Three alpine hikes in the Tatras

From Starý Smokovec via Hrebienok. We take off our jackets quickly. There has been a decent frost in the Czech Republic for the last fortnight, but here it is only a few degrees below zero and the sun is washing. When we walk on Téry, we go halfway, ie who. Then comes the shadow and the gust of wind and suddenly everything is different. Téry's cottage. The second hour in the afternoon and we can't catch up with lunch (those pears at Zámkovského chata …), we continue straight to the saddle so that we don't come to Brnčálka in the dark. The ascent to Baranie saddle will take us quite a while, we already have 1,300 meters of elevation gain at our feet at that time, and not everywhere is the road paved. Snow in the form of crusts. Too bad, but how else when it's not snowing. Down the north trough, it might be better and it really is, but only a little. Anyway, a great 700 meters downhill.

When the crust and diffusion are there, riding is not a complete pleasure, but again you can think about what will be at Brnčálka for dinner.

There are more of us in the morning, who dig up horns on Baranie, ski alpinists and „squeezers“ about half and half, don't go there without cats and it's good to have harshayers on skis. In the upper gutter, you will probably attach your skis to your backpack, because in such a steep narrow slope, „zigzag“ is no longer worthwhile and honestly you can't go much. You have a couple in the saddle and you will descend to Téry's cottage in a few minutes. Part of our expedition disconnects there and goes straight down, the other three of us will still climb 350 altitude meters to Priečna, which is really worth it, because the descent from there is fantastic. The hard mules at the top quickly disappear and then we just draw a wavy line all the way to the Cold Valley. The ride on the forest trail, who knows it, is a real zigzag and one thrills with enthusiasm, but does not move on the toboggan run from Hrebienok, where he gets a foot massage from the „wavy lines“ on the route. But it is almost down and has a blissful feeling of satisfaction from the whole day.

It's a nice 350 meters of ascent, somewhere about 150 meters below the saddle I lost a harshayn, why I leave something in every mountain …

The ascent is definitely worth it, the descent from Priečné sedlo is equal to the alpine freerides.

The third day was more of a rest, the sun was shining full again and there were crowds of tourists on Hrebienok. We quickly avoided them until the turn to the blue, where there is a warning that you are coming to the avalanche area and you have to turn on the beeper, from here the „traffic“ was already in order. We didn't climb all the way to the dizziness saddle, we didn't want to. Along the way, we looked out for ice falls and speculated about climbing. Exit through the Great Cold Valley and late lunch in Smokovec, return to Bohemia.

It was really warm just outside Zbojnická chata and we were there alone.

Otherwise the leg above is not mine ;-)