Wrocław Poland weather 2021 Climate and weather in Wrocław

Czesc! (with the diacritics)
Last year I had a week off around Easter time (I think it was more in April then) and took the time to do my first trip to Krakow and Wroclaw. And the weather was terrrrrrible.
I'm just curious what the weather might be like in Zakopane next week and whether it's worth it to check it out. I'm running out of places in Poland to visit but I still haven't been to the mountains.
I'm also open to suggestions of things to see around Poland. I've been to most of the larger cities, and I don't feel like traveling outside of Poland. Any ideas?
Thanks!

Hi /GetMotivated!
First of all: this is going to be quite a long, so big thank you to everyone who will take the time to read the full story! I really appreciate it as it is very personal and somewhat difficult for me to share.
Additionally: The story may seem chaotic and incomplete at places, if so - please ask questions to specify and I will! I tried to be as short and precise as possible but the text is still hell long...
I want to share with you guys my story. Until now, not many that people have heard it, mostly my family, close friends and few co-workers who are passionate about the same topic. All of them told me I should share this with people3 because they feel it is very motivational story. For quite a long time I was not, let’s say, /ready/ to share (I will explain why later) plus I could not understand how exactly a simple story, which in the end is not that successful can be motivating.
At the moment I realized that if this story could potentially motivate even 1 person to action I am more than willing and ready to share, so let’s start.
My name is Przemek and (currently, for January of 2014) 24 year old. I live in Wroclaw, Poland and I’ve recently finished my M.Sc. in Electronics and Telecommunication, now I’m working for a global telecomm corporation.
Background: Since I was 4yo, I lived only with my mother. She took me away from the father because he was an alcoholic and drunk all the time, he beat on me and her all the time and so on. My mother is a hairdresser and as most of Poles, she makes very little amount of money, which is barely enough for a living. When I was 6yo mother got a call from a hospital stating that my grandmother (her mother) got a heart attack and is partially disable and forgot most of the language, can only speak basic things. As no one from the family cared – I and my mother had to relocate to the grandma’s house to take care of her. After the heart attack grandma got mentally ill and well let’s just say the shit is difficult with all the arguing and shouting few times a week. She need attention 24/7 of at least 1 person, so you can imagine that when I go to the lectures at the University my mother has to stay home and when my mother goes to work I need to stay at home. Which basically means: not-a-lot personal life or partying or anything of the sort, as I need to help my mother as much as I can. My mother now owns her of hairdressing salon but it still is not that much. It just let us live and occasionally buy a nice thing or two. To give you the perspective we have like 300-350 euro a month (not for us. It is BEFORE regular payments like electricity water and food). It needs to be stated that I am very lucky to have a mother like this, who made everything in her power to get me through the University, even if it meant sacrifice in her own time and money that she could spend on herself. Even when I was given the opportunity to travel to different countries for educational purposes she would sacrifice her work time and the money just so I could go.
The story starts in June of 2012. At the time I was 22, still a student with no job of any kind of any kind of income other than scholarship of ~50 euro/month for my educational results. On exactly 30th of June 2012 (my birthday) I got angry beyond my limit. There was 2 week long argument with the family provoked by the grandmother I just couldn’t stand the everyday screaming and yelling and shouting. I thought about escaping, leaving the studies and everything behind just to live in peace, even if it meant making 300 euro a month as a physical worker anywhere. Fortunately someone helped me through the time and I came back to my senses. Motivated, stronger than ever and pushed to action. That day I realized that if I have dream, than I need to pursue them and start ACTING instead of looking for excuses because the dreams will not come true on their own. Staring at the PC won’t help. So with no money and problems at home I decided that I WILL fulfill one of my dreams -> to climb the highest peak in Europe -> Mont Blanc (4810m). I didn’t know how to do it, or where to start or ANYTHING. I just knew that I will do it no matter what. I was going to start researching the topic and preparation and all that. Hell, I wasn’t even above 3000m at that time, the highest peak I’ve climbed was 2201m in Poland’s Tatras. I didn’t know where do I get the money from but… 1 problem at a time. Small steps lead to success. I’ve set myself a goal of getting to Mont Blanc by the summer of 2014. Reasonable 2 years plan. I posted on Facebook that I have a wild idea and any interested people should contact me by phone. I didn’t expect anyone to call me or even if someone did I expected them to just laugh at me or something. To my surprise I got 1 phone call from an old, far friend and when I told him what I want to do he said (literal quote): “Good. I am going there next summer. We’ve got 1 spot if you like.” I was shocked. I met with the guy we talked a lot, I found out he has a experienced team (his family) and all I was so happy because I realized that what was a dream a few weeks before started becoming real and “accessible”. So for few weeks I’ve read a lot about preparation about the difficulties, the expenses and the equipment I need to buy. I have talked to a few professional mountaineers via e-mails and in person. I was told that 1 year of preparation is enough and we potentially could go to France next June (2013).
At this point I had a year to figure out things at home – the taking care of the grandma, and to figure out how can I get the money needed. I applied for a job at IBM Poland and I got it. It was 3 month test-contract, lasting throughout all my vacation from University. I figured I could gather all the money from this 3 months and it maybe could be enough. Turned out it’s not that simple because when I started making some, there were some more expenses to be dealt with, so I could not save ALL of the money… After the 3 months in October 2012, more problems appeared… The team fell apart. My buddy told me that the other people had really big financial issues and cannot come with us. I did not have enough money as well and we haven’t started preparations yet. Again, fortunately I was given the opportunity to work part-time at IBM during my studies – so the money was not that big of an issue. I and my buddy started looking for a new team and mountaineering clubs. When we finally got the team up again with Annapurna-Club and 1 additional friend, we have made some calculations that the price will be a lot higher than we originally anticipated. Plus we needed to start trainings as it was the end of November 2012. But what’s most important the dream was getting closer to us, again!
The really difficult times started in December. With 20hrs of work a week, more than 20hrs of lectures at the University and trainings 4-5 times a week… it was fucking hard. I slept like 5 to 6 hours a day. Sometimes less. This was good and bad at the same time. As I did not have much time for my friends and relationships with them I lost contact with a few, but at the same time I understood who is the REAL friend and who’s not. Now I knew who will support me and stand by my side even if I don’t have that much time for them. It was great experience. In April 2013 we needed to change the date of our trip from June 2013 to August 2013 mainly because our exam session at the University and preparation of the M.Sc. as well (all at the same time). In May and June I’ve slept even less and in July, 1 month before the expedition I was devastated and done. I was just 1 step away from quitting. I had the money, well part of it and the other part from a credit card, I was physically prepared but I couldn’t handle the stress and tiredness more. It was too much for me. I don’t know what I would do if my friends weren’t there for me to keep me going. Maybe I would really quit. But I didn’t. I kept on telling myself “a few more weeks”, “a few more days and the pain will be over”. On the very day of leaving my hometown for France the mood was the worst. All my equipment and bags were packed but I still wasn’t motivated. It was all until I got into the rental car and I felt the thrill. When I picked up the friend and stepped on the gas, when I finally thought “this is really happening. We’re going, we’re doing it.” Then I got super happy and motivated for the trip again.
The Trip itself was to last 14 days. We were to travel through Europe, visiting Munich, Bregenz, Zurich, Chamonix, Monaco and Stuttgart on our way and were to spent 5-8 days on the mountains itself.
I have done a blog regarding the expedition on my manager’s request, which you can find here: Sky-high-Journey Blog and read more about the journey (contains: pictures and day by day report from the expedition).
In short, the trip was the most humbling and difficult experience in my life. I was tested by life again and it was bigger and harder than any difficulty on the road before. On Gran Paradiso (4091m, Italy) – the acclimatization mountain – I had a terrible case of high-altitude sickness. This was the worst feeling in my life. I felt like I just don’t care. I could stay on the slope of the mountain and just… remain there. I didn’t want to go up, I didn’t want to go down. I was prepared for the worst. This is what altitude-sickness done with me. There were tears I didn’t show anyone. There was blood. There was vomiting and diarrhea. Thanks to my professional guides and their exceptional help and motivating techniques I overcame all the weaknesses and climb Gran Paradiso (for which I will be forever greatful) but Mont Blanc was in question now… I was stressed like hell and devastated. We had a break of 2 days before climbing Mont Blanc and my guides assured me I should try and that it was normal – just my organism took it worse than others. All in all at the altitude of about 2800m at Mont Blanc slope I had to come back. The high-altitude sickness combined with the stress was no good mixture and it hit me again with doubled force. I did not want to expose my team for unsuccessful expedition as the weather window was short and the time was limited. I made the decision consciously and all by myself.
I don’t regret it. I came down and the rest of the team managed to climb the mountain. I was aware that it was 1 full year of fucking hard work and a shit load of money and effort put into it but I do not regret. I think it was good decision and what I learned on the trip and the people I met is priceless. Sometimes the risk is just too big.
When we came back to Poland I was changed. A different man now. I was struggling with my sleep for more than a month. I was waking up at night all sweaty and scared. Had bad dreams for a month in which I remembered the mountains and (in the dreams) I died there. After about 2 months I came back to normal more or less but I am different now. I came back calmer, humbler. I value life much more now.
I guess what I really want to say is that the cliché saying “all you need to do is to /want/ and work really hard” is true. My big dream came true (sort-of) and I was able to overcome all the difficulties regarding lack of money (I didn’t fully paid my credit card yet though) and so called “lack of time”. Really, all you need to do is just say to yourself “I am going to do it!” and get to it. Believe me, everything can be achieved with the appropriate attitude! Just please, if you have some big dreams, stop making excuses, just start with small steps towards the goal. It will be hard. I have paid a big price, you will probably too, but at the end of the day it is worth it. You will get to know yourself better and will probably push your limits a bit and understand that you really can do more.
Note: I am now completely back on my feet and after a break I am back to indoor climbing trainings, and soon will start going to gym again.
Future plans: Lastly, if you’d like to ask – I will not quit, I will go back there and I will climb Mont Blanc. The plan is for the summer of 2015. As I make more money now I need and I want to thank my mother for being there for me for all those years, just investing in me. Letting me travel the world a few times, sacrificing herself for me I need to make up for it, so now I plan to take HER to New Zealand next January. The money doesn’t matter. I may need to take another credit card when I pay this one but it really doesn’t matter. What matters most in the end is what you feel and how you treat people that are close to you. I was given the opportunity to make my dream come true now I need to help someone get their dream come true as well and I will do it gladly.
Additional info: I can provide full equipment, price and preparation list as well as guides for people that are interested. :) I hope that people who took time to read this will not be disappointed.
Remember, it's all in our head. If I could do it, so can you! I am no one special, I was just stubborn at the right time. "The harder you work the luckier you get" (found on this subreddit).
*Have a good day all of you. *