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THE HIGH TATRAS
SLOVAKIA AND POLAND INCLUDING THE WESTERN TATRAS AND WHITE TATRAS
by Colin Saunders and Renáta Nárožná
2 POLICE SQUARE, MILNTHORPE, CUMBRIA LA7 7PY
About the Authors
Colin Saunders has wide experience of walking in many parts of Britain and Europe. He has written books on walking in London and southeast England and is a member of the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild. After a career in the travel trade, Colin became a consultant on walking to charities and other organisations, and was the first route manager of the Capital Ring, a 78-mile trail around London, which is part of the London Strategic Walks Network, supported by Transport for London.
Renáta Nárožná was born and bred in the Slovak Tatras, and worked as a mountain guide for the state tourism organisation, Čedok. After Czechoslovakia’s ‘Velvet Revolution’, Renáta ran her own travel company in the Tatras for a while, then she was appointed manager of the Vienna branch of the Slovak tourism organisation. In a complete career change, Renáta has since held a number of executive positions in Vienna with Greenpeace, Médecins sans Frontières, a community for disabled people and the Austrian Science Fund.
© Colin Saunders and Renáta Nárožná2017
Fourth edition 2017
ISBN: 978 1 85284 887 3
Third edition 2012
Second edition 2006
First edition 1994
Printed by KHL Printing, Singapore
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Maps originated by Barry Saunders and redrawn by Clare Crooke.
All photographs are by Colin Saunders, except where indicated.
Dedication
This edition is dedicated to the memory of Peter Šperka, who died on an expedition to the Himalayas in 2013. He was a very experienced guide on the Slovak side of the Tatras, as well as a member of the mountain rescue team. He provided considerable help and advice to the authors about the walking there for all the previous editions and will be much missed.
Acknowledgments
With special thanks to Janusz Arnold, Director of Trip Travel in Zakopane, and a mountain guide, for his invaluable help with and advice on the section on the Polish Tatras.
Thanks also to Peter Chudý, Lucia Dubielová, Dr Alan Harrington, Michal Labus, Ian Mitchell, Peter Šperka, Julian Tippett and Ronald Turnbull; members of the Anglian Fell and Rock Club and the Vanguards Rambling Club; OTOP (Polish Society for the Protection of Birds); and the staff of T-Ski Travel Agency in Starý Smokovec and Waymark Holidays in England, all of whom provided help and encouragement.
Updates to this Guide
While every effort is made by our authors to ensure the accuracy of guidebooks as they go to print, changes can occur during the lifetime of an edition. Any updates that we know of for this guide will be on the Cicerone website (www.cicerone.co.uk/887/updates), so please check before planning your trip. We also advise that you check information about such things as transport, accommodation and shops locally. Even rights of way can be altered over time. We are always grateful for information about any discrepancies between a guidebook and the facts on the ground, sent by email to [email protected] or by post to Cicerone, 2 Police Square, Milnthorpe LA7 7PY, United Kingdom.
Front cover: Popradské Pleso, with the Horský Hotel Popradské Pleso and the smaller Majláthova Chata
CONTENTS
PREFACE
1 AN INTRODUCTION TO THE TATRAS
Background
Early history
Vegetation and wildlife
Weather
National parks
Languages
Place names
Border controls
2 PREPARATION FOR WALKING
When to go
Obtaining information
Travel and insurance
Accommodation
Fitness
Clothing and equipment
Maps
Paths and waymarking
Refreshments and toilets
Mountain chalets or refuges
Mountain guides
Mountain safety and emergency services
Winter walking
Cross-border walking
Mountain photography
How to use this guide
Grading of walks
3 THE SLOVAK HIGH AND WHITE TATRAS
Later history
Walking
Tatranská Bora
Route suggestions
Waymarked network
With a guide
Path descriptions
Cesta Slobody
Red routes
Blue routes
Green routes
Yellow routes
Selected timings
Highest summits
Travel
Diversions
Shopping and local services
Other useful information
Gazetteer
4 THE POLISH TATRAS
Later history
Walking
Route suggestions
Path descriptions
Red routes
Blue routes
Green routes
Yellow routes
Black routes
Selected timings
Highest summits
Travel
Diversions
Shopping and local services
Other useful information
Gazetteer
APPENDIX A Glossary
APPENDIX B Accommodation
APPENDIX C Useful contacts
APPENDIX D Suggested kit list
APPENDIX E The Tatras mountain code and Visitors’ Charter
APPENDIX F Help!