Western Tatras

Western Tatras
Slovak: Západné Tatry
Western Tatras in winter
Highest point
Peak	Bystrá
Elevation
Geography
Countries	Slovakia and Poland
State/Province	Žilina Lesser Poland
Range coordinates
Parent range	Tatra Mountains
Borders on	Eastern Tatras

Ostrý Roháč

Ostrý Roháč and Plačlivé

Plačlivé

Goryczkowa Czuba

Druhé Roháčske pleso

Chochołowska valley, Mnichy Chochołowskie

Giewont and Czerwony Grzbiet

Giewont from the East

Polana Stoły

Polana Jamy

The Western Tatras (Slovak: Západné Tatry; Polish: Tatry Zachodnie) are mountains in the Tatras, part of the Carpathian Mountains, located on the Polish-Slovak borders. The mountains border the High Tatras in the east, Podtatranská kotlina in the south, Choč Mountains in the west and Rów Podtatrzański (Slovak: Podtatranská brázda) in the north. The main ridge is 37 kilometers long and the mountain range contains 31 two-thousanders.

Western Tatras are the second highest mountain range in Slovakia; its highest peak is Bystrá at 2,248 meters. Other notable mountains include Jakubiná (2,194 m), Baranec (2,184 m), Baníkov (2,178 m), Tri kopy (2,136.3 m), Plačlivé (2,125.1 m), Ostrý Roháč (2,087.5 m), Volovec (Polish: Wołowiec; 2,064 m), Kasprowy Wierch (Slovak: Kasprov vrch; 1,987 m) and Giewont (1,894 m). In Slovakia, they are partially located in the traditional regions of Liptov and Orava. The highest point in Poland is Starorobociański Wierch (2,176 m).

All visitors to the Western Tatras area are obliged since July 1, 2006 to cover all costs of their rescue by the Mountain Rescue Service. Visitors are prohibited from leaving the marked tourist routes, sleeping in the mountains or setting fire are strictly prohibited.

Division

The Western Tatras are subdivided into 6 regions on the Slovak side and 4 on the Polish side.

Slovak Western Tatras:

• Osobitá (highest point: Osobitá, 1 687 m)
• Sivý vrch (highest point: Sivý vrch, 1 805 m)
• Liptovské Tatry (highest point: Bystrá, 2 248 m)
• Roháče (highest point: Baníkov, 2 178 m)
• Červené vrchy (highest point: Kresanica / Krzesanica, 2 122 m)
• Liptovské kopy (highest point: Veľká kopa, 2 122 m)

Polish Western Tatras:

• Grześ
• Kasprowy Wierch
• Czerwone Wierchy (corresponds to Červené vrchy, highest point: Kresanica / Krzesanica, 2 122 m)
• Ornak

Geology and ecology

The Western Tatras are protected by Tatranský národný park in Slovakia and Tatrzański Park Narodowy in Poland.

Peaks

The following is a list of the highest 10 of the 31 two-thousanders in Western Tatras:

Image	Slovak name	Polish name	Height	Location & Notes
	Bystrá	Bystra	2,248.4 m 7,377 ft	Liptovské Tatry, the highest peak in Slovak Western Tatras
	Jakubiná	Raczkowa Czuba	2,193.7 m 7,197 ft
	Baranec	Baraniec	2,184.6 m 7,167 ft
	Baníkov	Banówka	2,178 m 7,146 ft	Highest point on the main ridge
	Klin	Starorobociański Wierch	2,176 m 7,139 ft	Main ridge, the highest peak in Polish Western Tatras
	Pachoľa	Pachola	2,167 m 7,110 ft	Main ridge
	Hrubá kopa	Hruba Kopa	2,166 m 7,106 ft	Main ridge
	Blyšť	Błyszcz	2,159 m 7,083 ft	Bystrá ridge
	Príslop	Jałowiecki Przysłop	2,142 m 7,028 ft
	Hrubý vrch	Jarząbczy Wierch	2,137 m 7,011 ft

Saddles (cols)

• Pálenica (1 570 m)
• Parichvost (1 870 m)
• Baníkovské sedlo (2 045 m)
• Smutné sedlo (1 965 m)
• Žiarske sedlo (1 917,1 m)
• Jamnícke sedlo (1 908 m)
• Račkovo sedlo (1 958 m)
• Gáborovo sedlo (1 890 m)
• Bystré sedlo (1 960 m)
• Pyšné sedlo (1 791,6 m)
• Tomanovské sedlo (1 685,9 m)
• Ľaliové sedlo (1 951,8 m)

Tarns

There are approximately 20 to 32 tarns (Slovak: pleso) in Western Tatras. The exact number is difficult to obtain because of lack of an exact definition and because it is sometimes hard to prove what is a tarn and what is not. The following is a list of 15 largest tarns in Western Tatras:

Image	Slovak name	Polish name	Height (m)	Area (ha)	Depth (m)
	Dolné Roháčske pleso	Niżni Staw Rohacki	1563	2.22	6.3
	Horné Roháčske pleso	Wyżni Staw Rohacki	1718	1.45	8.1
	Dolné Jamnícke pleso	Niżni Jamnicki Staw	1728	1.13	4.0
	Horné Bystré pleso	Wielki Staw Bystry	1875	0.86	12.5
	Horné Račkovo pleso	Zadni Staw Raczkowy	1717	0.74	10.0
	Tretie Roháčske pleso	Pośredni Rohacki Staw	1653	0.61	3.7
	Horné Jamnícke pleso	Wyżni Jamnicki Staw	1834	0.41	8.0
	Spodné Bystré pleso	Niżni Staw Bystry	1837	0.34	4.0
	Pleso pod Zverovkou	Stawek pod Zwierówką	983	0.31	1.2
	Ťatliakovo pleso	Czarna Młaka	1370	0.28	1.2
	Druhé Roháčske pleso	Mały Rohacki Staw	1650	0.28	1.3
	Horné Tomanovo pleso	Wyżni Tomanowy Stawek	1592	0.19	1.0
	Žiarske pleso		1860	0.11	0.8
	Kobylie pleso	Kobyli Stawek	1742	0.10	1.5
	Biele Bobrovecké pleso	Biały Stawek Bobrowiecki	1502	0.10	1.5

Caves

• Jaskinia Wielka Śnieżna, the largest and deepest cave in Poland
• Brestovská cave, uniquely features an underground river (not accessible to the public)

Tourism

There are four tourist centers inside the Western Tatras area: Zverovka, Brestová and Ťatliakova chata in the northern region and Žiarska chata in the southern region. All other tourist centers lie at the outside borders of the mountains, including: Oravice, Zuberec, Bobrovecká vápenica, Žiar, Konská, Jakubovany-Studená dolina, Pribylina, Podbanské.

See also

• Eastern Tatras – mountain range bordering the Western Tatras in the east
• Mountain Rescue Service (Slovakia)
• Tourism in Slovakia

References

Sources

• Touristic map 1:25000 Západné Tatry - Podbanské - Zverovka, VKÚ a.s. Harmanec, 2008

External links

• SummitPost.org: Western Tatras