Text: Kateřina Czempková
My first three-day crossing of the beautiful Slovak ridge with an overnight stay outside was unforgettable. I would like to share with all adventurers a tip for this trip, which was not exactly easy, but worth every drop of sweat!
The total length of our route was approximately 42 km with an elevation gain of 2400 vertical meters. We split the trek into just under three days, which allowed us to enjoy the spectacular views without rushing. The starting point was the village of Biely Potok near Ružomberok, where we parked the car in the late afternoon. As this is a national park, camping and bivouacking is forbidden outside the designated areas, which we had to respect. So, our goal was to find a shelter for the first night, about 8 km away. At the start we were faced with a steep climb and the pounds on our backs were immediately noticeable. The road led through the mountain village of Vlkolínec with its typical folk architecture, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Almost in the dark we arrived at the shelter under Šiprúň, set up our tent, brushed our teeth and wished the bears good night. I was a bit nervous about the first night out, mainly because of the aforementioned bears, but fatigue quickly overcame my fears.
After a big breakfast in the grass we packed up and set off on the longest, 21km section of the route. In the morning we passed by a mountain hotel, which was the only refreshment option on the route. We had our food supplies with us, so we stopped briefly to replenish our caffeine and continued on. The trail was quite challenging, alternating between ascents and descents through flowering mountain meadows, forests and the peaks of Rakytov, Minčol and Ploská, with spectacular views in all directions. Every moment we admired how beautiful it was here. Along the way it was possible to refill water in several springs, which did not even need to be filtered. Although my shoulders had gotten used to the weight, I didn’t avoid the blisters from my pack and sunburned face. But that comes with the experience. In the early evening we arrived at the second campsite, a shepherd’s hut below Suchy vrchom. To my surprise, we were not alone and there were about ten other tourists spending the night. The biggest reward after a hard day was to set up the tent, change into clean clothes, prepare dinner and just sit and watch the sunset. I didn’t sleep much the second night, but the reason was not the fear of bears, but the strong wind that woke me up with the feeling that the tent wouldn’t last.
In the morning we traditionally rinsed our sleepy faces, refilled the water in the well, had porridge for breakfast, packed our things and set off for the last 13km part of the crossing. Right from the start we had a nice warm-up and had to climb the last meters of altitude to the top of Ostredok (1596 m above sea level), the highest peak of Veľká Fatra. Then followed a relaxing ridge. With our faces whipped by the wind, we reached the top of Krizna, from where we just descended steeply. We had to descend over 1000 vertical metres to the village of Staré Hory. I don’t like long descents, so I counted every kilometer to the finish.
In the afternoon we reached civilization and shortened the wait for the bus in a local hut. Traditional Slovak Gnocchi with Brynza cheese added to the feeling of euphoria and joy of having completed the crossing. We returned by bus to the village of Biely Potok and after about two hours of travel we arrived home, tired but satisfied.
Crossing the ridge of Veľká Fatra was beautiful and everyone who loves mountains and adventure should not miss this trip. I recommend it!
