Except actually it was difficult difficult lemon difficult. We severely underestimated climbing Poland's tallest mountain: Mt Rysy. After a 9 km hike from the entrance of the national park where the bus dropped us, we found our way to Morskie Oko, meaning 'eye of the sea' and the largest lake in the Tatras mountains. Unfortunately there was still some mountain fog lingering so we didn't quite see it in its full glory. After Thomas's 3rd (out of 6) toilet breaks of the day (get that checked out Thomas x) in the nearby restaurant, we then climbed up to Czarny Staw pod Rysami. This lake had an enchanting emerald colour and served as the backdrop to our ultimatum lunch before the ascent, and opposite to some beautiful waterfalls.
When Rysy's outline vaguely emerged from the clouds on our approach, we doubted what the hell we were doing, but even then it probably should have alarmed us more than it did. The climb did start off as you might expect a steep hike to, however: twisty, craggy, strenuous. But as we ascended further and further into the clouds and past patches of snow, walking quickly turned into crawling and the path was quickly replaced by mere chains with which to haul ourselves up the cliff faces. The closer we inched to the summit, the more difficult it continued to degenerate: at one point Thomas even checked the map after what felt like a long section of scrambling only to find we had only moved 8 metres! This exposure continued for well over an hour and certain sections really did feel like one misplaced step could well have cost you your life, which I tried to find the funny side in. Perhaps the best way I can find to describe how dodgy the route was is that I finally experienced a collector's item, a swear word from Thomas!
After mustering the mental strength to heave ourselves to the summit, we enjoyed some incredible views over the High Tatras as the clouds dispersed just at the right time. Looking down on an entire mountain range like that is a feeling I'll never forget!Read more
SlovakiaSedlo Váha49°10’46” N 20°5’17” E
SlovakiaSedlo Váha49°10’46” N 20°5’17” E