This week our journey took us to the peak of Rysy at 8,212 feet elevation. This is one of the highest mountains in the High Tatra mountains of Slovakia. It is the highest summit accessible by foot with a marked route.
Our group of ten were excited to start hiking at 6:30 a.m. bringing just a small pack of water, a few snacks, and a light jacket. The majestic High Tatra mountain range borders Poland and are only about 30 miles long but are packed with alpine villages, turquoise lakes, waterfalls, ski lifts, mountain bikes, wild flowers, and foot trails.
Our trek of over 20 kilometers and 4265 feet altitude gain took nine hours round trip without long breaks. The trail winded through rocky ridges and glacier cut valleys stepping on rough stones and boulders with a final steep crawl to the summit.
Almost near the top is a remote restaurant that serves lunch and drinks for hungry hikers. At the bottom is a supply hut with prepacked 50+ lbs packs looking for volunteers.
Our group had two young guys willing to carry a large sack of onions and food crate for hours up the mountain. The hike up was challenging enough so Greg and I didn’t need any extra weight even if they offered a token candy bar for your troubles.
After passing two alpine lakes, the trail became much steeper and our steps became slower and shorter.
Chains and ladders were provided to climb over a steep cliff, and then we had a view of the top.
We stopped by Europe’s highest outhouse with spectacular views of the valley below.
The summit has a marked white block designating the border between Poland and Slovakia. After an hours-long ascent, there was not a better feeling than a beautiful breathtaking view from the very top.
That "on top of the world" feeling. We had finally made it to the top, now we just had the long hike back down.
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