Veľké Hincovo pleso

Veľké Hincovo pleso is the largest and deepest glacial lake in the Slovak part of the Tatras and in all of Slovakia. It lies in the Hincova kotlina basin — one of the highest steps of the Mengusovská valley — at 1,946 m, below the walls of Kôprovský štít, Čubrina and the Mengusovské peaks. The lake covers 20.08 ha, is up to 53.7 m deep, 740 m long and 370 m wide, and holds about 1.8 million m³ of water. On average it is frozen 270 days a year. No stream flows in; the Hincov potok flows out and, together with the Krupa, forms the Poprad river.

The water is exceptionally clear — measurements in 1909 found visibility of 19 m. The name is linked to the name Hinco (Ignatius): according to folk tales, a shepherd of that name grazed sheep here; another theory traces it to miners searching the Tatra valleys for gold. In 1965 Czechoslovak divers reached the bottom of the lake for the first time at almost 54 m; one diver died during these dives.

What to see and do

• The basin panorama — a dark blue lake ringed by rock walls and peaks, which look lower from here than from the Polish side because the tarn lies 551 m higher than Morskie Oko.
• Malé Hincovo pleso — a smaller lake in a separate basin nearby.
• For experienced hikers: the blue trail continues to the Vyšné Kôprovské sedlo saddle, from which a red trail leads up Kôprovský štít and the blue one down into the Kôprová valley.

Practical information

Getting there. The starting point is the Popradské Pleso stop of the Tatra Electric Railway. From there the blue trail follows the Krupa stream to Popradské pleso (about an hour), then continues up the Mengusovská valley to Hincovo pleso in about 1 h 30 min more. In total that is about 2.5 hours one way and more than 450 m of ascent from Popradské pleso alone. It is a proper high-mountain route on a rocky path: you need mountain boots, warm and waterproof clothing, water and spare time. It is not suitable for children without hiking experience or for pushchairs; you can, however, walk to Popradské pleso on asphalt.

TANAP rules. The blue trail from the junction above Žabí potok via Hincovo pleso to Vyšné Kôprovské sedlo is closed from 1 November to 31 May, so the lake can only be reached from 1 June to 31 October. Hiking is allowed only in daylight and only on marked trails — the tarn lies in a national nature reserve, so you must not leave the trail to reach the water. In early June there may still be snow in the basin, and the weather at almost 2,000 m changes very fast — check the forecast and turn back at the first sign of a storm.

When to go. July–September is the most reliable time; in June and October snow and ice are possible. The park rules set no entry ticket.

Nearby

• Popradské pleso and the Symbolic Cemetery — on the way to Hincovo pleso.
• Štrbské pleso — the resort nearby.
• Kmeťov waterfall — on the other side of Vyšné Kôprovské sedlo.
• Morskie Oko — on the Polish side of the ridge.

Official website: tanap.sk

Photos: Derbeth, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Michal Klajban, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Punteador, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Andrej Krivulčík, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Rafik k, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.