Slavkovský štít

Slavkovský štít (Polish Sławkowski Szczyt, German Schlagendorfer Spitze) is a broad, massive peak 2452 m high in the High Tatras of Slovakia. It ends a mighty side ridge that runs south-east from Východná Vysoká on the main ridge and stands above the resort of Starý Smokovec (about 4 km to the south-east), some 12 km north-west of Poprad. The ridge divides Veľká Studená dolina to the north from Slavkovská dolinka, a branch of Velická dolina, to the south-west. Its north-eastern slopes rise about 950 m above their base.

It is one of the few high Tatra summits that can be climbed on a marked trail without a guide; by height it ranks third after Rysy and Kriváň. The name comes from the municipality of Veľký Slavkov, whose land once included the mountain.

How to get there / routes

• Blue trail from Starý Smokovec. From the Tatra Electric Railway station the trail passes Päť prameňov to the junction below Slavkovský štít on the Tatranská magistrála (about 1 h), then follows the long Slavkovský hrebeň over Slavkovský nos to the summit. Slovak sources give about 5 h 15 min up and 3 h 50 min down; the total height gain is over 1450 m.
• From Hrebienok. A funicular runs up to Hrebienok from Starý Smokovec; from there the red Tatranská magistrála reaches the same junction in 20 min, where the blue trail begins.

The route is of medium technical difficulty but long and tiring; the upper part crosses boulder fields. There are hardly any natural water sources on the way – the last stream is still in the forest – so carry your own water. The path to the summit was built in 1901–1908, largely at his own expense, by Maximilian Weisz; a viewpoint on the edge of the ridge is still called "Maximilianka".

The view from the summit

The rocky top offers a full panorama. Veľká Studená dolina with its many tarns is especially well seen, as are the neighbouring Gerlachovský and Lomnický štít; in good weather you can also see the Sub-Tatra Basin, much of the Low Tatras, Kozie chrbty, the Spiš-Gemer Karst and the Volovské, Slanské and Levočské vrchy. The view south over Spiš, with Spišská Sobota and Kežmarok, was already described by the first climbers.

Nature and history

The mountain is built of granodiorite, and a large block field covers its slopes. In 1813 huge blocks broke off the summit dome and a debris flow poured into Veľká Studená dolina, where its traces remain. A popular legend claims that an earthquake in 1662 cost the summit 200–300 m of height and that it had been the highest in the Tatras until then; research has not confirmed this.

Slavkovský štít is the first named Tatra peak whose ascent is documented in written sources. In July 1664 a group of twelve, including the Veľký Slavkov pastor Georg Topperczer, set out for it; only four reached the top – the cantor Martin Jani, the students Georg Buchholtz (later a well-known Tatra explorer) and Martin Veisser, and a local hunter acting as guide. They spent the night by a fire in the dwarf-pine belt, and a hailstorm caught them on the summit. The second confirmed ascent was by Stanisław Staszic in 1805, the first winter ascent on 15 January 1873 by Eduard Blásy with Ján Gellhof. In the 19th century there were plans for an observatory with a lift from Starý Smokovec, but the project was judged unrealistic. A cross stands on the summit; in 2014 a plaque marking the 350th anniversary of the first ascent was fixed to it.

Safety, season and rules

• The trail lies in the high-mountain zone of the Tatra National Park (TANAP) and is closed from 1 November to 31 May; hiking is allowed only in daylight and only on marked trails. Current restrictions are on the TANAP website.
• Plan for a full day: start early and bring enough water, warm clothes and sun protection. The first recorded fatal accident on the route happened in 1921, when a hiker fell from a rock – take special care in fog, on wet boulders or on snow.
• Rescue: Mountain Rescue Service HZS – 18 300 (+421 18 300), general emergency number 112.

Interesting facts

• The first climbers of 1664 fired a gun on the summit to listen to the echo, and the ascent and descent took them three days.
• In climbers' slang the mountain has long been called "Slavkovák" (Slovak) or "Schlagendorferin" (German).
• Slavkovský štít belongs to the Great Crown of the Tatras.

Photos: PhDr. Pavol Svetoň, CC BY-SA 4.0; Vavrik, Public domain; Krzysztof Dudzik-Górnicki (User:ToSter), CC BY-SA 3.0; Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0; Adrian Tync, CC BY-SA 4.0; Jaro Nemčok, CC BY-SA 4.0; Saalebaer, CC0 — Wikimedia Commons.