Roháče is considered by many to be the most beautiful part of the Western Tatras. It is dominated by majestic peaks such as Baníkov, Ostrý Roháč, Plačlivé and Volovec, whose sharp rocky silhouettes resemble horns – which is exactly where the name comes from.
This mountain area offers everything lovers of active movement are looking for – from easy trips to Roháčské plesá and the Roháčský waterfall to demanding alpine hikes leading along the exposed main ridge.
The spontaneous decision to head to this destination came one Saturday afternoon, when the temperature kept climbing higher and higher. When the heat became unbearable, the decision was made: “Let’s go towards the mountains” – simply somewhere. The choice fell on the Western Tatras – Roháče. It was me – a woman over fifty – and two youngsters, or as I call them, turbo mice, because I could barely keep up with them the whole way.
The drive from Ostrava takes about three hours, and we made it more pleasant with a short stop at the Orava reservoir. Our overnight destination was the car park at Ski Spálená. Since we wanted to set off on the hike early in the morning, we decided to sleep directly in the car, just a few steps from the start of the route.
A full-day parking fee here costs €10 and there are also toilets open non-stop. But if you want to save on parking, do not turn right into the Ski Spálená car park. Continue approximately another 600 metres along the road, where you will find a smaller car park.
During the night, a proper storm hit us. It was a strange feeling – lying in the car, listening to the raindrops loudly drumming on the roof while the strong wind occasionally rocked the car slightly. It had its own charm, but because of the storm, we did not sleep very well.
Morning start to Baníkov
In the morning, the weather was perfect for hiking. I put on my Kilpi DANKEN LOW-U shoes and we were ready to go. Our start time towards the summit of Baníkov (2,178 m) was 7 a.m. We first followed the green trail, which connected to the red one, and after a few kilometres we turned onto the yellow trail. Along the way, it is also possible to make a short detour down to the Roháčský waterfall and then return back to the route.
The trail looked fine at first, just a gentle climb. But a moment later, everything changed. One look at the route heading upwards was enough to make it clear that this would not come for free. And when your hiking companions are turbo mice, you start sweating so quickly that every extra layer ends up in the backpack.
Gear for the hike
The gear was as follows:
- MAMBA-W jacket, which is ideal for the mountains thanks to its resistance to wind and rain. And it is also beautifully packable into a backpack,
- LOS-W T-shirt,
- HEYES-W pants, made from a fine and airy material. I took size 38, which I normally wear, but they were a little looser than I expected, so size 36 would probably have been ideal,
- DANKEN LOW-U shoes, which are lightweight and do not cause blisters,
- RILA 30-U backpack, great for day trips and at the same time fits perfectly on the back.
For men, the ideal choice is:
- Kilpi SONNA-M jacket,
- SLOPER-M men’s T-shirt,
- Kilpi HOSIO-M pants, which can quickly turn into shorts in warmer weather.
Turbo mice, sweat and the first crisis
I am thinking about showing the turbo mice my ID card so they can remind themselves of my date of birth. Luckily, I have my little slippers – the Kilpi DANKEN LOW-U shoes – which almost walk by themselves. Shame it is only almost.
After a while, sweat is running down my face and I am silently cursing myself for forgetting my Kilpi COOLY-U headband. The Kilpi LOS-W T-shirt is still successfully resisting my sweat, I only later rolled it up and turned it into a crop top. Well, there is nobody around, so I can let my little rolls get some fresh air for a while. The sun has started smiling at us quite a lot.
I put on my Kilpi SOLIS PHOTO-U sunglasses against the sun and the glowing ball is defeated.
I also blame the waterfalls of sweat on my age. After all, I have been haunting this world for more than half a century and menopause is probably already here. But when I look at the turbo mice, my heart flutters with joy – they are also bathing in their own sweat! So maybe I am not doing that badly after all.
The bear that was not a bear
Just before the summit, I realise that I may not only have early Alzheimer’s and menopause, but I should probably also visit an eye doctor. In the distance, I spotted a brown moving shape making strange sounds.
The first thought in my head – a bear. My body stopped and froze, a bit like in the Czech film Ať žijí duchové, when Vendelín’s legs turned wooden. My second thought was that there were also tourists at the summit, so maybe the bear would choose them instead of us.
The turbo mice are even blinder than I am, they see nothing at all and remain completely calm. I only said out loud: “Hey, I think there is a bear,” and pointed in that direction. After a while, they saw something too. We stood there staring until the brown thing split into two chamois.
Simply put, when chamois are fighting, they look very suspicious from a distance. We breathed a sigh of relief, our legs started working again and after a few minutes we were at the summit.
The ridge, chains and the way back
We do not like returning the same way, so we wanted to continue along the ridge. Unfortunately for me, there were a few ladders and chains, and we had no safety equipment. My head stopped immediately at the second obstacle. Looking at a flat rock face, a chain and a long drop below us, my legs turned wooden again.
The fear was made worse by the knowledge that rain was expected in about two hours. When the turbo mice saw my terrified face, they understood that we were not going any further. They were disappointed, but there was no other option.
But to make sure the return route was not exactly the same, we turned in the valley towards Roháčské plesá. It was another steep climb, but it was worth it! Beautiful scenery and very few people.
Following the Roháčská plesa educational trail, we reached Tatliakova chata, where there are refreshments and you can pay by card. From there, you can take the electric train to Zverovka, which is close to the Ski Spálená car park. Of course, we walked back along the red trail all the way to the car park.
Rain at the end and the journey home
And as it often happens: when you do not need the weather forecast to be right, it turns out to be exactly right. We got wet, but it was a beautiful short summer rain, and by the time we reached the car, the Kilpi clothing was dry – both the jackets and the pants had resisted the rain. Only my shoes got wet through the socks.
We got into the car and headed home. We really did not want to leave, so we will definitely come back here again, maybe even with bikes.
