Hrubá kopa

Hrubá kopa (Polish Hruba Kopa or Baszta) is a 2166 m summit on the main ridge of the Slovak Western Tatras and the third highest mountain of the Roháče group. It stands at the head of the Žiarska dolina valley above the village of Žiar, about 14 km north-east of Liptovský Mikuláš. The mountain lies on the border of Orava and Liptov in the Žilina Region: its southern part belongs to Žiar (Liptovský Mikuláš District), its northern part to Zuberec (Tvrdošín District).

Hrubá kopa sits between Tri kopy (2136 m) to the east, separated by the small Hrubá priehyba saddle, and Baníkov (2178 m), the highest peak of the Roháče, about a kilometre to the west. Steep north faces drop into the glacial cirque of the Spálená dolina, a branch of the Roháčska dolina draining to the Orava. To the south gentler grassy and stony slopes fall into the Veľké Závraty cirque in the upper Žiarska dolina, drained by the Smrečianka stream, a tributary of the Váh. The north-eastern part of the massif belongs to the Roháčske plesá national nature reserve.

How to get there / routes

A red ridge trail along the main ridge of the Western Tatras crosses the summit. The climb is technically quite demanding: the sections from Baníkov and from Smutné sedlo are equipped with chains.

• The easiest way – blue trail from the Žiarska dolina past the Žiarska chata hut to Smutné sedlo, then red to the top: about 4 h 15 min and roughly 1350 m of ascent.
• From the north – blue trail from the Ťatliakova chata hut in the Roháčska dolina to Smutné sedlo, then red via Tri kopy.
• Along the ridge from the west – red trail from Sivý vrch via Baníkov and Baníkovské sedlo.
• Along the ridge from the east – red trail from Volovec via Plačlivé and Smutné sedlo. The stretch from Smutné to Baníkovské sedlo via Tri kopy, Hrubá kopa and Baníkov takes about 2 h one way.

What you can see from the top

The stony, dome-shaped summit offers an all-round view. You can see many peaks of the Western and High Tatras, the Roháčska and Žiarska valleys and, in good visibility, the Orava Beskids, the Malá and Veľká Fatra, the Low Tatras and the mountains of southern Poland. The jagged Roháče ridge – Tri kopy, Ostrý Roháč and Volovec – is especially striking.

Nature and history

The name comes from the mountain being massive, "hrubá" (thick), compared with the neighbouring Tri kopy. Several avalanche gullies start near the summit on the southern slopes and drop into the Veľké Závraty cirque, so avalanche danger is real in winter and spring. The massif lies in the Tatra National Park (TANAP), and the boundary of the Roháčske plesá reserve runs over the summit and its north-eastern ridge.

Older surveys gave heights of 2163, 2165 and 2166 m; Polish sources now give 2168 m.

Safety, season and rules

The Roháče ridge is one of the most demanding routes in the Western Tatras: rocky sections with chains, a steep descent and full exposure to wind and storms. Start early in the morning and avoid wet rock. From 1 November to 31 May TANAP closes its high-mountain trails above the tree line for the season, and this section of the ridge is included. Do not leave the marked path. In the Slovak mountains help comes from the Mountain Rescue Service HZS: 18 300 (+421 18 300) or 112.

Interesting facts

• Despite its technical sections, Hrubá kopa is one of the most visited peaks of the Roháče.
• A short, low ridge runs from the summit north-east towards the Roháčske plesá lakes.

Photos: Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 3.0; Michal Jakubský, CC BY 3.0; Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 3.0; Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0; Andrej Krivulčík, CC BY 3.0 — Wikimedia Commons.