Through-road or dead end?

Within a radius of 5km of my dzialka, there are very few paths that I have yet to explore. New walking routes are something I eagerly look out for, to add variety to my daily strolls. Today, I came across what I hoped would be two such discoveries, around Grabina and Kozłów...

Below: "Hello, what's this?" I'm walking north from Grabina towards Kozłów, forest on either side of me. Then, to my left, I see a  pile of soil and builder's rubble, and this draws my eye to a path I've never noticed before. Stop. Check phone.No sign of this on Google Maps nor on Open Street Maps. The path appears to lead to a clearing... Worth checking out – could be a new route.

I go. At the end of this track is a building site; upon it a new house in early stages of construction. And that's it. No further. A no-through road, evidently cut through the trees to provide access. Rather than double back the way I came, I decide to turn left and take my chances in the forest, reckoning that beyond it to the north should lie the Grobice to Staniszewice road. After a couple of dozen paces into the thick of it, a car passes in the near distance – I'm heading in the right direction. 

The forest is not quite impenetrable; dense brambles chest-high scratch and tear at my clothes and hands but soon I emerge into the open, onto the asphalt. Won't be taking that path again. Turning west, I head towards Grobice, then make a northward turn into a footpath running parallel to the Kozłów road. I've walked this path many a time, so the sight of another hitherto unexplored track (below) branching off at right angles into the forest piques my interest. Will it take me through to ulica Sosnowa, the footpath linking Grobice to the main road (DK50)? Will this one be the new route I'm searching for?

Again, neither Google Maps nor Open Street Maps show anything here other than the boundary line between the villages of Grobice and Nowe Grobice (on OSM only). I set off down this track. After a few minutes' walking, I can see that I'm approaching a clearing. But beyond it, no sign of the track continuing, just a solid wall of dense vegetation.

Once again, I press on through the undergrowth, getting scratched in the process. The trees in the distance start to thin – maybe a sign that ul. Sosnowa is near. But no; another clearing, to the left some horse-jumping infrastructure. But at least I now know where I am – and it's not where I want to be. So onwards, westwards, pushing through more undergrowth. Here and there tracks made by wild animals, easier to follow, but then thickets of tall shrubs and saplings, quite impenetrable without a machete. Ten paces forward, twenty paces back and around. It's hard going.

Finally I break through into a familiar clearing; I turn right and a hundred metres or so further on I emerge on ul. Sosnowa. A left turn and I'm on my way to Grobice, at last. A short cut this wasn't. Nor the last one. Should I really be playing explorer at my age? Well, I must say that while neither of today's quests opened up new routes, they did contribute to my local knowledge, and past such explorations have resulted in paths that are on my regular walks. It's worth diving into the unknown and seeing if new value can be found.

As long as I'm not crossing fenced-off land or going through private property, I am within my rights to ramble at will off the beaten track.

This time last year:
To Warka the back way

This time two years ago:
A year with panels

This time three years ago:
Powered by the Sun

This time five years ago:
Poland's town/country divide explored

This time nine years ago:

A long walk to Czachówek

This time 11 years ago:
Half a mile under central Warsaw, on foot

This time 12 years ago:
Dzienniki Kołymskie reviewed

This time 13 years ago
Russia-Poland in Warsaw: the worst day of Euro 2012

This time 15 years ago:
Thirty-one and sixty-three - a short story

This time 16 years ago:
Warsaw rail circumnavigation

This time 17 years ago:
Classic Polish vehicles

This time 18 years ago:
South Warsaw sunsets