Lavínový štít

Lavínový štít (Polish Lawinowy Szczyt, German Lawinenspitze) is a rocky 2606 m summit in the Slovak High Tatras and one of the highest in the whole range: the Slovak encyclopedic entry ranks it fifth among the High Tatra peaks. It lies about 15 km north-west of Poprad, above the resort settlements of Vyšné Hágy, Nová Polianka and Tatranská Polianka, in the Prešov Region. The nearest settlements in our OSM data are Štrbské Pleso (about 6.5 km), Štôla (8.4 km) and Gerlachov (9.5 km). To the south-east, below the summit, stands the high mountain hut Sliezsky dom.

The peak is a distinct hump on the northern ridge of Zadný Gerlach (Zadný Gerlachovský štít), between its massif and Veľká Litvorová veža; Polish authors describe it as the middle top of the Zadný Gerlach massif. It thus belongs to the Gerlach ridge, which runs from the highest Tatra peak, Gerlachovský štít, to the Poľský hrebeň saddle. Lavínový štít forms a double summit with Lavínová veža, and the Gerlachovské sedlo saddle lies 226 m away. To the north-west falls the Kačacia dolina, drained by the Biela voda into the Dunajec basin; to the east lies the Velická dolina, whose stream flows to the Poprad river.

How to get there / routes

No marked hiking trail leads to the summit. The mountain lies in the Tatra National Park (TANAP), and the ridge carries the boundary of the Bielovodská dolina and Velická dolina national nature reserves, so hikers may only use marked trails. Lavínový štít itself can be climbed only with a licensed mountain guide or by experienced climbers under TANAP rules.

The nearest marked trail is the green one from Tatranská Polianka past Sliezsky dom to the Poľský hrebeň saddle; below the ridge it joins the blue trail from Lysá Poľana through the Bielovodská and Litvorová valleys and over the Prielom saddle to Zbojnícka chata and Tatranská Lomnica. The well-known climbing route to Gerlachovský štít, the so-called Martin route (Martinka), starts at Poľský hrebeň and passes over Lavínový štít. The sources give no walking times: the length of the climb depends on the guide, the weather and the group.

What you can see from the top

The rocky top offers an all-round panorama. Thanks to its height you can see many High Tatra peaks – including the surrounding Gerlachovský štít, Končistá, Batizovský štít, Gánok, Rysy, Východná Vysoká, Bradavica and Litvorový štít – as well as the northern part of the Belianske Tatras ridge. On clear days the view reaches the Orava Beskids, the Low Tatras, the Volovské vrchy, Branisko and many mountains of southern Poland.

Nature and history

Climbers named the peak in the early 20th century: the slopes of the surrounding ridges facing the Velická dolina are known for frequent avalanches in winter. The first summer ascent was made on 26 July 1904 by Janusz Chmielowski, Klemens Bachleda and Stanisław Stopka; the first winter ascent by Pavel Krupinský and Matthias Nitsch on 22 March 1936.

The height has been measured several times: old, inaccurate estimates gave about 2635 m, aneroid readings about 2610 m, trigonometric survey 2606.1 m, and a 2018 lidar survey, according to Polish sources, 2602.0 m. The name is also confusing: Arno Puškáš's guidebook and the encyclopedia Tatry príroda call this summit Lavínová veža and give the name Lavínový štít to the neighbouring Gerlachovská kopa.

Safety, season and rules

This is high-alpine rock terrain without paths or fixed protection – only for prepared people with a guide. Even the nearest high-mountain hiking trails of TANAP are closed every year from 1 November to 31 May. Tatra weather changes fast, and the slopes above the Velická dolina are avalanche-prone. In an emergency call the Slovak Mountain Rescue Service (HZS): 18 300 (+421 18 300) or 112.

Interesting facts

• A popular climbing route to Gerlachovský štít from Poľský hrebeň runs over Lavínový štít.
• The first winter ascent came 32 years after the first summer one.
• The name "avalanche peak" refers not to the summit itself but to the avalanche slopes above the Velická dolina.

Photos: Rafał Kozubek, CC BY-SA 4.0; Adam Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0; Rafik k, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons.