MURKI?

There are no rocks suitable for climbing in Tri-City (in Polish: Trójmiasto, i.e. Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot). The nearest climbing area lies at least several hundred kilometers far from here (northwards Sweden, southwards Jura) and local climbers climb only artificial walls. Since the end of the 60's they have climbed primarily some old railway bridges left after dismantling a railway after World War II, and later on other abandoned buildings.

Murki is a Polish climbers' name for objects built originally not for the sake of climbing but ultimately used precisely in this purpose. Because the routes once prepared on murki are never changed — as opposed to most of other artificial walls — climbing here resembles a little natural rock climbing.

This site contains:

• a guide to murki (descriptions, schemes, topos, the description of the history of exploration),
• a climbing news service,
• archival issues of Klamecjusz (i.e. "The Independent Bulletin of Tri-City Climbers", published since 1990, last time in 1997).

CLIMBING AREAS

There are around seventy different murki in Tri-City and its environs, however, not every one is of the same attraction. Some of them haven't been visited by climbers for years, climbing others is simply forbidden.

A sort of rock climbing is only possible in Rutki (12 m high, concrete) and Lubonice (18 m high, granite) where most of the routes are prepared for leading. The two murki mentioned above are abound with pockets and little edges, though Rutki offers solely vertical walls and slabs. In the centre of Tri-City lie Murki Brętowskie (up to 7 m high), where the most popular are top rope routes (polished holds in red bricks!) on the bridges: Gdyński and Elektryczny. It's worth making an arrangement with one of the local gurus, or at least taking a guidebook if you go there for the first time. All the routes have precisely marked (…and not drawn on the walls) boundaries — without any adequate advice it's easy to misstep on nearly every route. Various traverses that are led across Murki Brętowskie make solo climbing there available for everyone.

GUIDES

The best source of information about murki are these pages (section guides). The description of any new route is usually added not later than several days after its first ascent. Therefore it is a good idea to check the online guide always before going to e.g. Lubonice.

There is also a possibility of buying a guidebook, which was published in 1999. The guidebook, as opposed to the guide online, contains the description of all climbing areas that the authors of these pages are familiar with. In order to help climbers find the differences between the past and current state, the list of every route change since 1999 was prepared.

EQUIPMENT

45 m rope, 3–5 slings, 10 quick draws, climbing shoes (suitable for small edges)

ACCESS

It is possible to reach every climbing area by car — the maps with schemes of access are added to description of every larger climbing area and some standalone murki. Railway trips — beside Rutki — are unpopular because of poor railway network and often scarce connections. It is easier to reach the neighbourhood of some murki by bus, but gaining a proper timetable poses a problem.

Because of the traffic jams on Słowackiego Street, it is not advisable to drive to Murki Brętowskie between 7:30 and 9:30 a.m and 14:00 and 18:00 p.m. At this time you can spend even half an hour passing several hundred meters, the way through Morena district (Piecki–Migowo), e.g. via Jaśkowa Dolina Street is much faster.

MAPS AND PLANS

• Ziemia Kaszubska, Mapa Turystyczna, 1 : 100 000
• Gdańsk, Plan Miasta, 1 : 15 000
• Bory Tucholskie i Kociewie, Mapa Turystyczna, 1 : 100 000
• Kaszuby, Kujawy, Wielkopolska pólnocno-wschodnia, 1 : 300 000

NEW WALLS, MURKI, ROUTES

Please send any information about walls and bridges, which are not mentioned on our site, by filling in a special form. When planning a new route first check if no reservation has been made before, and in order to gain such information contact poczta@murki.pl.

Please send to poczta@murki.pl any remarks, mainly on ratings, new routes and mistakes found in the text. It is possible to send the information using the URL poczta@murki.pl from the site kontakt if you don't have a personal email.

WEATHER

The climbing season usually starts at the end of March and lasts till the end of October, although the most ardent climbers make use of sunny winter days. Climbing in March, April and October happens to be unpleasant because of cold days occuring in these months.

Rain keeps climbing within limits — it is possible to climb on several routes on Murki Brętowskie (Gdyński, Elektryczny) and in Lubonice. After heavy rainfalls Murki Brętowskie first become dry (rarely later than after several hours), it takes a little longer for Rutki and walls in Lubonice are known to stay wet even a few days on. Bretowo and Rutki offer most of all sunny walls, the bridge in Lubonice stays generally in the shade through the whole summer.

CLIMBING ON MURKI — GENERAL RULES

• Take your rubbish from climbing areas
• Park your car as not to cause any obstruction; particularly respect private possessions
• Behave quietly — to the best of your abilities, especially when close to any buildings and places of common usage (e.g. watch for anglers in Rutki)
• Look for any climbing restrictions, do not climb where it is forbidden and respect every local rule

ARTIFICIAL WALLS

The guide cointains more information about indoor climbing and climbing other artificial walls.

• The „Elevator” (Gdańsk, Droszyńskiego Str. 15), open daily between 10:00 a.m. and 10 p.m., 16 m high, 200 m², entrance 10–12 zł
• Climbing wall in the Alfa Centre (Gdańsk, Kołobrzeska Str. 41C), open daily between 10:00 a.m. and 10 p.m., 12 m high, 200 m², entrance 10–15 zł
• Climbing wall in the Salesian Secondary School in Rumia (Rumia, Świętojańska Str. 1, open Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and on Saturdays between 6:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., 120 m², entrance: 3–10 zł)
• Climbing wall in the building of fire-brigade in Wrzeszcz (Gdańsk, Sosonowa Str. 2, open 3:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m (Saturdays and Sundays: 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.), 100 m², entrance: 10 zł)
• Bouldering wall of the Technical University of Gdańsk Climbing Section (Gdańsk, Al. Zwycięstwa 12, access for the section members only)
• Climbing wall of Mountaineering Club "Tri-City", better known as the wall at Academy of Physical Education (Gdańsk Żabianka, access for the club members only)

CLUBS

• Academic Climbing Club (club unofficially associated with the Technical University of Gdańsk Climbing Section)
• Baltica Climbing Club
• Mountaineering Club "Tri-City"
• Cave Explorer's Club of Sopot

TRI-CITY CLIMBING ONLINE

A lot of information regarding Tri-City climbing is available on the Internet. The first website had been built by the Cave Explorer's Club of Sopot (the page is regularly updated — we've tried to build murki.pl in a similar way), later murki.pl. The following sites were created by the Mountaineering Club "Tri-City", and its Sport Section (both services were joined in summer 2001), recently an independent project was also set up by our buddy Karol (Zanik Zone) — with Zanik's pages we share our murki-topos, too.

To check what's up in Poland and beyond we visit services of RedPoint and wspinanie.pl (the second one was previously known as Brytan).

CLIMBING COURSES

• Mountaineering Club "Tri-City" — courses preparing for alpine climbing, organized once a year (starts usually in autumn and ends in spring)
• Nordenberg — individual rock climbing courses and trainings, also for children, youth and larger groups

CLIMBING SHOPS

• TREK: Gdańsk, Szeroka Str. 97, phone (+4858) 3014851
• Kompas: Gdańsk, Miszewskiego Str. 17 (corner of Grunwaldzka Str.), phone (+4858) 3412986
• Sportland: Gdynia, Mściwoja Str. 3, phone (+4858) 6208484
• Horyzont: Gdynia, Wybickiego Str. 3/1, phone (+4858) 6616229