Holiday Info

My alarm rings at five in the morning. A full-day traverse of the Low Tatras awaits me, so I need to set off early. To be honest, I wake up ten minutes before it goes off - the tropical night has taken its toll, and sleep has been largely symbolic.

Despite the heat, I am looking forward to the hike. The preparations for leaving, however, once again follow the usual pattern: I have twenty minutes until departure, and in the end I almost sprint to the first stop. Before I even set foot on the hiking trail, a little transport logistics awaits me. From the housing estate in Banská Bystrica, I take a trolleybus to the railway station, then a train to Podbrezová and finally a bus to Krpáčovo.

The bus leaves Podbrezová at 6:30, and at exactly seven in the morning I am already standing at the Črmné stop in Krpáčovo. This is where my journey to Jasná begins.

On the way, the locals talk about a mother bear with cubs that was apparently moving right beside the hiking trail. It is not exactly the most reassuring information at the start of a hike, but my determination to spend the whole day in the mountains is stronger.

Morning ascent from Krpáčovo

I already know the first part of the route as far as Bosorky, the rocks above the dwarf-pine belt below Vajskovská Skalka. I went there a week earlier so that I could avoid unnecessary wandering today. Despite my concerns, the route is well marked.

The first hour passes pleasantly. I walk along a churned-up channel in a dense, dark forest, where around every bend you expect something to move. To be on the safe side, I occasionally clack my hiking poles together. Perhaps it helps :) or perhaps it merely gives me a greater sense of security. In any case, I feel as though I walk faster with them.

After another hour, I meet the first people: two shepherds, around a hundred sheep and three dogs. I greet them politely and continue on. The shepherds are not particularly talkative, which actually suits me at that moment. The morning silence of the mountains has a charm of its own.

Via Žiarske sedlo to Bosorky

The next part takes me to Žiarske sedlo and then to Bosorky beyond it, where I plan to take a short break. I do indeed arrive there at 9:25. From this point on, I continue along a route that I am walking for the first time.

The climb to Bosorky is quite demanding. Looking towards Vajskovská Skalka, it may seem that the remaining ascent will not be so substantial, but appearances are deceptive. The path is pleasant and free of technical obstacles, yet the climb takes effort. It takes me another hour and a half or so to reach Skalka.

Along the way, I am accompanied by views of Chabenec and Ďurková on the opposite side, as I later confirm on the hiking map. Even then, I know that I will definitely head there one day.

After four hours, I reach the main point of my route: Vajskovská Skalka, at an elevation of 1,980 metres above sea level. Throughout the morning, apart from the two shepherds, I have met almost no one. That soon changes. A view opens before me of Chopok and the main ridge of the Low Tatras, followed by the red-marked E8 hiking trail. In fine weather, it is considerably busier.

On the main ridge of the Low Tatras

After a short break at Vajskovská Skalka, I continue on. I take photographs almost constantly. The colours are vivid, the valleys steep and the path in places so narrow that some sections command real respect. It takes me about an hour to get from Skalka to the main ridge.

I pause for a moment at the signpost near Kotliská. If I turned left from here, I would be on Chabenec in roughly 45 minutes. My steps, however, lead to the right - towards Chopok.

Because the weather is excellent, the number of people on the ridge increases noticeably. Most of the hikers I meet are Polish. At first, I greet almost everyone, but after a while I give up and save my greetings for those who seem friendly.

I gradually cross Krížske sedlo, which I recognise mainly by two wooden slats nailed together in the shape of a cross, and continue across Poľana to its saddle.

A dilemma at Poľana saddle

At the saddle, I have a decision to make: continue via Dereše to Chopok and descend from there by cable car, or choose the descent through the Tri Vody valley to Vrbické pleso?

Time makes the decision. I want to catch the 15:10 bus from Liptovský Mikuláš. In the end, the second option appeals to me more - the descent through Tri Vody seems more adventurous.

I take a break of about twenty minutes at the saddle. I replenish my energy, enjoy the views and gather strength for the final part of the route, which should take another two hours or so.

I thoroughly enjoy the first third of the descent. The path winds down in attractive switchbacks, and the surrounding landscape feels well preserved and peaceful. It is a pleasant contrast to some parts of Demänovská Dolina, where windstorms and development have left visible marks.

I descend beside a mountain stream that accompanies me for almost the entire way. At first I walk slowly, but during the final thirty minutes my pace turns into a light jog. After all, I do not want to miss the bus.

Beyond the Tri Vody signpost, the path becomes gentler and stonier. Large rocks form natural steps, and descending them goes surprisingly well.

Arrival in Jasná

Eventually, I reach Vrbické pleso. I catch the bus from the terminus in Demänovská Dolina by Hotel Grand with ten minutes to spare.

The entire route, including two twenty-minute breaks, took me about seven hours. I am tired but satisfied. It was a long day, but it was definitely worth it.

The bus journey from Liptovský Mikuláš to Banská Bystrica passes quickly. An hour and a half later, I am home again, and the question that almost always follows a good hike is already slowly forming in my mind: where next?