Spálená

Spálená (Polish Spalona Kopa) is a summit 2083 m high on the main ridge of the Western Tatras, in their wildest part, the Roháče, in Slovakia. It stands where the ridge, so far running roughly east–west, turns sharply to the south-west: between Pachoľa (2167 m) to the south, separated by the shallow Spálené sedlo (2055 m), and Salatín (2048 m) to the west. Spálená rises above the head of the Hlboká valley and the village of Jalovec, about 18 km north-east of Liptovský Mikuláš. The boundary between Orava and Liptov — and so between the Tvrdošín and Liptovský Mikuláš districts of the Žilina Region — runs over the top. The whole area belongs to the Tatra National Park (TANAP).

Getting there / routes

The red Western Tatras ridge trail crosses the summit — one of the most popular and at the same time most demanding sections of the Roháče.

• Red from the west: from Sivý vrch via Brestová (1903 m) and Salatín (2048 m); on the sharp western crest of Skriniarky below the summit there are several sections protected with chains. Spálená to Prostredné Salatínske sedlo takes about 1 h 05 min.
• Red from the east: from Volovec via Smutné sedlo and Baníkovské sedlo, then over Pachoľa; Baníkovské sedlo to the summit about 40 min.
• Green: from the junction at Žiarska chata via Baníkov (2178 m) to Baníkovské sedlo, or from Spálená dolina to the same saddle, then red.
• Yellow and blue: from Jalovec to the Pod Lyscom junction, then blue up the Parichvost valley to Baníkovské sedlo.

Spálená is usually crossed as part of a Roháče ridge traverse rather than climbed as a goal in itself.

What you can see from the summit

The rocky summit gives an all-round panorama: neighbouring Western Tatra peaks, the nearby valleys and part of the High Tatras, and in good conditions also the Skorušina Hills, the Orava Beskids, Orava Magura, the Lesser Fatra, the Choč Mountains, the Greater Fatra and the ranges of adjoining southern Poland.

Nature and history

The slopes of Spálená are partly stony and partly grassy, and the broad summit of rush-covered alpine meadow has three low culminations. To the north-west runs the heavily broken Skriniarky crest with several small rock towers. Two avalanche gullies drop straight from the massif: a steep one north-east into Spálená dolina and a somewhat gentler rocky one south-west into the Vrece cirque at the head of the Hlboká valley. Water from the northern slopes flows to the Studený potok in the Orava basin.

The mountain is named after the Spálená valley (“burnt valley”), probably a reminder of the old practice of burning dwarf pine to enlarge pastures. The first winter ascent was made by Józef Lesiecki and Leon Loria in 1911.

Safety, season and rules

TANAP’s high-mountain trails are closed from 1 November to 31 May; in summer you may walk only on marked trails. The chained sections on Skriniarky call for a steady step and dry weather, and the avalanche gullies around the summit are dangerous in spring and after snowfall. The ridge is fully exposed — watch for the thunderstorms that often build in the Tatras in the afternoon, and carry enough water. Slovak Mountain Rescue Service (HZS): 18 300 (+421 18 300), general emergency number 112.

Photos: Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 3.0; Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 3.0; 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; Juloml, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons.