In the morning I walked up the hillside to Seldo pod Ostrva (1966m), a 460m climb, taking me just over an hour. The entire walk from Popradské Pleso to Seldo pod Ostrva was absolutely breathtaking.
For the extreme, Batizovské Pleso is the starting point to Gerlachovský Stít (2655m), the highest mountain in Slovakia. Gerlachovský Stít is not for the faint hearted. There is no track but rather a route to the summit, so your route finding skills need to be good or you’re not going to find the way. There are the occasional cairns and pads, but for most of the way it’s following the most logical line. The route is very steep, with a lot of scrambling and even a tiny bit of climbing. There are a number of places where a slip could be fatal. Many people who attempt Gerlachovský Stít climb up come with climbing gear and a guide. I’ll say it again, this is not just a difficult hike, it’s an extreme hike with a considerable element of danger. You need to be fit, experienced, and more than anything else confident in your abilities. From Batizovské Pleso (1884m) it took me 2h24m to reach the summit of Gerlachovský Stít (2655m). I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge, the view from the top was amazing, though this mountain is one of the most precarious hikes I’ve ever done. It took me 2h20m (including a 15 minute stop) to descend back to Batizovské Pleso.
From Batizovské Pleso I continued on to Velické Pleso (1879m), taking me 1h6m. It was getting late in the afternoon now. Unfortunately for me the hostel was full so I had no option but to continue on, but not before a meal and a beer!
Horský Hotel Sliezsky dom
Beds: 12 + private hotel rooms
Price: EUR24 + 1(fee) + 3(sheets)
Website: https://www.sliezskydom.sk/ubytovanie/turisticka-izba/
From Velické Pleso there is a track leading on to the north, another to the east, and one to the south towards Vysoké Tatry. In addition to the walking tracks, there is a new road that leads to Tatranská Polianka. After my climb to Gerlachovský Stít I opted for the easier route down, via the road to Tatranská Polianka. The 9.2km walk took me 1h30m. From Tatranská Polianka there are regular buses and trains to Poprad, costing EUR1-3 and taking 30-40m.
