720m, Skopiec
718m, Okole 714m. As a 720m contour encircles a bigger area on the top
of Baraniec than on Folwarczna, the first was taken as the highest
point of the mountain range.
The highest and the most prominent peak: Baraniec (720m/250m).
Number of P100m summits: 7.
Pogórze Kaczawskie
The northern foothills of Góry Kaczawskie located between rivers
of Bóbr and Nysa Szalona. The highest peak is a cone-shaped hill
of a volcanic origin.
The highest and the most prominent peak: Ostrzyca Proboszczowicka
(501m/151m).
Number of P100m summits: 4.
Góry Wałbrzyskie
A 35 km long mountain group of isolated hills close to a city of
Wałbrzych. The northern foothills are known as Pogórze
Wałbrzyskie.
The highest peak: Borowa (853m/223m).
The most prominent peak: Chełmiec (851m/281m).
Number of P100m summits: 7.
Góry Kamienne
A mountain group on the Polish-Czech border. It is divided into two
main parts, not connected orographically: Góry Krucze in the
west (with Kralovecký Špičak 881m/341m located in the Czech
Rep.) and Góry Suche in the east with the highest peak of the
range.
The term of “Góry Kamienne” exists only in Polish geography –
according to Czech geography there are two separate massifs of
Vraní hory (in the west) and Javoři hory (in the east). To make
the issue more complicated, according to German geography Góry
Kamienne and Góry Wałbrzyskie create a single massif of the
Waldenburger Bergland.
The highest and the most prominent peak is located in Poland:
Waligóra (936m/366m).
Number of P100m summits in Poland: 9.
Góry Stołowe
A group of sandstone faces and rocky labyrinths on the Polish-Czech
border. It is divided into a few parts:
The highest Hejszowina in SE located in Poland, Broumovské steny
and Adršpašsko-Teplické skály in the central part
(located in the Czech Rep.) and Zawory and Miroszowickie Ściany in NW
located on the border.
The highest and the most prominent peak is located in Poland:
Szczeliniec Wielki (919m/259m).
Number of P100m summits in Poland: 6.
Góry Sowie
25 km long mountain range located east of Góry Kamienne and
north of Góry Bardzkie. Geologically it is the oldest part of
Sudety (gneiss rocks are 2.5 mio years old).
The highest and the most prominent peak: Wielka Sowa (1015m/485m).
Number of P100m summits: 7.
Góry Bardzkie
Low mountain group dividing the dale of Kotlina Kłodzka from Sudety
Foreland. NW border of the range is located on Srebrna Pass (border on
Góry Sowie) and SE border on Kłodzka Pass (border on Góry
Złote). The massif is split with a gorge of Nysa river (so called
Przełom Bardzki). The highest peak is located in SE part of the range.
The highest and the most prominent peak: Kłodzka Góra
(765m/282m).
Number of P100m summits: 11.
Góry Orlickie
50 km long mountain range located mostly in the Czech Republic with a
northern part located in Poland. The Polskie Wrota pass is a border
with Góry Stołowe in the north. There are no prominent summits
in the Polish part of the range.
The highest peak is located in the Czech Republic: Velká
Deštná (1115m/581m).
The highest point in Poland is located on a slope of Orlica (1084m/99m).
Number of P100m summits: 0.
Góry Bystrzyckie
A range spread parallel to Góry Orlickie and located in SW part
of the dale of Kotlina Kłodzka. The highest peak is located in the
southern part of the range.
The highest and the most prominent peak: Jagodna (977m/247m).
Number of P100m summits: 4.
Masyw Śnieżnika
A bare mountain on the Polish-Czech border in the southern part of the
dale of Kotlina Kłodzka. On the SW ridge a triple divide of Elba, Odra
and Morava rivers (North Sea, Baltic Sea and Black Sea basins) is
located (so called Trójmorski Wierch).
The highest and the most prominent peak: Śnieżnik (1425m/657m).
Number of P100m summits in Poland: 8.
Góry Bialskie
Compact mountain group between Masyw Śnieżnika in the west and
Hrubý Jesenik in the east located in the SE corner of the dale
of Kotlina Kłodzka. The precise border between Góry Bialskie and
Góry Złote is difficult to estimate. In this working paper, a
key col of Kowadło (HP Góry Złote) is assumed to be the border.
According to some Polish authors (i.e. Kondracki) and Czech
geographers, the two groups form a single mountain range.
The highest and the most prominent peak is located in the Czech
Republic: Smrk (1125m/308m).
The highest point in the Polish part is located near the top of
Travná (1120m/35m).
The only prominent peak in the Polish part: Czernica (1083m/122m)
Number of P100m summits in Poland: 1.
Góry Złote
A 55km long mountain range located between Góry Bardzkie and
Góry Bialskie in the eastern part of the dale of Kotlina Kłodzka.
The highest peak: Kowadło (989m/124m).
The most prominent peak: Jawornik Wielki (872m/289m).
Number of P100m summits in Poland: 6.
Góry Opawskie
A mountain range located mostly in the Czech Republic, north of
Hrubý Jesenik. Just a tiny part is located in Poland.
The highest and the most prominent peak is located in the Czech
Republic: Přičný vrch (974m/259m)
The only prominent peak in Poland: Biskupia Kopa (878m/163m).
Number of P100m summits in Poland: 1.
Przedgórze Sudeckie
A broad highland located north-east from the main Sudety massif. One
can mark out the following parts of the highland: Wzgórza
Strzelińskie, Masyw Śleży, Wzgórza Bielawsko-Niemczańskie and
Wzgórza Strzegomskie. The highest peak is an isolated
cone-shaped hill located just 30 km south of a city of Wrocław.
The highest and the most prominent peak: Ślęża (718m/468m).
Number of P100m summits: 4.