Mountain lakes circle under the Liptov ridges

Itinerary

• From the Chata Zverovka building, follow the S mark (the asphalt) until the first road junction.
• At the junction, turn left and follow the P mark on the asphalt to the Ťatliakova chata building.
• From the building, head left on the K mark, which we follow to the next signposted crossroads (Rázcestie Smutná dolina).
• At the junction, turn right onto the Z mark, which follows along the mountain lakes to the last Roháč lake.
• From the Upper Roháč lake (Horné Roháčske pleso), head downwards following the K mark.
• At a bridge, take a right detour to the Roháč waterfall (Roháčsky vodopád), then return to the hiking trail.
• Follow the K mark down to the valley floor, and further on to the junction named Adamcuľa.
• At the Adamcuľa junction, turn left onto the P mark, which leads back to the junction before the Zverovka meadow.
• At the road junction, turn right onto the S mark, which leads back to the Chata Zverovka building.

Detailed description of the hike

Under the Roháč Mountains

The opening panorama of our hike is a rare sight in Slovakia: in the background of the long Roháč Valley (Roháčska dolina), the northern side of the main ridge of the Tatras can be seen, steeply dropping off with its majestic face. The mountain world with ice-carved cliffs rising up remains with us for the next hours, only the decorations of the valley change as we climb along the asphalt road at the bottom of the slopes.

One of the country’s most beautifully located mountain huts, Chata Zverovka’s history goes back to the 1920s, but the current building was only opened in 1951 (making it one of the oldest mountain huts in Orava). The main wooden building has a few rentable wooden cottages attached – however, the forest around them has been cut down. The popular and easily accessible mountain hut, also equipped with a restaurant, generally requires advance booking as free spaces sell out quickly. We start the hike on the asphalt, following the S mark. Alongside the meadow surrounded by dense pine forest are vast, unsightly clearings, which become even more noticeable when approaching by car from Zuberec (Bölényfalu). Much of the valley’s forest is privately owned, often by foreigners, and in the 2010s, logging here reached devastating proportions. Despite the national park status, the previously continuous forest is now carved up by massive clearcuts in the lower part of the valley; it’s worth comparing current satellite images with those from the 2000s – the difference is striking.

Still, despite the asphalt strip, we can walk in a relatively natural environment. At a junction, we turn left into dark pine forest, now following the P mark beginning a gentle but long ascent. The pine tops repeatedly provide a backdrop, then frame the pyramids of impressive mountains bordering the valley. Among them, to the right, the largest is Baníkov (Bánya Mountain), which at 2178 meters is the highest peak of the main ridge of the Liptov Tatras.

The path leaves behind a guesthouse, then a branch asphalt road to the ski center, and winds leisurely upward along the slope, moving away from the roaring creek. The forest occasionally opens beside the path, and small meadows usually contain some resting places for the fairly lively tourist traffic; there is even a buffet operating at the Šindľovec clearing. The view changes little until a new element appears: the rock giant of Hegyes-Rohács (Ostrý Roháč) towering above the trees, recognizable by the deep furrow splitting its summit and its bare dark gray granodiorite walls.

In the ice circus

Soon after, to the left appears its neighbor, Volovec, a gentle giant role with grassy slopes and a blunt shape. Behind it stretches the Slovak-Polish border and an important watershed: streams originating on its side feed the Baltic Sea via the Dunajec, and through Orava and Váh rivers, the Black Sea as well. In the final section, the avalanche-battered forest opens up, and at last the trio of ridges surrounding the cirque appear together. It’s worth turning back occasionally, as the forest-covered ridges also stand out. The asphalt ends at the Ťatliakova chata building; the modest wooden house is dramatically set against the backdrop of Hegyes-Rohács (Ostrý Roháč) and Plačlivé (Placslivo). This small accommodation, named after a pioneer of tourism in Orava, stands on the site of the Roháč mountain lodge burned down in 1963. Do not set off immediately from here, but walk behind the house where the picturesque Black Pond (Ťatliakovo jezero) lies. Its name refers to the small size and shallow basin of the pond, which is not natural but was created by damming.

From this point, the hike takes on a high mountain character but is relatively comfortable, ascending on a stone-lined, gentle path (now following the K mark) into the amphitheater deep in the Roháč mountains, whose wildlife is protected by a reserve. This was once the glacier feeding area, and ice and weathering formed the imposing, steep slopes: the cirque- or kar-valleys with their almost vertical walls drop down to the valley floor. The thinning pine forest is replaced by dwarf pines, which partly cover and "soften" the giant stone piles spread by the glacier. The low conifers play an important role above the forest zone of the alpine terrain: their branched root system grips well and protects the thin soil from erosion. In past decades, shepherds frequently burned dwarf pines intensively, but now they occupy large areas again and are sometimes even planted.

The path, following the shape of the mountain slope, turns right at the base of the cliff. A sign marks a junction where we turn right onto the Z mark, crossing an open slope and joining a creek. Only for a few meters though, as the water source soon appears: the Lower Roháč lake (Dolné Roháčske pleso) located at 1563 m, a mountain lake filling a basin carved by glacial ice, in an impressive setting. The colorful slopes covered with grass and dwarf pine patches frame the valley side with low thresholds and rocky benches alternate. The path follows the shore, and looking back from here, the silhouettes of Hegyes-Rohács and Volovec outline the water mirror. A steep but short climb follows, and from above we can admire the previously visited lake before reaching a small neighbor. A much larger third lake is only a few meters' walk away, then a longer climb awaits along the basin slopes.

Descent into the Carpathian wilderness

Turning back, the endless spectacle of alpine meadows appears: behind the mountain lakes, the ribbed slope of Volovec rises, the slopes dotted with rock fields, grass cover, and dwarf pines. From the top of the terrain step between the two small basins, the view can already reach the grim cliffs of the main ridge, and we reach the Upper Roháč lake (Horné Roháčske pleso) at 1718 m, which is the highlight of the hike. Above the water mirror, only the peak of Volovec peeks out, and downhill a steep, rocky, winding path begins (following the K mark). Following this, we say goodbye to the cliffs, soon arriving in the valley floor of the Roháč valley lined with forest where we can admire the wild Carpathian scenery. At the center of this U-shaped basin lies a basin valley, whose eastern slopes bear traces of avalanches tearing through the pine forest.

The hiking trail winds down with many turns and also passes an emerald-colored pond. At this attractive spot, we enter somewhat looser forest again, and from a nearby resting place unfolds a spectacular view of the grand main ridge of the Liptov Tatras. The pine forest soon closes, and we descend lower, following a creek, glimpsing through fallen tree groups. At a junction, crossing a bridge, we can take a mere few minutes' detour to the 18 m high Roháč waterfall (Roháčsky vodopád). This detour is definitely worth the effort, as the highest waterfall in the Liptov Tatras plunges thunderously in a paradise-like setting, spraying water all around.

Soon we reach the valley floor, where we step back onto the asphalt in the pine forest, then after a short ascent we join the P mark. This leads back along the main valley road we walked in the morning, returning to the Zverovka mountain lodge (Chata Zverovka).