Tourists in the Poľský Hrebeň saddle. (source: Matúš Beňo)
On my way down from the Východná Vysoká peak, an older Polish hiker asked me how long it takes to get to the summit. As mentioned in the previous instalment of this two-part series, I do not speak any Polish, but because our languages have some similarities, I could understand her.
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"About ten minutes," I replied, much to her relief. When I added that the circular view the peak offers is both beautiful and stunning, she seemed to understand only partially, so I made a circular gesture with a finger. "Ah," she said, nodding. She added that her hiking partner was waiting for her at the start of the path to the peak and would continue towards the nearby Litvorová Dolina valley when she got back. I bade her farewell and went on my way.
Polish was not the only foreign language I overheard on the trail to Východná Vysoká. Just as I had on the previous day, I heard a lot of Czech and Hungarian, but this time there was a little bit of German and English, and, surprisingly, French added to the mix.
There is something truly wonderful about greeting fellow hikers with a smile and being greeted back in their native language, maybe even exchange a few words, knowing you are both on the same page.
What to expect
As the weather forecast promised a sunny day, I opted for another hike on Tuesday, September 26. This time it was the loop trail to Východná Vysoká, a 2,429-metre peak located in the heart of the High Tatras on the main ridge, and then through the Sedlo Prielom saddle to the Veľká Studená Dolina valley.
The trail - which takes approximately 10 hours, has a length of 22 kilometres, elevation gain and loss of around 1,700 metres each -is demanding not only physically, but technically as well. There are several exposed sections, meaning a large risk of injury as any false step could result in a serious fall, secured with chains and iron stemples. Moreover, the final stretch to the peak requires some climbing as well, and the slope towards the saddle is littered with loose rocks.
