Grade

This is a grade ‘C’ trek. This can be fairly challenging at times, involving some steep ascents and descents on some rough trails and there are on occasion also walking and canyon sections protected with chains or ladders. There is mountain walking involved, but anyone used to Scottish hill walking should find the tour within their capability, but we would not recommend the tour to anyone who severely suffers from Vertigo. Note that the most difficult walks are also optional.

Day Stages: The duration of walk­ing per day varies. You will normally be able to spend between 2.5 -9 hours walking each day. Some days may have optional activities you might want to try. In this case please make sure that you are covered by your insurance

Accommodation & Meals

Accommodation is supplied in cottages/hotels for 13 nights Rooms are not usually ensuite due to the nature of  the buildings. This is on a full board basis (breakfast, lunch or lunch package and dinner) except of course, lunches on your arrival and departure days.  Drinks are not included in the tour cost.

Night 1&2: Cottage Vratna in Terchova
This cottage is situated at the end of main Vratna valley in the  central part of the  national park Mala Fatra. Each room has a washbasin. Shower and toilet are on each floor. The rooms are 3 and 4 bedded. There is a restaurant in the cottage.

Night 3: Cottage Chleb
This cottage is situated on the main ridge of Mala Fatra on the south part in the zone of scrub pine and wild bilberries. Shower and toilet are on each floor. The rooms are 5 and 6 bedded – bunk beds. The typical pub and restaurant are in the style of alpine chalet. There is a mini outdoor pool for refreshment and to test your hardiness! For warming up we can taste tea with typical Slovak ‘slivovitz’ that will bring down the communication barriers of the group and a party’ a la Chleb’ can begin.

Night 4: Cottage Magura
This cottage is also situated on the main ridge of Mala Fatra, below the summit in the forest zone. Shower and toilet are on each floor. The rooms are 5 and 6 bedded – bunk beds. The cozy pub with a fireplace and friendly food servings will welcome us and will offer typical Slovakian mountain dishes.

Night 5,6,7&8: ATC Cottage Podlesok
This accommodation is situated in the autocamping area which is an optimal starting point for trekking tours. We are lodged in two cozy chalets with shower and toilet (3 rooms/10 beds). We will take meals in the typical Slovak restaurant called ‘Koliba’. The autocamping aresa has sporting placements for playing volleyball, football; it has a small natural lake, lively clubs with refreshments of all types. There is an open fireplace close to the chalets with a nice sitting area for spending long and warm summer evenings. 

Night 9&10: Mountain hotel Sliezsky dom
This is the highest situated mountain hotel in Slovakia (1676m) and lies under the rock walls of the highest peak of  the High Tatras – Gerlachovsky peak (2654 m) and on the bank of Velicke mountain lake. Rooms are 3 and 4 bedded with washbasin and shower in each room. Toilets are on each floor. Restaurant with a panoramatic view. The ‘Guidepub’ with its open fireplace, is a typical meeting point for professional mountain guides and clients who have made the ascent to Gerlachovsky peak.

Night 11&12: Mountain cottage Popradske Pleso
This cottage lies on the side of a mountain. Rooms are 5 and 6 bedded. Shower and toilet are on each of the floors. The restaurant offers various local fish specialities. We can spend evening on the patio or in the stylish club with a grill called ‘Satan’. Those who prefer more relaxation could use the sauna or massage services.

Night 13: Pension Demi
This modern pension has 2,3 and 4-bedded rooms with their own shower and toilet. Close to the pension there is a typical Slovak restaurant called ‘Koliba’ where we spend the final evening with a delicious dinner, typical drinks and dynamic gipsy live music.

Flights

The Return group flights are with British Airways London Heathrow to Vienna. Provisional timings:
Outbound:           Dept10:15–Arr.13:30
In bound:             Dept 14:15-Arr. 15:40

Optional Excursions - Prices

Some or all of the excursions detailed below may be available; others not listed may also be available. Any approximate costs given (on a per person basis unless shown otherwise) are for guidance only and dependent on the number of participants. Please make sure that your insurance covers you for any such activities.

Liptovsky Mikulas                Rafting EUR 30

Bešeová                             Thermal spa EUR 25

Liptovsky Mikulas                Cave EUR 20

Gerlach ascent                   Mountain Enquire Locally

Books & Maps

Books

High Tatra: The Finest Valley and Mountain Walks. Rother Walking Guides.

Lonely Planet. Czech and Slovak Republics

Rough Guide. The Czech and Slovak Republics

Tatras: Guidebook. Jan Lacika

Maps

Good 1:50,000 scale maps

Useful maps can also be viewed on-line at www.tatry.net

More about Slovakia: www.slovakia.com, www.slovensko.com, www.slovak.com, www.slovakia.sk, www.slovakia.org, www.heartofeurope.co.uk

Available from:
Cordee. 3A De Montfort Street, Leicester.  (tel.   0116 2543579)

Or from Stanfords, 12-14 Long Acre, London. Covent Garden.  WC2E 9LP.  (tel.  0207 836 1321).

What's NOT Included

Drinks
Optional activities (rafting, etc…).
Optional excursions (cave, thermal spas)
Medical expenses
Personal expenses and optional activities
Insurance of any kind

Outline Itinerary

The following itinerary is intended as a working guide only and is subject to variation as a result of local factors, weather conditions and group progress.

We reserve the right to alter (shorten or lengthen) any day stage should local conditions make it necessary. Especially during August, Afternoon storms may necessitate a prolonged siesta!

Day 1: Depart from London. On arrival at Vienna you will be collected and transferred to the hotel in the MalaFatra  National park. This transfer takes approx. 4 hours. At your hotel after dinner there will be a program presentation covering the tour.  From the hotel there is a nice rest spot on a terrace with a romantic view towards the main ridge of the mountains where you will be walking.

Day 2 – National park Mala Fatra – Maly Rozsutec. After breakfast we take the local bus (5 min.) to the submontane village of Stefanova, typical for its architecture and folklore tradition.  There is a gentle ascent today as our trek will lead us throughout the meadows and pasturelands full of sheep and cattle. We’ll enjoy the peaceful nature and observe shepherds’ huts where time has stood still. The real trekking begins entering the main ‘Horne diery’ canyon with lots of terraces, cascades and waterfalls waiting for us to conquer them. Especially exciting is using the support of ladders and safety chains. The crossing of the canyon is not technically exacting and it will offer us various geological and geomorphologic passages. As a reward, we will enjoy the picnic in the saddle under the peak called Rozsutec.

For more enthusiastic and fitter walkers, there is a short but intensive climb to the top of the peak of Maly Rozsutec 1343 m, seasoned with a short scrambly rock climb. A very pleasant traverse path follows along it´s bigger brother Velky Rozsutec 1610 m with lots of panoramatic views, and this will take us to an evergreen saddle. From this point we will walk down to the village Stefanova (1 hour). There, on the (usually) sunny patio we can take delight in a highly deserved refreshment.

We will spend the night in Chalet Vratna, an optimal place to rest before the next day’s ridge surprise.

Day 3 – Rising to the main ridge. The hike begins directly from our accommodation point situated right at the end of the main Vratna valley. Walking uphill through the forest brings us to a beautiful meadow and opens up a view over our first stop. At Chalet Grun, the rest place before the first steep ascent, we will enjoy a brief respite before after an hour of ascent, we reach the main ridge and then the most beautiful part of our hike begins. We will have the pleasure to admire stunning views all over the country. Picnicking in the lee of the southern slopes leaves us dreaming and enjoying the siesta. The highest point of today’s hike is the Chleb peak (1645 m). Our final Chalet Pod Chlebom is already in view from the peak, but you may not  be able to resist the juicy bilberry fields.  Chalet Pod Chlebom is known for its typical alpine atmosphere.

Day 4 – Climb to Velky Krivan peak. The highest peak of the Mala Fatra ridge is Velky Krivan. We begin the day with a gentle hike rising up to its saddle. Then we will warm ourselves up more during the steeper rise on the way to the summit of Velky Krivan (1671m). This is the main ridge of Mala Fatra provides many beautiful views over surrounding hills, valleys and villages. The descent from the ridge will lead you through the forest rich in wild berries of all kinds. During the walk we also might have the luck to see various kinds of wild animals. A day rich in experiences will be finished in the Magura mountain cottage, where you can relax and enjoy some delicious national dishes.

Day 5 – Slovak Paradise. In the morning two hours are spent descending through the dense forests from the chalet back to civilization in the form of the submontane town of Vrutky. We can relax on the express train which takes us to the town of Poprad. Also  called the capital of the High Tatras region. There should be enough time for an excursion through the town, lunch in the centre and perhaps a light siesta. We spend another 15 minutes by train that takes us to the protected national park called Slovensky raj (Slovak paradise).  There is an approx. 1-hour journey through the beautiful surroundings of typical Slovak villages. Then we go to the submontane camping area of  Podlesok, where we spend another 4 nights in cosy chalets.

Depending upon interest and on a local payment, there is also a possibility not to travel by train, but by bus with possible excursions to various showplaces such as.

Bešenová Spa: situated in an area with several springs of hot mineral water. Water rises up to the ground through a borehole from a depth of 1987 m. The water temperature is about 60 °C. You can find six swimming pools here, open the whole year. Thermal water has many healing effects on the body. Moreover it has very positive cosmetic effects.

The Demänovská Cave of Freedom is the most beautiful cave of the large system of caves in the north of the Low Tatras. It was formed in blue-grey Triassic calcites and has six floors of caverns.

Day 6 – Klastorisko - Cartesian monastery. Slovak Paradise is the youngest national park in Slovakia. We walk directly from our hotel to the river Hornad. The river has created a very original canyon valley with steep sided banks up to 200 meters high.  The Valley of the Hornad river is 16km long. The most beautiful part of the gorge is equipped with ladders, chains, bridges and stairways which will allow us to walk, up to the “Tomas viewpoint,” a  rocky terrace. It is situated on a rock 40m high and it provides a nice view all over Slovak Paradise. After this romantic break we continue through the forest back to the river and then take an easy walking path to the “Klastorisko” (monastery) - an important archaeological locality. It is the only centre of tourism inside the national park. Meadows and grass plains provide a nice place to stop and relax; we can have a look at ruins of the 14^th Century Cartesian monastery from. We can then return through another canyon called  “Kysel”.

Day 7 – Roundtrip through canyon. Canyon “Sucha Bela” awaits us today. It is shorter, not difficult trekking within a secret world of waterfalls, water cascades and rocky terraces. The walking path is well secured by wooden and iron bridges, chains and ladders – for trekkers there is a lot of beauty to look forward to. We rise steeply at the end of the canyon in order to reach the border of a beautiful karst plain. The descent to the village called “Podlesok” is nice and without any extreme passages. In the evening we may sit around a fireplace enjoying roasted Slovak bacon and sausages together with a bottle of the original local beer.

Day 8 – Spirit of adventure. This day may require a spirit of adventure because it’s a day full of challenges, conquering the ravines and enjoying the magnificent plateaus. In the most beautiful ravine called Sokol, there is the longest cascade waterfall waiting for us. It´s called Zavojovy vodopad (Veil waterfall) and it´s 65 m long.  A potentially ambitious crossing through the mysterious world of cascades, waterfalls and ravines is well secured with wooden and iron ladders, chains and footboards. Those who are hardier can swim off the weariness of the ‘all challenging day’ in Lake Jazero Zlatokopov  (Lake of gold miners).

Day 9 – Entering the Alps. Today we move over to the High Tatras., enjoying enroute the stunning views of the rocky mountain crests  during the train journey. The Tatra´s railway brings us directly below the  mountains to the alpine village of Tatranska Polianka. The village is one of the oldest Tatra settlements and it lies at a height of 1005 m. Today’s destination is the ascent to the alpine hotel of Sliezsky dom at 1670 m. It is the highest situated alpine hotel in the Tatras. The hike ascends gradually and leads us mostly through spruce forest. The Hotel is situated right below majestic Gerlach, the highest Slovak peak, 2654 m high. After dinner we can walk around Velicke pleso (Velicke mountain lake) or sit for a while in the mountain guide’s pub.

Day 10  -  Ascent to Vychodna Vysoka mountain. We wake up in beautiful alpine surroundings, ready for the  ascent of Vychodna Vysoka (2428 m). It´s a unique opportunity to get to know the attractive Velicka valley. Right above Velicke mountain lake there is a first level of a terraced valley with the Velicky waterfall 15 metres high. The footpath rises on a rolling stone field, up to the saddle of the Polish ridge (2200 m). The name of the saddle is pertinent to the past, as the path was used by smugglers to and from Poland. The short but steep ascent from the saddle to Mount Vychodna Vysoka should present us with a beautiful panoramatic view. Then we will turn back the same way to our hotel.

Day 11  – Main traverse path trek. The traverse trek begins from Batizovske Mountain lake and leads us up to the Popradske Mountain lake. Following the main path of the Tatranska Magistrala which traverses the lower slopes of the entire Tatras range, we pass Batizovske mountain lake after an hour and continue to gain height to gain a fine viewpoint (2000m). Here we can look across the Slovak plains and back towards the peaks. Great viewpoints are common along this path and the scenery is beautiful. There follows a steep hour-long descent to the Hut at Popradske Mountain lake (1500m). This is a recently refurbished alpine style mountain hut, with another lovely, lakeside location, surrounded by pine forest and spiky dramatic peaks. For those looking for an easy afternoon, one possibility is the easy stroll around the lake to a symbolic cemetery for Slovakian mountaineers killed in the Tatras and around the world. Hidden in the forest and overlooked by a small chapel, there are crosses and name plaques affixed to boulders. Those looking for a longer afternoon walk can ascend the Mengusovska Valley northwards to the viewpoint peak of Koprovsky Stit  (2363m.) This is a 4-hour round trip.

Day 12 -  Ascent to Rysy. Today we climb to Rysy (2499 m), the 3rd highest mountain in the Tatras. The walk up to Rysy peak is the most popular and most frequently visited tour in the area. There is a lot of local history surrounding this peak as it borders Poland. We set off from Popradske Mountain Lake. After half an hour of walking paths we leave the valley and follow a marked trail which leads up into a dramatic rocky landscape. We enter a zone of mountain pine where we will start a curvy steep walk through the Žabia valley. There are nice mountain lakes situated on the lower valley terrace. There are sections of scree and boulders and some easy scrambling with chain hand rails. It takes a total of 3 to 4 hours to reach the Rysy Hut (2250m.), the highest in the range. Even today the hut is supplied only by mountain backpack carriers who we can meet on the way. This is a good place to stop for coffee before continuing for a further hour to the summit. The upper bowl above the hut can also hold some snow throughout the summer months. After enjoying the views, which extend across the Tatras and down into Poland, we descend via the same route in 3 hours.

Day 13  - Walk out to  Štrbske pleso. Today we will take leave of the beautiful mountain peaks and walk down to the highest situated village in Slovakia, Štrbske pleso. This village is the center of both summer and winter sporting activities and was a candidate for the winter Olympic games 2006. We will spend an evening in a typical Slovak wooden cottage tasting special Slovak meals and enjoying  an original party atmosphere with live gipsy music.

Day 14 – Today you will be transferred back to Vienna for the afternoon flight back to London. The drive takes approx 4 hours.