A world of chained rock - over the Red Tower Pass

Itiner

• From Tarajka (Hrebienok) follow the Z sign to the Bilík Refuge (Bilíková chata) to the junction near the stream (Rázcestie nad Dlhým vodopádom).
• From the fork, take a short detour downhill on the S sign to the Dlhý vodopád (Dlhý waterfall) and then back to the fork.
• Follow the Z sign to the fork next to the Tarpataki waterfalls (Vodopády Studeného potoka).
• From the fork, continue straight ahead on the K sign to the fork behind the Rainerova útulňa (Rainerova útulňa ) (Rázcestie nad Rainerovou chatou).
• From this junction, take the P signpost up to the Zamkovského chata (Zamkovského chata).
• From the shelter, follow the Z sign through the Malá Studená dolina (Little valley of the Tatras) to the Téryho chata (Téryho chata).
• From the Téry shelter, follow the S sign through the Priečne sedlo (Red Tower Pass) to the Zbojnícka chata (Long Lake Shelter).
• From the Zbojnícka chata (Zbojnícka chata), descend on K to the junction near the Rainerovou chatou (Rázcestie nad Rainerovou chatou).
• From the fork, turn right on the P sign to Hrebienok.

Detailed description of the hike

Zuhatagfüfüze under the orms

The hike starts from the cable car station in Tarajka (Hrebienok) on the Z sign. From the wide road you can enjoy a literally picturesque view of the side of the Lomnici peak, as this is the very landscape painted by Tivadar Csontváry Kosztka. After a few bends, you reach the Bilíková chata (Bilíková chata), a 19th-century manor house. It was built near Tarpatakfüred at the end of the 19th century after it burnt down in 1927. The former Rose House was replaced in the 1930s by the elongated (and in the distanceGuhr Refugee House, built by the chief doctor of Traseplak and named after him, was built in the 1930s and was the first of the two buildings to be built in the area. After World War II, it was named after the ski racer and partisan Pavol Bilík. The building, with its romantic location and wood panelling, is nowadays a service centre with a higher standard than a tourist chalet.It is a typical mountain hotel (horský hotel), offering a range of services that is much higher than those offered by tourist hotels, including dining. The path narrows behind the house and winds down over stony ground to the deep babbling brook Studený potok.

At a fork, turn right on the S sign and take a short detour to Dlhý vodopád), which is the lower part of the longest waterfall system in the High Tatras and can be admired from a chain-protected rock ledge. Returning to the fork, this time follow the Z sign straight on through a small patch of forest to reach the other side of theon the other side, you will see the 13-metre-long, fragmented rock staircase of the Veľký vodopád (Veľký Waterfall). From here, the K sign leads gently uphill to the granite slide of the Malý vodopád (Small Waterfall).from where you turn to the neat and usually bustling stone building of Rainerova útulňa. Standing in the middle of a ruined patch of forest, it now serves as a simple snack barInside, a rich collection of artefacts tells the story of the Tatra's history of packing and climbing. The house is a testimony to a great era, as it was the first shelter on the southern side of the High Tatras: it was built in 1865 by János György Rainer, the tenant of Tátrafüred at the time. Nearly 20 years later, the Chata Kamzík (Chamzík Chalet) was built next to it, and from then on the hut was used as its warehouse. (The chalet was demolished in 1980 due to its poor condition.)

Within metres, the K sign connects with the tourist path that forks here, leading to the two upper branches of the Tarpataki Valley. You will arrive at the end of the day on the left, now take the P sign to the right, crossing the stream on a bridge. At the foot of the Zadný Oštep, we climb the Upper tourist path, the Tatranská Magistrálatrunk, which was built in the 1930s by reconstructing and connecting earlier trails. The neat stone blocks covering the path were rotated into place by manual and mechanical force to ensure the trail would stand the test of time and withstand the elements. From a bridge, you can see how the Malý Studený potok (Little Tar Creek) has been tilted to fit the rocky terrainObrovský vodopád (Obrovský Waterfall), which falls at an angle down the rock face in a 20-metre cascade. A little further up, you come to the Malá Studená dolina (Little Tarpataki Valley), and at about the same level you reach the walk past huge granite boulders to reach the higher part of the mountain. And with that, the view arrives, looking deep into the majestic Veľká Studená dolina (Great Tarpataki Valley), spreading out beneath a jagged rock face. We are at the level of the meeting of two glaciers, as the Great Tarpataki Valley is longer and more pronouncedThe glacier of the Little Tarpataki Valley joined it at this point. The main valley (opposite) and the hanging valley (on the way) were thus carved and widened by a thick ice flow, while in the Greater Tarpataki Valley the moving ice flow was The top of the valley is marked by the vertical rock faces of the valley side.

In one of the most beautiful valleys of the High Tatras

In a clearing in a pine forest, the pleasant-looking Zamkovského chata (Zamkovského chata) stands in the foreground of a picturesque setting. Cosy inside and out, the timber-clad building is unique on the Slovakian side with its exterior and wooded surroundings. It was built in 1943 by the mountain guide and mountaineer István Zamkovszky, who had previously been the porter and later the co-tenant of the Téry hut. During the dark decades of socialism, the eponym was evicted from the house.and even exiled from the High Tatras, Zamkovszky became the new Zamkovszky.The property, which is still theirs today, was returned to Zamkszky's descendants, who also took it back to other Slovakian shelters.and, like other shelters in other shelters in Slovakia, it is run on a tenant system by a caretaker (who has been in charge since 1996). In the kitchen, they prepare the usual Tatra dishes, but as there is a long way to go, it is not worth lingering.

Turning onto the Z sign, you wind through dense pine woods to the Malý Studený potok (Little Tar stream), where you can see the mini hydroelectric power station serving the tourist house a short distance upstream. It's not long before we're winding through the spruce, the steep path soon emerging into the dense dwarf pine forest and the landscape reveals itself: we are in one of the greenest, and many would say most beautiful, valleys on the southern side of the High Tatras. The huge cones of debris that have merged along the edge of the glacier-covered, U-shaped valley are largely covered by theThe landscape is green beneath the dark granodiorite of the vertical rocky ledges towering over 2,000 metres. Opposite, a huge wall hides the 'starting point' of the glacier, the speckled caldera of the Szepesi-Ot Lake, with a ribbon of waterfall glistening on its front. Below the dramatic rocky staircase, the 'run-off' glacier has flattened the valley with greater force, and since then the narrow depression at the bottom of the valley has been aand the sediment from the meandering stream, slowing at the base of the torrent, has filled and levelled the valley floor. We are now approaching the lake wall, on top of which sits the Téry Refuge. The comfortable path has been arranged by the Tatra Department of the Hungarian Tourist Association, and the tourist house is located on the top of the hill.The narrowest parts were widened by blasting to accommodate the pack horses.

The stones, arranged in a pavement-like pattern, make fast progress until the tourist path reaches the 200 m high lake wall, the Köat the base of the hill and begins to climb a steep gradient. The trail is well-maintained and well-marked, even between the capitals of the boulders.It is easy to walk along, and you can also cling to chains below the waterfall if the water flow is high. The view from the Veľký svah (Great Catcher) is spectacular, with a view of the entire Little Tarpataki Valley, and the end of the valley.However, the many bends lead to a small rocky desert where another serpentine climb begins on the debris cone of Malý svah. On the threshold of the lake wall, at an altitude of 2000 m, the Téryho chata (Téryho chata) massif is reached.v stone building and the Päť Spišských plies (Spišských plies). This is a much more desolate world than before, with nothing but craggy masses of rock and black orms of dizzying height filling and surrounding the canton. The Téryho chata, at an altitude of 2015 m, is a reminder of this world.Its sturdy stone walls ('made of boulders blasted from the granite flesh of the valley') and simple shape blend into this setting. This has been largely preserved since its handover in the summer of 1899, with a few minor modifications and additions (e.g. the "bell tower", the "bell tower", the "bell tower", the "bell tower", etc.). the terrace), it has not been altered in a century.

The house was built by the Selmecbánya doctor and pioneer of organised nature walks in Hungary, Téry Ödön, but the work could only start a little later, after the Hungarian Tourist Association was founded. The construction was organised by the Budapest Department, so the building was originally planned to be called the Budapest House, but was eventually named after the MTE President (against his will). Although the tenant with hunting rights in the valley (Miklós Szontagh) objected to the choice of location, he saidn, saying that the lack of tourists would make the zerg disappear, but fortunately he was unable to impose his will. Since the building materials had to be transported somehow, in addition to the stones, the work was superhuman: According to the plans of the chief architect, Gedeon Majunke, a materials warehouse was set up in Tarajka, one (a worker'sThe construction of one at Tarajka, and one at Tüzelőkő, which was located somewhere near the present-day forest boundary of the Little Tarpataki Valley. (The firestones were overhanging rocks used as shelters before the construction of the tourist huts, under which several of which were converted into what were essentially huts with walls and doors.) The building materials were transported to the latter point by horse and then carried on by day labourers. The shelter has been renovated several times since then, and today it sleeps 24 people in 3 rooms (the dining room floor, of course, isand its kitchen is a good place to eat before heading off on the most exciting part of the trek.

In the ice circus lodge

In front of the house, looking around, you can see the Lomnici peak, the second highest peak in the mountains (and in the Carpathians), above the drop-off of the lake wallon the top of the Lomnica hill, while on the other side of the valley stands the pyramid of the Prostredný hrot (Prostredný Hill), first climbed by Téry (1876). Looking at the building from the Lomnici peak, the following target can be seen on the ridge in the backgroundThe next point of interest is the Priečne sedlo (Red Tower Pass), recognisable by its notch in the rocky ridge. As you continue along the S sign, you are surrounded by the most rugged face of the High Tatras: a huge, ice-formed rocky crag (Five Lakes Canyon / Kotlina Piatych spišských plies) lies beneath the jagged ridges, with five sea stars glistening in it. This was the 'cradle' of the glacier, where more snow accumulated than melted in glacial conditions over a hundred thousand years. The snow cover, which gradually turned to bone snow, grew thicker and thicker, and the glacier that formed was still forming.A huge, slow-moving ice flow from the glacier started to break through the lake wall and widen the valley. The upper katlan, or circus valley, was mainly widened by ice-induced fragmentation, while the lower part was slightly rippled by the ice sheet. Sea ice formed at the overdeepened points after the glacier melted at the end of the last glaciation, approximately 8-10,000 years ago.

The hiking trail leads steeply up to the wall of the caldera, with chains helping you over a higher staircase. We look over the top of the lodge, then take a sharp right turn and face the Middle Passage for the first time.p-orom, then we turn into the neighbouring, smaller valley head on a huge sea of frost-crusted stone. On the barren rubble slope the path is well-walked but requires some attention, and to the left you can see aTo the left, the pass looks really close - you can spot hikers climbing up the wall. The hiking trail, with a serpentine road at the end of the valley, leads to the Sedielko Pass, under which the KéModré pleso, the highest permanent lake in the mountain range (2157 m). But you can't see it, because you follow the S sign and turn back to the rubble slope on the other side, where you have to climb a long and arduous slope.The path, which in places has become almost a staircase, leads under the Priečne sedlo (Red Tower Pass).

At the same time, a rough rock face with iron chains hanging from it emerges from under the rubble. Running parallel to the chain road is the first via ferrata of the High Tatras, opened in 2021 (it is one-way, uphill from here, and does not require a ferrata set). Several chains hang side by side, traditionally the ones on the left are downhill, the ones on the right are uphill the uphill ones (as the pass can be climbed in both directions). The hiking trail leads along a relatively indented, sloping rock face, so the steps are easy for experienced hikers and the exposure is bearable even with slight bouldering. Climbing up the side of a rocky trough, the chains help you move more briskly, andand provide a secure, yet flexible, "personalised" grip for climbing. At one point, you have to climb ladder rungs hammered into the smoothing wall, but at several points, fragmented ledges provide a resting place along the way. In the meantime, it's worth looking back: the view of the stone-lined chapel below Lomnici Peak is spectacular. Past the rocky spur of the Little Majunke Tower (Priečna vežička), you reach the pass, a ridge thinned almost to a razor-thin point. By this time of the day, the clouds in the Veľká Studená dolina (Veľká Studená Valley) have a good chance of having rolled in, obscuring the nearby towers. The 2352 m high Red Tower Pass has been used by zebra hunters since time immemorial (their presence is indicated by the Vadász-slope / Strelecké polia), but hikers also crossed it relatively early, in 1846, while iron chains were first installed in 1934.

Zergelesen on the rocky waves of the rocky sea

If you're lucky and the view is clear, you can scan even more desolate terrain than the chalets around the Téry Refuge. Opposite you is a huge, gloomy and sharply indented rocky ridge, with the meadow just below.The valley slopes down to the valley below, and on its upper steps, just a little greenery peeps out from under the rubble. The hiking trail joins the ferrata at this point, but you can also descend to the left in the crumbly ditch (clinging to chains). Once down the iron stiles, it is worth taking the ferrata, whose wires and well-placed metal steps make for a relatively comfortable ride over the uncomfortable terrain. True, it's the steeper option, but at least it's less stumbling. After struggling down the short, secured section, we cross the Great TarpatakiThe valley is, if possible, even more barren than before. The path, which winds its way through the rocky waves of the sea, leads to the shores of the Sivé plesofrom the pass, there's a good chance of seeing marmots and zerget, which are primarily found in this rugged terrain.

In more and more places, the coniferous grasslands are emerging from under the rocky carpet, and we also pass through small and large sea grasslands. Of all the valleys in the Tatras, this is the one with the most(more than 20), but they are generally small and shallow. After a long march through the mounds of bumpy terrain carved by the accumulated ice, we arrive at the end of a long and steep descent.The Zbojnícka chata (Long Lake Refuge) is a small, puritanical building, in keeping with the harsh conditions of the valley head. Inside, a dining room and a fast-paced kitchen offering the usual food and drinks provide a refreshing respite, and the house's rooms areThe house's 16 rooms and attic mattress accommodation sleeps 20 people all year round (of course you can also sleep in the dining room if the house is full). The Slovakian name is also known as the Robbers' House, but it was not taken up by anyone other than the chamois and poachers, and the name is used to describe the house.The origin of the name is unclear (it may have come from a former caretaker who was aware of the inhospitable winter conditions of the building, or from the name of the nearby seaside hamlets). Its history dates back to 1907, when a small hunting lodge was built here, which was opened to hikers in 1910.In 1924, the largest Czechoslovak tourist association (KČST) converted it into a classic tourist lodge (with an extension). Since then, of course, it has been renovated several times, and in 1998 it burnt down, but was rebuilt by the end of the following year. (The Tatras truck race, the Sherpa Rally, was part of this, as the competitors that year carried building materials to the site.)

On the waterway to the forest

From the house, signpost K shows the way down. At the first bends, you can often see the gentle inhabitants of the rocky hills, the zergs. They have been present in the mountain range since the last ice age, and due to the isolation of the Tatra Mountains, the population has developed into a separate subspecies (Tatra chamois). Their numbers (counted twice a year) are nowadays stable at just over 1,000, which is a significant production potential.In the early 2000s, only 160 individuals escaped from the national park. This is when winter feeding started, but the closure of the high mountain hiking trails and winter closures are also an important factor: This begins during the mating season, when females are only briefly ready for the approach of males and the post-mating period is a time when the males are not ready to mate.This is because cubs, which arrive in May and are learning to move, can easily suffer accidents in the first few weeks. The critically endangered species is highly sensitive to disturbance during both periods, so it is important to keep them away from the young.However, be aware that they are always frightened by sudden movements. They are herbivores that move in packs, and their adults are mainly at risk from lynx and wolves, while their young can even be at risk from birds of prey.

The hiking trail takes you past the tiny Dljé pleso (Long Lake), revealing the fate of the sea otters: rock debris fills up these lakes relatively quickly, making them short-lived in geological terms. On rocky terrain, past a small gully, then into dwarf pines, we struggle down the first major terrain staircase. The path turns left at another "old" sea stump and descends steeply to Veľký Studený potok (Veľký Studený potok). Here the landscape is covered in a blanket of greenery, with the huge escarpment of the Middle Spit looming over the vegetation opposite. Crossing a bridge and crossing a tiring, rocky (and in winter conditions briefly chained)down a steep slope into the dwarf pine-covered scree slopes, where the valley floor gradually flattens out. After another stream crossing, there is one last small serpentine, then we reach the forest zone and cut through wild pine forest. But this doesn't last long, as the 2004 windstorm devastated a huge area of the valley mouth, destroying the pine forest and the remaining trees were attacked by the overgrown marmot. The next generation of trees is already growing up among the dry stumps, but until they grow up, we can once again witness the merging of the two Tarpataki valleys. When you reach the junction in the morning, turn right on the P sign. On an unobstructed footpath, you can walk level across the slope of the Nagyszalóki peak and back to Tarajka, the upper station of the cable car.