Batizowsky Stit

Overview

Batizowský Štit / Batyżowiecki Szczyt is a not outstanding summit in the main ridge of Tatra Mountains, dim by entourage of nearby Gerlachovský Štit / Gerlach and Končistá / Kończysta. Available in principle only for climbers. Its south wall is armoured by huge and very precipitous slabs with the one of the most beautiful routes in High Tatra. The north brittle wall is visited much seldom.

Batizowský Štit (left) and Kačaci Štit (right) from the north

It ascends over Batizovská / Batyżowiecka Valley from the south and Kačacia / Kacza Valley from the north and is separated from Kačaci Štit / Kaczy Szczyt through Nižné Kačacie Sedlo / Kacza Przełęcz (in the west direction) and from Zadný Gerlachovský Štit / Zadni Gerlach through Batizovské Sedlo / Batyżowiecka Przełęcz (in the east direction). Batizowský Štit has two summits – the main east: Vel’ký Batizowský Štit / Wielki Batyżowiecki Szczyt and the lower west: Malý Batizowský Štit / Mały Batyżowiecki Szczyt.

The name comes from Batizovská Valley and this one from a village Batizovce on the south side of High Tatra, which was the owner of this area.

Karol Jurzyca with a guide Józef Galko-Rusnak reached the summit as the first in 1900 year. In winter the first ascend belongs to and Jerzy Maślanka (1909).

Getting There

FROM SLOVAKIAN SIDE:

The major city in this area is Poprad, where you can get by bus or train. From Poprad there is a lot of buses and trains to Starý Smokovec (13km) at the foot of Tatra:
train time table
bus time table
train time table from Poprad to Starý Smokovec Tatranská elektrická železnica

Maps of Starý Smokovec. From Starý Smokovec take a Tatranská elektrická železnica (better) or bus to Tatranská Polianka or Vyšné Hágy.

FROM POLISH SIDE:

The best point to stars the journey is Zakopane – the biggest town on Polish side of Tatra Mountains. You can get there from Kraków by bus (most recommended), car or train:
By bus: there are a lot of buses from Kraków to Zakopane - time table of PKS and private lines Frey and Szwagropol.
By train: the road is much longer and dearer than by bus - time table from Kraków 0.00-11.59 a.m., 12.00-11.59 p.m. and from Zakopane.
By car: from Kraków take a road number 7 to Chyżne and follow it to Rabka. Here this road turn right to Chyżne, but you follow still straight a head in south direction by road number 95. In Poronin 5 km before Zakopane turn left (east) to border crossing point in Łysa Polana.

From Zakopane: Take a bus to Polana Palenica (time table of PKS, in high season there are a lot of private buses, too – a station is opposite to PKS) and get off in Łysa Polana / Lysá Pol’ana (Attention! private buses sometimes has a direction-board “Morskie Oko”). Cross the polish-slovakian border . Bus station on Slovakian side is about 100m after border crossing point on the right. Take a bus to Poprad, which goes through Starý Smokovec (time table).

From Starý Smokovec take a Tatranská elektrická železnica (better) or bus to Tatranská Polianka or Vyšné Hágy.

IN MOUNTAIN:

From Tatranská Polianka: take a green-marked trail leading to Sliezsky Dom Chalet (about 2 h 30 min). When you reach this hotel turn left (west) on the red-marked trail leading to Chata Popradské Pleso and follow it to Batizovské Pleso (1 h 15 min). Go round the lake and climb up Batizovská Valley on its left side, through scree, to the end untill the foot of the south wall of Batizowský Štit. (about 1 h)

From Vyšné Hágy: if you want directly climb Batizowský Štit (without night's rest in Sliezsky Dom) take a yellow-marked trail leading to upper part of Batizovská Valley (to Batizovské Pleso about 2 h). Go round the lake and climb up Batizovská Valley on its left side, through scree, to the end untill the foot of the south wall of Batizowský Štit (about 1 h).

Routes overview

CLIMBINGS ROUTS

South wall: general TOPO
1. S. Bernadzikiewicz, A. Kenar (UIAA III) 3h.
2. Tatarkova route (UIAA IV+), TOPO
3. Kuttove platne (UIAA IV+) 2 h, TOPO
4. F. Gažo, I. Gálfy (UIAA V) 2h.
5. J. Koršala, P. Vavro (UIAA V-VI) 5h.
6. Čihul’ pillar (UIAA V, A1,RP V+) 4h, TOPO
7. R. Kubín, V. Roland (UIAA V) 3,5h.
8. Komarnický’ route (UIAA IV) 3h.
9. South pillar - Kuffa (UIAA V) 3h.
10. V. Tatarka, J. Michalko, (UIAA IV+,A1,A2) 4h, TOPO
11. South-West route (UIAA IV+,A0)
12. A. Puškáš, T. Tóth, (UIAA III-IV) 1,5 h.
13. Pytlákův expres, (UIAA VI+) ?h, TOPO

South-West wall: general TOPO
1. By left peripheral depression (UIAA V) 5h
2. By depression (UIAA V) 5h, TOPO
3. Čiernobiele sokolíky, (VI+) 1,5h, TOPO
4. Variant stokom vody (V+,A0) 2h.
5. Josemicka, (IV+,A0) 4h, TOPO
6. L. Lapúnik, B. Čiernik (VI), TOPO
7. H. Przedpelska, M. Czachor (V+) 5h, TOPO
8. M. Griesel, V. Petrík (IV+,A1) 4,5h, TOPO
9. S. Bernadzikiewicz, A. Kenar (III) 3h.

Maps

Map of Batizowský Štit’ area

Tatry Wysokie, in scale 1:25 000, description in 6 languages, ISBN 83-87873-26-8, available in all shops in Zakopane. Here you can look at net version.
A high quality maps in scales 1:25 000 and 1:50 000 are produced VKU Harmanec, too. They are available at all chalets and shops in cities under Vysoke Tatry.

When To Climb

The best time is a summer and early autumn (June - October).

Red Tape

The “High Tatra” is a National park, UN Bioheritage area and a European BioHeritage - if you are not a member of any climbing club you can move only on marked trails - so you can visit Batizowský Štit only with tatra guide.

In winter time (from November the 1st – June the 15th) The Tatra Mountains in Slovakian part are closed for normal tourists (not for climbers). In Polish part you can move the whole of year.

For more informations look at High Tatra/Vysoke Tatry GROUP page.
For climbing regulations look at Gerlachovsky Stit page.

Accommodation

There is only one chalet near by Batizowský Štit:

Sliezsky Dom - a huge mountain hotel situated by a mouth of Velická / Wielicka Valley on the south shore of Velické Pleso. The dearest chalet in whole Tatra Mountains (one night about 20-25 euro) and one of the most ugly. But sole in this area.
Access from:
1. Tatranská Polianka – green-marked trail, 2 h 30 min
2. Tatranské Zruby - blue/yellow/green marked trails, 2 h 30 min
3. Starý Smokovec – yellow/green marked trails, 3 h
4. Hrebienok – red-marked trail, 2 h
5. Chata Popradské Pleso – red-marked trail, 3 h 45 min
Contact:
adres: Chalet Sliezsky dom, 059 82 Tatranská Polianka, Slovak Republic, EU
mail: mail@sliezskydom.sk
telephone: ++421-52-4425261
fax: ++421-52-4425202

Absolutely no camping is permitted in the nature park. The nearest camping in Slovakian side is in Stara Lesna and Tatranska Lomnica.

There are plenty of cheap hotels and pensions in the area of Stary Smokovec and Štrbské Pleso: accommodation

Mountain Conditions

Web forecast:
situation at this moment and forecast

Information of avalanche danger:
TOPR (in English) and HZS

Rescue:
On Slovakian side acts HZS (Horska Zachranna Sluzba)
Starý Smokovec 23, 059 60 Vysoké Tatry
phon.: 052/4422820, fax: 052/4422855,
mobil: 0903624869
e-mail: vtatry@hzs.sk
www.hzs.sk

Signs of war

During the Slovakian National Rising against Nazi, which has place in October 1944, a soviet air-plane crashed in a fog into rocks of Zadný Gerlachovský Štit. It flew from Poland to Slovakia with Slovakian, Czech and Russian paratroopers and weapon on a board for Slovakian insurgents. All people died. Next year in summer Polish climbers found remains of plane and human bodies in uppermost part of Batizovská Valley. Passengers were buried in a little village at the foot of Tatra - Gerlachov just in 1946 year. But remains of plane you can find in place of calamity till today.

Images

View Batizowsky Stit Image Gallery - 24 Images