Capie pleso

Capie pleso is the largest lake of Mlynická dolina in the western High Tatras, within Tatra National Park (TANAP). It fills a typical glacial basin in Capí kotol — one of the two cirques at the very top of the valley — at about 2,075 m. According to measurements by TANAP staff in 1961–1967 it covers about 3 ha, measures 246 by 175 m and is up to 17.5 m deep. Several stony islets rise from the water and turn into small peninsulas in dry spells. The tarn lies above a rock step strewn with moraine boulders, in a harsh landscape that looks as if the glacier left only yesterday.

The Slovak name comes from "cap" — the word for a male Tatra chamois, once very numerous in Mlynická dolina. The German and Hungarian names (Szentiványi-See) honour József Szentiványi (1817–1905), owner of the valley and founder of the Štrbské Pleso resort, thanks to whom a hiking path was built here. The names were proposed by the naturalist Martin Róth and approved by the Hungarian Carpathian Society.

Mlynická dolina is about 6 km long, stepped, with the pyramid of Štrbský štít at its head; since 1991 it has been a national nature reserve covering 704 ha. Near the rock step below the tarn, on 25 June 1979, one of the most tragic events in the history of Tatra mountain rescue took place: an Mi-8 helicopter flying to a lightly injured hiker crashed and exploded. Five Mountain Service rescuers and two crew members died; a memorial plaque at the crash site recalls them.

What to see and do

• The tarn with its islets below the walls of the Hrebeň bášt ridge with the Satan peak and the Solisko massif.
• Capie and Okrúhle pleso — from the climb to the Bystrá lávka saddle both lakes are visible; the higher Okrúhle pleso lies at 2,105 m.
• The loop around Solisko — over Bystrá lávka into Furkotská dolina and back to Štrbské Pleso: one of the finest days in the western High Tatras.

How to get there

The tarn lies on the yellow Štrbské Pleso – Junction below Furkotská Valley route. From Štrbské Pleso (1,346 m) the path passes the sports complex and Hotel FIS and climbs Mlynická dolina: to Skok Waterfall takes 1 h 30 min (1 h down), to Capie pleso 2 h 30 min (2 h down). By the Skok waterfall the path climbs a rock step with chains, so this is no longer a stroll but a mountain hike with about 730 m of ascent. From the tarn to the Bystrá lávka saddle takes 40 min (30 min down), then the path descends into Furkotská dolina. Crossing the saddle is allowed in both directions, but the recommended direction is from Mlynická to Furkotská dolina to avoid queues on the chains. The summits of Štrbský štít and Hrubý vrch can be climbed on unmarked paths only with a mountain guide.

Season and safety

The yellow trail from the Skok waterfall past Capie pleso to Bystrá lávka is closed from 1 November to 31 May (§ 4 of the TANAP Visitor Regulations, decree 26/2023), so you can visit the tarn from 1 June to 31 October. Entry to TANAP is free. You may walk only on marked trails and only in daylight; dogs are not allowed in Mlynická dolina (the path from Hotel FIS to Bystrá lávka), and drones are banned without a permit. In early summer snowfields still lie on the climb. Mountain Rescue Service HZS: 18 300, general emergency number 112.

Nearby

• Skok Waterfall — a 25-metre waterfall on the way to the tarn.
• Veľké Solisko — the summit above the valley.
• Veľké Hincovo pleso — the largest lake of the Slovak Tatras, in the neighbouring valley.
• Kriváň — the symbol of Slovakia, to the west.

Official website: tanap.sk

Photos: Paweł Pieńkowski, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons; Punteador, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Michal Klajban, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.