A Guide to Conquering Slovakia's Highest Peak

There's hardly any information about Slovakia's 🇸🇰 highest peak, Gerlachovský štít, on the internet. We summited on June 9th and wanted to share this unique experience with fellow mountaineers!😻😻😻 About Gerlachovský štít Gerlachovský štít is part of the High Tatras mountain range, located in northern 🇸🇰, bordering 🇵🇱. It's a fantastic destination for hiking and skiing. In my opinion, it's an underrated range with stunning scenery. During our four-day trip, we hardly saw any Asian tourists—it's truly a hidden gem in Europe for outdoor enthusiasts.❤️❤️❤️ Transportation Flying to Poprad-Tatry Airport with Wizz Air from London is very convenient. You can rent a car or take a Bolt taxi directly to the base of the mountains in just 20 minutes. It's the most accessible mountain I've ever visited in terms of transportation. However, flights aren't available every day. Alternatively, you can fly into Košice, explore the city, and then head to the Tatras—it's not far. Accommodation - First Night : We stayed at a charming wooden cabin called Chata pod Soliskom, located halfway up the mountain. It's a one-hour hike or a cable car ride away. While the surroundings are beautiful, the stay can be a bit inconvenient, especially if you have a heavy backpack. I wouldn't recommend climbing up with a heavy load. - Remaining Nights : We stayed at Villa Emma, near the Vysoké Tatry Štrbské Pleso Train Station. It's conveniently located near a supermarket, tourist center, and restaurants. The local Slovak cuisine was delicious! The deer we saw on the mountain one evening ended up on our plates later 😋 Hiking and Climbing We did back-to-back climbs of Poland's highest peak, Rysy (2,499m), and Slovakia's highest peak, Mt. Gerlach (2,655m). We also explored other leisurely hiking trails in the High Tatras. Let's focus on our Mt. Gerlach summit experience.😁😁 Mt. Gerlach is located within the Tatra National Park. To summit, you must hire a guide, as the mountain is extremely steep and requires professional climbing equipment to ensure safety. However, you don't need to know how to operate it—the guide will handle the ropes. The entire route is 16 km, starting at an altitude of 1,650m with a total elevation gain of 1,000m. While the elevation gain isn't excessive, the climb is quite challenging, especially the last 700m, which requires the use of ropes. The rock-climbing experience was truly unique and required a good level of climbing skill. It was tiring but incredibly fun! I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys bouldering and rock climbing. The natural rock surfaces were amazing to touch, and the scenery along the way was spectacular. The alpine lakes remained crystal clear even after the rain, and the view from the summit was breathtaking. Overall, it's a mountain well worth climbing. It's not extremely difficult but very interesting and offers a completely different experience from many other mountains. #HikingTheWorld #Mountaineering #EuropeanHiking #Slovakia #MountaineeringLovers #OutdoorHiking #HiddenGemsInEurope #HikingTrailRecommendations