High above, the rock eagle may be seen hovering, then perhaps swooping down on its unsuspecting prey.
Sub-nival zone (above 2300m)
The very highest part of the High Tatras is called the sub-nival (‘below the snowline’) zone, that is, below the level where snow always exists (of course, in this area, that only occurs close to the highest summits). Even at this altitude a wide variety of very tough species can be found if you look carefully, such as mosses, lichens, and in summer the glacier gentian.
Among the fauna, birds of prey are predominant, especially eagles, yet even among the rocks such creatures as ermine, snow-vole and species of mountain mice may be hiding. Some lower areas in the north-facing Polish High Tatras, where snow always exists, are in effect ‘sub-nival’ – in particular Kociol Mięguszowiecki to the south of Morskie Oko, the big tarn in the southeast corner.
Weather
As in all mountain ranges, one thing you can be sure of in the Tatras is that the weather will be changeable. The High Tatras are even more exposed to climatic changes than most other ranges, because of their comparatively small area and great elevation at the heart of Europe, and the weather in the mountains may be completely different from that in the surrounding plains.
Summer is a short season in the mountains – from the beginning of July to the end of August. The Tatras experience high precipitation, which may fall as snow on higher ground. July and especially August are generally the warmest months, but as usual in mountains the hotter the weather the greater the likelihood of thunderstorms – the areas in Slovakia around Veľka Svišťovka, and in Poland around Giewont, Morskie Oko and Czerwone Wierchy, are particularly prone to thunderstorms between noon and 2pm.
The average daytime temperature in the mountain resorts in summer is 20–22°C (68–72°F), but it may be much cooler first thing in the morning and in the late evening.
It is often the case in summer that there are blue skies in the morning, a gathering of clouds during the late morning and early afternoon, followed by a heavy downpour and perhaps a thunderstorm, then the blue skies return in the evening. Do not let this weather pattern detract from the enjoyment of a day’s excursion, but allow for it in the plan. Be ready to set off early on a fine morning, so that you can either be back in the village when the storm breaks, or enjoy an extended lunch in a hospitable chalet.
In late June and early July you can expect to find some paths blocked by snow for short stretches, but in most cases walkers will have trodden a path across it.
Autumn is the best season for many walkers, from the end of August to mid October, when the weather is more settled, warmer than in spring, the air is clear and crisp, and the walking is delightful – albeit sometimes restricted by early snow at higher levels. The average daytime temperature in the resorts is 10–12°C (50–54°F), but it should be warmer at the end of August and beginning of September.
Winter walking (November to March) can be invigorating and charming, providing you take necessary precautions – see ‘Winter walking’, page 59.
Spring is not generally a good time for walking in mountains. In late March and April there is a high risk of avalanches. In May and early June the lower routes are awash from melting snow.
In Slovakia the higher routes are closed from 1 November until 15 June, to protect hibernating animals during the winter, and baby wild animals being reared in spring. In Poland there is no formal closure period, but in practice some routes are impassable at times – you can check at the national park information office on the way to Kuźnice, or at the huts where entry fees are collected. In this book, an indication is given for each route as to whether it is likely to be open or closed during this period.
Avalanche warnings are posted when necessary at the start of walking routes. In Poland a grading system applies, ranging from Level 1 (slight) to Level 5 (severe). Obviously if there is danger of an avalanche you should avoid that area.
Weather forecasts in English are available online for the whole area, for example at accuweather.com or weather.com, or from your hotel reception. Or you may prefer to get a weather app for your smartphone. If you’re planning a long day in the mountains, it would be advisable to double-check at a national park office as local conditions can vary.
Please read ‘Mountain safety and emergency services’, page 54, regarding wind chill and altitude factors.
National parks
The whole of the High and White Tatras ranges, as well as most of the Western Tatras, are included in the Tatransky Národny Park (TANAP) in Slovakia, or the Tatrzański Park Narodowy (TPN) in Poland (both mean Tatras National Park). Established in 1949 (Slovakia) and 1954 (Poland), the two organisations on either side of the border work closely together to protect the natural environment and provide facilities for rest and enjoyment. Together they cover approximately 730sq km, of which 70% lies in Slovakia, 30% in Poland.
Most facilities you will use while walking in the Tatras are provided by the national park authorities: path building and maintenance, waymarking, nature trails, guides and wardening.
As in all national parks, there are strict prohibitions to protect the environment. These are really just common sense, and would be followed as a matter of normal practice by all readers of this guide, but for the record you are forbidden to: walk away from the waymarked routes, or take short cuts on bends; pick flowers, mushrooms or fruits of the forest; break off branches; set up tents anywhere except in designated campsites; light fires; swim or use boats anywhere except places specified for these activities; leave litter; damage or remove any notices or waymarks. Failure to observe these very sensible rules may result in a heavy fine. See the Mountain Code and Visitors’ Charter in Appendix E.
National park rangers in both Slovakia and Poland wear a green uniform and a badge, which in Slovakia bears the words ‘Strážca Tanapu’ (TANAP Ranger), and in Poland an edelweiss emblem. Mountain rescue personnel and guides wear red sweaters bearing the blue cross mountain rescue badge.
The administrative headquarters of the Slovak TANAP is in Tatranská Lomnica, in a modern building 500m east of the railway station. It also contains a research institute and an interesting museum, which displays various aspects of life in the park. The reception counter sells a range of maps and guides in English (including a guide leaflet to the museum), and there is an audio-visual display in the morning and afternoon. There is also a TANAP office in Tatranská Štrba. The headquarters of the mountain rescue service in the Slovak Tatras is in Starý Smokovec.
In Poland the headquarters of TPN and mountain rescue are at Kuźnice, on your left as you approach the cable-car station. They also run an information office and small museum, easily recognised by its impressive carved wooden colonnades, beside the roundabout at the foot of the approach road (Rondo Jana Pawła II).
Languages
English is becoming more widely spoken as a result of the increase in English-speaking visitors, and because children are learning it at school. Even so, it will help visitors to have an understanding of the Polish and Slovak languages, the pronunciation of place names and the meaning of some words.
Both are descended from Old Slavonic, which was almost universally spoken by Slav peoples until the Middle Ages, and there are still many similarities between the two languages. Slovak is also very similar to Czech, but there are some subtle and some substantial differences.
The pronunciation of Slav languages can be very difficult for English speakers. Some words appear impossible to pronounce, with far too few vowels, or even none at all, in relation to the number of consonants, especially in Polish, where the faint-hearted may give up halfway through the