Part 1

Part 2.

Third day. Adventurous. Having been impressed by the previous day successes I painted a big route Tatranska Lomnica – by hoist up to Skalnate Pleso, by red path to Sedlo pod Svistovkou – by red path to Chata pri zelenom plese – by yellow path along Dolina zelenogo plesa – by green path and by blue one back, up to the hoist station Skalnate Pleso. Duration according to the map equaled 6 hours. It became true. The first strip from the hoist represented a calm rise, along stone steps for the most part. The path was wonderful it was possible to move quickly and with easies. On the other side of the saddle a steep descent along streamer started. Comfortable and safe foot steps were built in the rock, it was not difficult to descend but when I looked down – “Mama Mia!” Downwards there was an extremely pictorial green valley with a big lake and a cabin near it. Red path led me to the cabin, then I turned to a yellow one, that in first half an hour represented excellent wide road, going down, than it became worse, like sharply paved carriage way. In hour and a half I turned to the right to a very short green path, then once more to the right to a blue one. There was the place where I felt it became difficult. I had to go for 45 minutes up through wood zone along much degraded path, blocked up with large cobblestones. It was necessary to look underfoot attentively. In the mountains, somehow or other, you had to look underfoot, to the place where you were going to make a step. I didn't manage to enjoy amenities without stopping. Especially difficult was to go in wood zones, as stone paths, laid to soft ground in distant 80-s years, had been degraded and intertwined with roots of trees long ago. Deed of Slovak members' of the Komsomol that built the Tatrsnsky National Park was beyond of power of today Slovakia . But on the other hand that were some traces of keeping and restoring damaged paths. Along my blue path I went up above wood zone and came to low pine bushes. There was not mush soil, the path was put straight to rock foundation and remained much better. At the moment the whole neighborhood was seen. I walked up to the hoist for 45 minutes more, and reached the finish of my route.

The fourth day. An also the fifth and the sixth I would like to name “the days of pure pleasure”. Having believed in my forces, I began to plan easily long routes on the basis of 6-7 hours of walking. An inhabitant appeared, he recommended me several routes. Thus, as a route for the 4 th day I chose following one: by hoist up to Skalnate Pleso, 50 minutes of even going along red path Tatranska magistralna to Zamkovskeho chata (1475), then upwards 2 hours along Small Bitter stream along green path up to Teryho chata (2015). Down along that one green path to Rainerova chata, and by yellow path along Bitter stream to Tatranska Lesna (919). Duration of the route according to my map was 6 hours 15 minutes. On the first part of the way along Tatranska magistralna I had to leave behind crowds of students and pensioners. That part was extremely popular as it began from the hoist and went at the same level with a slight lowering, ended in Zamkovskeho chata where it was comfortable to have meals and rest. Many people went on going along my route. We went along very beautiful valley with smooth rise. The path was wonderful there, brunches didn't close view there were many streams and springs, Small Bitter stream run nearby. Snow tongues, small lakes were come across a little higher up along the route. That route was very beautiful and easy of access for everybody. I went back home along the same path, via Rainerova chata, from it I went down along yellow pass near Bitter stream. I didn't like that path. The beginning of it was very beautiful, it went along mountain river with waterfalls and cliffs, and at the bottom part it went to zone of fell trees, it was difficult to go there and landscape was depressive. I would like to recommend you to go along blue path to Tatranska Lomnica or along red one to Hrebienok.

The fifth day. It's a must! Probably, it was best route of the week. Station Popradske Pleso – walking for an hour along blue path up to the lake Popradske Pleso (1494). Climb up for 300 meters along asphalt road – red path: streamer along steep rise (1 hour) up to Sedlo pod Ostrvou (1966) – red path Tatranska magistralna (2 hours 30 minutes) went at the same level with unforgettable view of the whole plain in front of the Tatras, up to Silezsky Dom (1670). From Silezsky Dom it made sense to descend down to Tatranska Poliak (1005) along asphalt road or to go along red path to Hrebienok. Duration of the whole route equaled 6 hours 30 minutes. It was important to catch fine weather to pass that route. I got rather cool and windy day with rare s of rain, falling down from unknown place. But the visibility was wonderful .

The sixth day, last one. Forecast was bad, but in the morning sun was shining and sky was covered with cheerful lambs. Inhabitants advised me to go such a route: Hrebienok (1285) - Zbojnicka chata (1960) - Sedlo pod Prielom (2290) - Polsky hreben (2200) - Sliezsky Dom (1670) - Hrebienok. I went to Stary Smokovec by tram, hoist to Hrebienok saved 45 minutes, wonderful valley and in two hours of walking I reached Zbojnicka chata. There I took traditional tea, weekly tiredness let me know about it and I allowed myself to have a half-an-hour rest. According to the map the next point was Sedlo pod Prielom, 300 meters long rise, 1 hour and 30 minutes of walking. It seemed there was nothing special. Surroundings became wild, cold wind started blowing, I put on warm t-shirt. When I was going it was impossible to become frozen, and the rucksack warmed up my back. The temperature was about 12-15 degrees above zero, but in t-shirt and short trousers I didn't feel cold. Closely to the saddle I lost the path two times and find it again. Usual fellow travelers disappeared. The path became steeper and steeper and I had to go down to all fours, and remember my alpinistic trains. I wasn't ready for the conditions like that at all. But I also didn't want to turn back down. Moreover, the perspective of descending back seemed very gloomily. It was always easier to climb up than to go down. But descending was faster. O'K, I decided to see what was upwards and there think what to do further. And upwards I found the saddle – very small platform, 2x6 meters between two low peaks. There were 6-7 people, somebody came and somebody went away. I rested for 20 minutes and was going to descend. At the moment Polish fellow turned to me, he said something, gesticulating with emotion. I understood Polish a little, but he said too many words and too quickly for me. I asked him: “Do you speak English?” – “Yes, I do” – “What's on?” He explained that there was his girlfriend, who dreaded to descend, he asked me to speak to her. I had paid attention to that couple. That day was clear, sun shined warmly and, instead of altitude and wind, people were wearing t-shirts and shorts. Somebody put on waistcoats. And those two people were in long trousers, jumpers, vests. It seemed they had already been at the saddle for a long time. They had become frozen. A pretty business this! Before my trip as luck would have it I found in the Internet a similar story that took place in the Tatras, about Polish couple, that girl stuck on chains, and her boyfriend shrugged and went away. When I would come back home I would try to find that story. And what could I do there? The girl was sitting with stony face, fixed glance and probably in absolute prostration. Her boyfriend felt blank despair. I come to her, sat down near, asked whether she knew English. She nodded ascent. What was her name? She murmured something. How old was she, had she children, what was her job, what kind of sport was she keen on? She listlessly reacted. I had to get talking to her anyhow. I told her about myself: my name, place where I live, how many children I had, where I worked. Exertion lessened, face became colored, glance was lively and voice not mechanical. Women returned to life. That phenomena of women soul had been known – stranger's word sometimes meant more than word of dear, close man. I said her: “Let measure together”. "What do you mean?" “How tall are you?” “178cm” “And I am 167 cm tall. “Are your legs long? And my – here you are” She laughed! “And hands? With legs and hands like your, it is possible to go all the Tatras round.” She laughed. God be praised! And it was time for me to go further. I had a ticket to airplane that would take off at 4 o'clock in the morning I had no time to sit at one place. In front of me there was a vertical descent of about 8 meters high along staples or chains. I chose chains. Further there was rather steep and friable descent to ice reach and rise of about 100 meters to the Polish ridge. It took me an hour to pass that short strip. Unfortunately there was nobody upwards on the ridge nobody took a photo of me. And view from that place was wonderful. All the massif and plain through and through, to the South as well as to the North was seen. That time I had only to descend, for hour and a half to Sliezsky Dom. By the way I took photo of the lake with unusual emerald water. From Sliezsky Dom along red and blue paths I went to Stary Smokovec, finished a circus. That route took me 9 hours I caught the tram to Lomnica at 6.40 p.m. Good bye, the Tatras. I return certainly! May be, in this September.

Necessary equipment for warm season:

1. Footwear, mountain boots are very important, on no account running shoes can be used. Good socks are also necessary.
2. Waterproof jacket.
3. Rucksack for 12- 18 liters .
4. Warm t-shirt with long sleeves, the second one – with short sleeve. Synthetic material , no cotton .
5. Long shorts with ties under knees that were fashionable in the beginning of the 20 th century are very useful. There many people wear these shorts.
6. Tourists' regulable stuffs are desirable. They are expensive but make life easier.
7. Sunscreen, elastic bandage, court plaster.

Expenditure:

Plane 260-280 lat

1. Pension 40-60 euro per night
2. Nutrition 6-12 euro per day
3. Transport, souvenirs and etc cheep.

Write, I will answer you questions with pleasure.
Sergey Vlasenkov
abakus@inbox.lv

Riga , June 2007.