Westmeath hiker to receive 'Korony Gór Polski' award this year

A Westmeath man well known in the world of hiking became the first Irish person to complete the Korony Gór Polski in 2023.

Fergal Hingerty from Mullingar is to be awarded the ‘Crown of Polish Moutains’ this year to recognise the feat.

The ‘Crown of Polish Moutains’ (Korony Gór Polski) is a list of 28 trails on the highest peaks of each mountain range in Poland.

This award set up by number of Polish climbing groups in 1997 to spread the footfall of climbers over a number of mountains rather than just one or two peaks.

It includes the highest peak Rysy (2,501 metres) among 21 peaks that are more than 3,000 feet or 909 metres.

Fergal said there is a considerable amount of planning and logistics involved to climb them all.

He completed his climbs over a number of years, some of the first of them with the help of his Polish mountain advisor Marta Kowalska.

Fergal completed the series of walks on August 19, 2023, and will be presented with his award at a ceremony in Poland this year.