Bialka

Bialka pronounced be-ow-ka, is about a 30min drive from Zakopane, and can make for an enjoyable day. Its owned by the same company who own Kasprowy, the best area in Zakopane. Lets hope Kasprowy sees the level of investment that this place has. The car parks full of nice cars, the base area has a few new bars, with people outside grilling lumps of cheese that look like bars of soap, and the slopes are serviced by modern lifts and full of the Polish elite.

In true Polish style the resort is little more than a hillside and the piste maps a joke, as there arent really any pistes. Its just a wide open area serviced by spaced out parallel running chair and drag lifts, which more or less all arrive at the same place.

One of the cool things, to make up for the completely out of control nutters on skis, is that no one seems to want to leave the piste. Now the runs are short, and certainly not steep, but you can lick it down the powder at the resorts edges all day without anyone else joining in, leaving you all day to get fresh tracks.

There are plans to build 3 new chairs to service the peak between the main areas of Kotelnica and Kaniowka which at the moment is a hike to get to, however it was due to be completed for the 2005/6 season but theres no sign of it.

The resort is open late every day, and around 4pm they close the slopes while they piste-bash it ready for the evening.