Kotliská

Kotliská is a 1937 m peak on the main ridge of the Low Tatras (Nízke Tatry) in Slovakia. It lies in the western part of the Ďumbier Tatras, about 9 km west of Ďumbier, between Chabenec (1955 m) to the west and Poľana (1890 m) to the north-east. A side ridge with the mighty Skalka (1980 m) branches off to the south. The summit carries the border between the Žilina and Banská Bystrica Regions and the Liptovský Mikuláš and Brezno Districts. The nearest settlements are Demänovská Dolina (about 6 km north-east), the hamlets of Magurka (6 km west) and Krpáčovo; below the massif to the south lie the villages of Jasenie and Dolná Lehota, and the town of Brezno is about 17 km to the south-east.

A fairly level ridge section at about 1860 m with the Chabenecké sedlo saddle (1843 m) separates the peak from Chabenec, the broad Krížske sedlo (1775 m) from Poľana, and a shallow dip (about 1865 m) with a characteristic hump in the middle from Skalka.

How to get there / routes

Kotliská is one of the most visited peaks in the western Low Tatras because the main ridge trail crosses it:

• Red trail – the Path of the Heroes of the Slovak National Uprising (Cesta hrdinov SNP), part of the European long-distance path E8. From the east it comes from Chopok via Dereše, Poľana and Krížske sedlo; to the west it continues to Chabenec and on via Ďurková to Hiadeľské sedlo. The whole section from Chopok to Chabenec takes about 2 h 25 min, 2 h 55 min the other way.
• Yellow trail from the south – from the mouth of the Vajskovská dolina (the Črmné junction, on the way from Dolná Lehota) via Strmý vŕštek, the saddle below Žiar, Žiar, Žiarska hoľa and Skalka: about 4 h 30 min up, 3 h 50 min down.
• Yellow trail from the north – from Demänovská Dolina to the Poľana saddle on the main ridge, then west along the red trail.

What you can see from the top

The grassy and rocky summit rises well above its surroundings and offers an all-round view. In good conditions you can see many Low Tatras peaks as well as the High and Western Tatras, the Choč Mountains, Oravská Magura, the Beskids, the Lesser and Greater Fatra, the Štiavnica Mountains, Javorie and the Stolica and Vepor Mountains. Close at hand you look straight into the heads of the three valleys that meet below the summit and the ridges around them.

Nature and history

Like the whole central part of the main Low Tatras ridge, the Kotliská massif is built of light-coloured "Ďumbier" granites. The summit is a regular three-sided pyramid: its edges are the three ridges described above, and its faces drop steeply into three glacial cirques – the heads of the Krížska dolina to the north, the Vajskovská dolina to the east and the Lomnistá dolina to the south-west. The mountain takes its name from these "cauldrons" (Slovak kotol). The northern slopes above the Krížska dolina are the most rugged, cut by gullies and buttresses.

The summit dome is covered with alpine meadows; only on the northern slopes do strips of dwarf pine climb fairly high. Water from the northern slopes flows via the Paludžanka stream to the Váh, from the south-western slopes via the Lomnistá stream, and the eastern slopes are the source area of the Vajskovský potok in the Hron basin. Kotliská is one of the main chamois habitats in the Low Tatras: it was here, at the head of the Lomnistá dolina, that 28 animals caught in the High and Belianske Tatras were released in 1969–1974. The whole massif lies in Low Tatras National Park (NAPANT), and the southern slopes towards the Lomnistá and Vajskovská valleys are part of the Skalka national nature reserve.

Safety, season and rules

The ridge above the tree line is fully exposed: strong wind is common, summer brings thunderstorms, and fog can quickly hide the path. In winter there is deep snow, blizzards and avalanche danger on the cirque slopes, so a crossing then is only for experienced, well-equipped walkers. In the national park stay on marked trails, do not disturb the chamois, and check NAPANT notices and avalanche information before setting out. Slovak Mountain Rescue Service (HZS): 18 300 (+421 18 300); general emergency number 112.

Interesting facts

• Neighbouring Skalka on the side ridge (1980 m) is higher than Kotliská itself, although it lies off the main ridge.
• The name comes from the three glacial cauldrons below the summit.
• Chamois were brought back to the Low Tatras on the slopes of Kotliská.

Photos: Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0; Daniel Baránek, CC BY-SA 3.0; Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0; Michal Klajban, CC BY-SA 3.0; Daniel Baránek, CC BY-SA 3.0 — Wikimedia Commons.