Krúpova hoľa

Krúpova hoľa is a 1922 m rocky peak on the main ridge of the Low Tatras (Nízke Tatry) in Slovakia. It lies in the highest, Ďumbier part of the range, above Demänovská Dolina, about 14 km north of the town of Brezno. Only the shallow Krúpovo sedlo saddle (about 1890–1910 m) separates it from Ďumbier (2046 m), the highest peak of the Low Tatras, about 900 m to the south-east. To the west the Demänovské sedlo saddle (1756 m) separates Krúpova hoľa from the next top, Konské (about 1880 m), with Chopok beyond. The summit carries the border between the Žilina and Banská Bystrica Regions and the Liptovský Mikuláš and Brezno Districts. The nearest settlement is Demänovská Dolina (about 5 km north-west); to the north lie Závažná Poruba and Liptovský Ján, to the east Malužiná, Nižná and Vyšná Boca, and to the south Mýto pod Ďumbierom, Bystrá and Horná Lehota.

On its own the summit does not stand out much in the Low Tatras skyline – it is just a slightly higher section of the rocky main ridge. It is, however, a junction: a mighty side ridge runs north from it over Prašivá (1667 m), Tanečnica (1681 m) and Krakova hoľa (1752 m), dividing the Demänovská and Jánska valleys. Krúpova hoľa looks most striking from the Široká dolina to the north-west.

How to get there / routes

This part of the Low Tatras has a dense network of marked trails, and the cable car to nearby Chopok makes access easier.

• Red trail – the ridge Path of the Heroes of the Slovak National Uprising (Cesta hrdinov SNP, part of the E8): from Chopok via Konské and Demänovské sedlo, or from the east from the Štefánikova chata hut. The path traverses the south slope just below the summit between Demänovské and Krúpovo sedlo; OpenStreetMap shows a short spur to the top itself.
• North ridge – a marked trail from the Kosienky junction via the Javorie saddle (1487 m), Tanečnica and Prašivá to Demänovské sedlo (green on current maps).
• From the Demänovská dolina – a marked trail from the Cave of Liberty (Jaskyňa slobody).

Krúpova hoľa is the only place from which a marked spur leads to the highest summit of the range, Ďumbier; in winter Ďumbier can also be climbed directly from the Štefánikova chata.

What you can see from the top

The high grassy and rocky ridge gives an all-round panorama. In good conditions you can see many Low Tatras peaks as well as the Tatras, the Choč Mountains, Oravská Magura and the Beskids, the Lesser Fatra, Vtáčnik, the Kremnica and Štiavnica Mountains, Javorie, Poľana and the Vepor Mountains. Close by are Ďumbier and Štiavnica to the east, Chopok and Konské to the west, and the Ďumbier cirque right below you to the north-east.

Nature and history

The summit is built of Ďumbier-type granite. The southern slope drops moderately into the Trangoška valley and is strewn with huge boulders. The north-eastern slopes fall in rocky walls into the glacial Ďumbier cirque at the head of the Bystrá dolina – one of the finest cirques in the range. Water from the northern side flows via the Demänovka and the Bystrá stream to the Váh, and from the southern slopes via the Bystrianka to the Hron.

Krúpova hoľa lies in Low Tatras National Park (NAPANT), and its rocky north-eastern slopes belong to the Ďumbier national nature reserve. A 19th-century Polish geographical dictionary mentions the mountain as "Krupowa Hala".

Safety, season and rules

The ridge is fully exposed: strong wind is common, summer brings thunderstorms, and fog quickly hides the path among the boulders. In winter the ridge is snowbound, blizzards occur and the slopes above the cirques are avalanche-prone – go then only with experience and winter gear. Keep away from the edge of the north-eastern cliffs. In the national park stay on marked trails 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

• The height used to be given as 1927 m; modern measurements give 1922 m.
• The marked spur to Ďumbier, the highest summit of the Low Tatras, starts at Krúpova hoľa.
• The Krakova hoľa ridge, which divides two large northern valleys, branches off here.

Photos: Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0; Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0; Pudelek (Marcin Szala), CC BY-SA 4.0; Pudelek (Marcin Szala), CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons.