Winter hiking in Slovakia: a weekend in High Tatras
Winter isn’t typically a season you’d think of when it comes to planning a hiking holiday. Blankets of snow and avalanche danger lead to seasonal trail closures, and icy surfaces make normally easily accessible places tricky to reach.
However, not everything is completely shut for hikers in the winter. And with the right equipment, winter hiking can be an incredibly magical experience. After all, most of us don’t get to see mountain peaks covered in snow up close every day.
Hiking in the winter is more physically demanding than walking the mountain trails in the summer. A quick weekend getaway is therefore the perfect starting place for a winter hiking first-timer. And what better place to do it than Slovakia’s highest mountain range — the High Tatras.
Sunrise at Téryho chata
Winter hiking in the High Tatras: what you need to know
High Tatras are a mountain range running on the border of northern Slovakia and southern Poland. Forming part of the Tatra Mountains chain, it boasts 29 peaks over 2500 metres and is the highest range within the Carpathians.
Seasonal closures in High Tatras apply from November 1 to June 14. However, many mountain huts remain open all year round, making it a great destination for winter hiking.
Afternoon sun hitting the peaks of High Tatras
Before setting off on the trail, always check the weather forecast, as well as the current snow situation and warnings. Know what equipment you’ll need for your winter hike and — more importantly — know how to use it.
Just because a hiking trail is open, it doesn’t mean that it’s always safe. Last but not least, know your skills and stamina. If a trail seems too difficult or too long to complete, be prepared to turn back.
NOTE: The hikes described in this article are not the easiest or shortest. They do require good stamina, proper equipment, and some general familiarity with hiking to not get lost. Daylight hours are short in the winter, so set aside enough time to complete them.
What equipment do I need for winter hiking?
In terms of clothing, the best piece of advice is layers. You’ll want a warm base layer to wick sweat, a mid-layer to keep you warm, and an outer layer for weather and wind protection. High-cut hiking boots are preferable to low-cut ones as you might have to walk through blankets of snow. Last but not least, don’t forget a hat and gloves!
One piece of equipment that is going to make your life as a winter hiker a whole lot easier are crampons. There are different types. For the hikes described in this post, the most basic strap-on ones are more than enough. You can buy them in one of the sports shops once you arrive at the destination. There should also be possibilities to rent. Check at your accommodation or with the different shops.
Hiking in a terrain like this without crampons is hardly doable
Basic strap-on crampons are sufficient for many winter hikes
If you have extra space, consider adding hiking poles to your luggage. They’re not a must, and on flat or only slightly elevated surfaces, you will do just fine without them. However, if you’re planning to do a steeper ascent on one of your hikes, they can be extremely helpful. Not just for extra grip on the slippery surface, but also to get your whole body working — and relieve a bit of strain from your legs.
On this particular trip to High Tatras, they proved super useful on the last ascent to Téryho chata which I’ll describe below.
Day 1: Hike to Chata pri Zelenom Plese
🚶♀️ Hiking distance: 16.5 kilometres
⏱ Time needed: 6 hours
🗺 Hiking trail: Biela Voda (or Tatranské Matliare) — Rázcestie nad Matliarmi — Rázcestie Šalviový prameň — Chata pri Zelenom plese — Veľké Biele pleso — Rázcestie nad Matliarmi — Biela Voda (or Tatranské Matliare)
Forests covered in a blanket of snow, a white trail lining creeks and river streams, and frozen lakes. This day hike to one of High Tatra’s famous mountain huts — Chata pri Zelenom Plese — will take you through everything Slovakia’s winter wonderland has to offer.
Observe the layers of snow on the landscape around you
Layers are key to stay warm during a winter hike
It’s a pretty long one, so hit the trail as early as possible to allow enough time to not only complete the hike before dusk — but also to enjoy lunch at the mountain hut.
There are two parking lots from which you can start. One is in Biela Voda and takes you on the yellow trail. The other one is in Tatranské Matliare and starts with a blue trail.
While the blue trail follows a narrow winding path through the forest and alongside a little creek, the yellow one is wider and a bit more straightforward, as it doubles as a cycling path in the summer. Both these trails come together at Rázcestie nad Matliarmi.
Stunning winter landscape
Where you’ll end up starting from will probably depend on the availability of parking spots. To make things more interesting, you can also start at one parking lot and finish at the other. They are connected via a walking path which copies the main car road. The walk is about 20 minutes.
From Rázcestie nad Matliarmi, you’ll continue to Rázcestie Šalviový prameň and then to Chata (mountain hut) pri Zelenom Plese on the yellow trail. This is the most picturesque part of the hike, especially as you’re nearing the mountain hut.
Warm up with some lunch — you’ll need the energy for the rest of this day. The portions are generous and very affordable. Note that most mountain huts only accept cash.
Chata pri Zelenom plese
Views from the mountain hut
The stretch between Chata pri Zelenom Plese and Veľké Biele pleso is the most difficult one. The path is narrow and the snow is deep, which can really slow you down.
According to the sign at Chata pri Zelenom Plese, completing this bit should take around 20-30 minutes. But in these conditions, I would recommend setting aside more time. We didn’t see many people walking here, so if you’re not feeling up for it, just retrun the same way you came from.
Once you reach Veľké Biele pleso, you will find yourself in a true winter wonderland. You’re standing right under the peaks on what in the summer months are meadows with bushes and occasional trees. At this time of the year, the pristine landscape is covered in a white blanket. Just the very tips of conifers are peeking from under the snow.
Winter wonderland of Veľké Biele pleso
From here, you’ll follow the blue trail and descend via all the vegetation zones back down to the parking lot, connecting onto the yellow trail at Rázcestie nad Matliarmi if your car is at Biela Voda.
Day 2 + 3: Hike to Téryho chata from Starý Smokovec
🚶♀️ Hiking distance: 18.3 kilometres in total
⏱ Time needed: 3-4 hours one way
🗺 Hiking trail: Starý Smokovec — Hrebienok (top station of the lift) — Bilíkova chata (mountain hut) — Obrovský vodopád — Zamkovského chata (mountain hut) — Téryho chata (mountain hut) — Zamkovského chata — Obrovský vodopád — Bilíkova chata — Hrebienok — Starý Smokovec
While the hike to Téryho chata from Starý Smokovec and back can be completed in one day, I would recommend splitting it in two and staying overnight at Téryho chata.
There are two benefits to doing that. First, you don’t have to stress about completing the trek in time, as daylight hours are limited in the winter. Second, you’ll get to experience sunset and sunrise in the mountains without having to be up at an ungodly hour.
Colours and textures of the winter
The trail starts in the village of Starý Smokovec and its first part pretty much follows the funicular to Hrebienok. You can use the funicular to save yourself half an hour of hiking. Just beware that you might have to spend this half-hour standing in line for the ticket instead.
A short walk to Bilíkova chata, and you find yourself descending into a valley formed by glaciers of the past. Here is where you’ll find a pristine alpine landscape and Obrovský waterfall (vodopád).
As you ascend towards Zamkovského chata, the character of the trail slowly changes. Instead of a wide open valley, the path is winding through the forest and under the bushes as you reach higher levels of vegetation.
Contrast between walking in the valley…
…and through winding forest paths.
Eventually, you reach a small plain which you’ll need to cross before conquering Veľký and Malý Hang — the two last bits before Téryho chata. This is the most difficult part. It’s steep, slippery, and feels endless. Crampons are a must and hiking poles are highly recommended to make things easier.
At 2015 metres above sea level, Téryho chata is the highest mountain hut that is open all year round. You can book accommodation via email. There are three shared rooms and a possibility to sleep on the floor if the rooms are booked out.
Watching the sun set from Téryho chata
Stunning colours
At a fast pace, you can hike from Starý Smokovec to Téryho chata in about three hours. However, I suggest setting aside three and a half to four hours so you can really enjoy the route and stop along the way to take photos. Time it so that you arrive at Téryho chata just before sunset.
The next morning, you can wake up for sunrise, have some breakfast, and slowly start trekking back down to Starý Smokovec.
Téryho chata under the night sky
With all year round open mountain huts, the High Tatras in Slovakia are a wonderful destination for winter hiking. There are easy trails that will take no longer than an afternoon, as well as longer day hikes that will let you immerse yourself in a true winter wonderland.
No matter which one you choose, remember to check the weather forecast and bring all the necessary equipment for enjoyable hiking in snow-covered landscapes.
Have you tried hiking in the winter? What was your experience? Leave a comment below!