The heart of Western Tatry

The limestone peaks.

The train to Zakopane (Zackopa'ne) takes a ridiculously long time. This is due to the climb that it has to do, as it passes through the outer ridges of the Carpathians, including the Beskids. As it climbs, the houses change; taller and thinner, with the steepest sloping roofs that almost reach the ground. Enter Highlander country.

At Zakopane, we struggled to find a shop that would sell gas for our cookers. It seems that Zakopane caters more for regular tourists than proper mountaineers. After that we ate a last good meal in a traditional restaurant that served us more potato pancakes, and pierogi (pee'erog'ee) - stuffed dumplings. The last meal of the condemned men. It was time to head for the mountains, and find our place to sleep.

• Zakopane is dominated by this peak; Giewont (Gee'evont). It is easy to see why so many people think it is the best place to visit. This will be insulted in a later gallery. For now, I shall let it rest.
• To the left of Giewont is the ridge of High Tatry. We would cover this whole area in a week (and in another gallery). We changed into our respectable mountain boots, then took a late bus to Kiry (Keeri(h)), 950 metres, at the edge of Zakopane. By bus, I mean privately run unofficial minibus. Costs next to nothing.
• We started up Dolina Kościeliska (Doleena Koshcheleeska - Kościeliska valley) at dusk, passing through the misty meadows between towering crags, looming out of the night. Having bought all the food and gas we would need, we filled our water bottles from the stream in the valley, so that our packs were nearly 15 kg heavier than they had been when we arrived in Poland, about 30 kg each.
• Obłazkowa Jama (Obwazkova Yama - little crawl-around cave), at 1098 metres, about 70 metres above the valley bottom. This was to be home for two nights. An excellent shelter; keeps the rain off, no puddles under our beds, no wind. The only problem is that it is a signed tourist cave (albeit very short and boring), and is very visible from a tourist path, so we had to hide our bags during the day and pretend we were never there. Remember that sleeping in caves is not allowed, and I think even with my caving club membership, we would have a hard time trying to get away with sleeping in a place so close to a shelter.
• The view in the morning from the cave.
• The opposite wall of the valley a little before sunrise, looking almost like tower karst in the haze. The giveaway is the spruce trees.
• The early morning mist settled in Pyszna (Pi(h)shna - sounds like "delicious" in current Polish, but actually comes from "enormous" in old Polish), with Bystra (Bi(h)stra) at its end, and Ornak to the right. It was time to clear up and get out, before too many tourists walked past. Our walk would take us over Ornak, to the ridge that Bystra is on.
• Raptawicka Turnia (Raptaveetska Toornia), directly above our cave. The left side of this face is one of the hardest climbing walls in Western Tatry, graded French 7c+, UIAA IX, YDS 5.12d, UK e6 or 6c, Ewbank 28, GDR Xc, Czech too-hard-to-grade, Norwegian 8+, Swedish 8, Finnish 8+, Brazilian 9b - does the word "standards" mean anything to you people?
• Czarna Turnia (Charna Toornia - black needle).
• Kominiarski (Komeenee'arskee - the chimney stacks mountain), showing the long limestone outcrop of Raptawicka (Raptaveetska). Our cave is at the bottom end of that outcrop.
• Passing through the natural meadows of Pyszna, before beginning the slow ascent on typical stepped path between Kominiarski and Ornak.
• On Iwaniacka Przełęcz (Eev'anee'atska Pshew'ew(n)ch - Iwaniacka Pass - 1459 metres), the pass between Kominiarski and Ornak, looking towards Kominiarski.
• The chimney stacks that give Kominiarski its name. These are very tall spikes of limestone, formed this way because of the angle of the limestone beds, combined with the power of water.
• Now begins the climb up a steep 45° slope, that doesn't relent. As we started, a thunderstorm decided to appear. We had made the mistake of thinking the sunshine would last all day, and had left our coats with the rest of our belongings by the cave. We tried to hide under the local vegetation, and use the waterproof maps as a rain cover. Idiots. We were on the point of abandoning the walk when the storm blew away as quickly as it had arrived.
• Towers on Kominiarski.
• Sunshine on the chimneystacks.
• Ornak gives tremendous views of Western Tatry. This is the view to the West, continuing far into Slovakia (the border runs along the second ridge). The ridge the picture is taken from is Ornak, with Middle Ornak to the left. Behind that is Bystra (2248 metres, tallest in Western Tatry) and the tiny peak of Zadnia Kopa (Zadny'a(h) Kopa - rear hummock - 2162 metres), then the large Starorobociański (Starro'(ro)bochan(y)skee - 2176 metres), with its ridge running over Dolina Starorobociańska (Doleena Starro'(ro)bochan(y)ska - old working/mining valley); Kończysty (Kon(y)chi(h)sti(y)), Czubik (Choobeek - 1846 metres) and Trzydniowiański (Tshi(h)dnyo'vee'an(y)skee 1758). Behind that are the double peaks of Raczkowa Czuba (Rachkova Chooba - 2194 metres) and Jarząbczy Wierch (Yaj(e)abchi(h) Vee'erh - 2137 metres), and gentle triangle of Łopata (Wopata 1958 metres). Behind that ridge is the long ridge of Wołowiec (Vo'wovee'ets - 2064 metres), Rakoń (Rakon(y) - 1879 metres) and Grześ (Gj(e)'esh - 1653 metres), with Bobrowiec (Bobroviets - 1663 metres) at its end. Behind the last two ridges are the peaks of Baraniec (Baranee'ets - 2185 metres), Smrek (2072 metres), Rohacze (Rohache - 2125 metres), Trzy Kopy (Tj(e)i(h) Kopi(h) - 2136 metres), Hruba Kopa (Hrooba Kopa - 2166 metres), Banówka (Banoovka - 2178 metres), Pahol (2167 metres), Spalona (2083 metres), Salatin (Salateen - 2048 metres), Brestowa (Brestova - 1934 metres), Osobita (Osobeeta - 1687 metres) and Furkaska (Foorkaska - 1491 metres). That's a lot of mountains.
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• The view to the East from Ornak, over the Pyszna valley. Kominiarski (1829 metres), Ciemniak (Chemniak - The Shady Peak - 2096), Tomanowa (Tomanova - 1977 metres), Smreczyński Wierch (Smrechi(h)nyskee Vee'erh - 2066 metres), Kamienista (Kamee'en'eesta - 2121 metres) and Bystra. Behind Tomanowa is the first proper view of High Tatry, with Świnica (Shveeneetsa) being the main peak to the left, over the Tomanowa Przełęcz (Tomanova Pshew'ew(n)ch - Tomanowa Pass), lowest point of the main Tatry ridge; 1686 metres. Between Kominiarski and Ciemniak is Kościeliska, with Zakopane in the lower lands behind the ridge.
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• Rohacze, the horny one (a reference to the Devil, not the other kind), with its superb double peak.
• The rolling thunderstorm highlighting the Ostry Rohacz peak (Ostri(h) Rohach - 2088 metres).
• The ridges of Western Tatry. 6 planes in one photograph.
• Limestone crags on Ciemniak. I think this shows Wysoka Turnia (Vi(h)soka Toornia - Tall Needle - 1643 metres).
• Świnica, 2301 metres. Its name means "sharp" in old Highlander, but sounds like "pig" in current Polish. It is often referred to as the "pig peak" and can be recognised by its double peak, like the pig's ears.
• The main view of High Tatry, showing Mięguszowiecki Szczyt Wielki (Mee'e(w)gooshovee'etskee Shchi(h)t Vee'elkee - 2438 metres), Rysy (Ri(h)si(h) - Cracks - 2503 metres), Koprowy Wierch (Koprovi(h) Vee'erh - 2363 metres), Wysoka (Vi(h)soka - High - 2547 metres), Gerlach (Gerlah - 2655 metres, tallest in Tatry and the Carpathians), Kończysta (Kon(y)chi(h)sta) - 2538 metres) and the Szatan range (Shatan - aka Satan - 2422 metres) with Hruby Wierch (Hroobi(h) Vee'erh - 2428 metres) in front of it.
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• Closeup of the left side of the last picture, showing the main peaks of Mięguszowiecki Szczyt Wielki, Rysy, Koprowy Wierch, Wysoka and Gerlach. The left peak of Rysy's double peaks is the highest point in Poland; 2499 metres.
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• The top of Krywań (Kri(h)van(y) - 2494 metres). More details in another gallery.
• On Ornak. Nothing better than a rest. We were both a bit out of shape, with this being the first proper walk of its kind that we had done in a while. I was told to go on alone to the peaks - I protested, but I know when to stop arguing. I was given a little over two hours to get up and back, after which time he would come looking for me. These were hillwalking trails after all, not serious mountain climbing.
• Front Ornak, or Siwe Skały (Seeve(h) Skawi(h) - 1867 metres). This immense boulder pile is a crumbled heap of granite, as if from a shattered granite pillar, out of place in an area made from limestone (Tomanowa has the same feature on one of its peaks).
• Bystra with kosówka (kosoofka). Kosówka is a bush that appears a lot like a dwarf pine, but is a separate species. It grows everywhere in Tatry as soon as the altitude or amount of sunlight has defeated the Spruce. It often grows on bare rock, but prefers level terrain. Tall pinnacles of rock that have the smallest flat spot on the top will often have a kosówka bush perched on them.
• The ridge to Bystra.
• The ridge to Starorobociański, and my target for the day.
• The ridge is the border between Poland and Slovakia, with Bystra lying on the Slovak side. The trail weaves in and out of both sides, but is maintained by the Slovaks, making the rules be applied as if it were Slovakia. The Slovaks have done very little work in the last century to make new trails, so it is quite rare to come across a Slovak trail that actually goes somewhere useful like this.
• Panorama showing the Bystra ridge, and Starorobociański. The main peak on the left of the Bystra ridge is Bystra, and the peak on the right end of the ridge is Zadnia Kopa. Between them is the almost imperceptible summit of Mała Bystra (Mawa Bi(h)stra - 2108 metres). The knee in the ridge to the left of Bystra is Błyszcz (Bwi(h)shch - 2158 metres).
• The funnel of the broken edge of the ridge to Starorobociański, called Gaborowa Przełęcz (Gaborova Pshew'ew(n)ch - 1938 metres), falling 500 metres into Dolina Starorobociańska.
• Landslides slowly eating away the path.
• A very large bird taking off from Starorobociański. I took this in the hopes that it might be one of the eagles that live here, but it turned out to be a raven. Oh well. Tatry does have some very impressive animals living there, including bears, lynx, eagles, chamois and marmots. Only the last two put in an appearance (or an audience) during our visit.
• Looking back down the ridge, all the way from Bystra on the right, to Ciemniak just off to the left. This is the main ridge of Tatry running through Western Tatry, and is the border between Poland and Slovakia.
• Just to prove I got there. The post is not a summit marker, it is a border marker. The sides are painted with the letters "P" and "S" to tell you which side of the border you are on. As for the walking poles, they belong to the random person holding the camera, not me. No cripple jokes.
• Panorama from Starorobociański, with Bystra to the left, and the infinite peaks of Western Tatry to the right. Yay, I got 20 metres into Slovakia! The main ridge on the right, which had remained mostly hidden until now, consists of Niżnia Magura (Neej(e)nia Magoora - 1714 metres), Niżnie Otargańce (Neej(e)nie(h) Otargan(y)tse - 1920 metres), Wyżnie Otargańce (Vi(h)j(e)nie(h) Otargan(y)tse - 2050 metres), Wyżnia Magura (Vi(h)j(e)nia Magoora - 2095 metres), Raczkowa Czuba, Jarząbczy Wierch and Kończysty.
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• Zadnia Raczkowa Dolina (Zadny'a Rachkova Doleena), and Western Tatry.
• I was now getting far too close to the two hour mark, so I hurried back down to Ornak. A little too fast considering my knee, but it coped admirably. However, I was really running out of energy, and by the time I got to Ornak, I was nearly half an hour late. The faster I tried to go, the slower I managed to move, constantly having to stop to rest. By the time we met again, I was so tired I just fell onto the ground to sleep.
• Ornak was not the place to stay. We had to get back to our bags, in Kościeliska, nestled between Kominiarski and Ciemniak. The walk down was quite monotonous, but well timed, as we reached the cave at sunset, so we would not be seen by anyone.

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