High Tatras, Slovakia
Trying to hike in the Slovensky Raj (Slovak Paradise) National Park had left me a little dispirited. It was so full of people that it just wasn’t fun. I even gave up halfway through one trail (the famous Suchá Belá) when I came across a queue for a ladder that must have been about an hour long. Thankfully, the High Tatras mountains were much more enjoyable.
The mountain range, straddling the border between Slovakia and Poland, is only 25km wide and 78km long, but has peaks rising as high as 2,655m. There are a series of towns along the Slovak side each with trails leading into the majestic landscape. They’re linked by frequent trains, so it’s easy to stay in one and then hike out from another.
I didn’t have much luck with the weather — one day was completely rained out — but still managed to do a couple of good treks. The first was to Téryho Chata, a mountain hut above Starý Smokovec. I’m still taking it a bit easy following my foot injury, but it was a couple of hours to the top after a funicular ride taking me some of the way. The views down the valley from the lakes at the top were fantastic.
For the second hike, I’d hoped to ascend Rysy, on the border and the highest peak in Poland. Again, I was let down by the weather, as there was persistent low-level cloud. Instead of going all the way to the top, I just walked up to the pretty lake of Popradské Pleso. The weather was probably a good thing for my foot really, as it probably kept me from over-exerting myself.
