Climbing at Jizera Mountains

The Jizera Mountains in northern Bohemia above Liberec and Hejnice are a granite range whose forests and northern slopes above the Frýdlant region are dotted with rock towers, ridges and boulders. Its most valuable part, the beech forests of the Jizerskohorské bučiny national nature reserve, is part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. Well-known spots for climbers and hikers include Polední kameny (1,006 m) with rock towers and the Frýdlantské cimbuří lookout of biotite granite, the Ořešník lookout with steps to its top, Paličník (944 m) and the Kočičí kameny near Bílý potok with an easy via ferrata ending at a viewpoint.

Climbing is on coarse-grained granite – a typical example is the Malý and Velký Štolpich area on the steep slopes above the streams of the same name and on the flank of Ořešník near Hejnice, divided into Malý Štolpich, Velký Štolpich and Zahradní stěna. The name Velký Štolpich recalls the adits where gold and other precious metals were mined. Part of the rocks lie in the Jizerskohorské bučiny reserve: year-round climbing is allowed only on selected rocks, altering the rock is prohibited, ice climbing is permitted only in marked sectors when the ice is thick enough, and nesting birds must be reported. The starting point is Hejnice railway station, with marked trails via Ferdinandov.