Rysy (; ; german: Meeraugspitze, hu, Tengerszem-csúcs) is a

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher ...

in the crest of the

High Tatras The High Tatras or High Tatra Mountains ( Slovak: Vysoké Tatry; pl, Tatry Wysokie; rue, Высокі Татри,'' Vysoki Tatry''; hu, Magas-Tátra; german: Hohe Tatra; french: Hautes Tatras), are a mountain range along the border of norther ...

, eastern part of the

Tatra Mountains The Tatra Mountains (), Tatras, or Tatra (''Tatry'' either in Slovak () or in Polish () - '' plurale tantum''), are a series of mountains within the Western Carpathians that form a natural border between Slovakia and Poland. They are the hi ...

, lying on the border between

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

and

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the ...

. Rysy has three summits: the middle at ; the north-western at ; and the south-eastern at . The north-western summit is the highest point of Poland and belongs to the

Crown of Polish Mountains Crown of Polish Mountains – a list of 28 peaks one per each of the mountain ranges of Poland. It was suggested by geographer, traveller and writer and dr Wojciech Lewandowski in the tourism and local lore magazine '. The list was on Decemb ...

; the other two summits are on the Slovak side of the border.

Name

Experts assume that the Polish and Slovak name ''Rysy'', meaning "scratches" or "crevices", refers to a series of

couloir A ''couloir'' (, "passage" or "corridor") is a narrow gully with a steep gradient in a mountainous terrain.Whittow, John (1984). ''Dictionary of Physical Geography''. London: Penguin, p. 121. . Geology A couloir may be a seam, scar, or fissu ...

s, either those on the western slopes of Żabie Ridge or the very prominent high couloir and numerous smaller on the northern side. A folk explanation on the Slovak side says that the name comes from the plural word ''rysy'' meaning "

lynx A lynx is a type of wild cat. Lynx may also refer to: Astronomy * Lynx (constellation) * Lynx (Chinese astronomy) * Lynx X-ray Observatory, a NASA-funded mission concept for a next-generation X-ray space observatory Places Canada * Lynx, ...

es", although the habitat of the lynx does not extend above the timberline. The Hungarian name ''Tengerszem-csúcs'' and the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

name ''Meeraugspitze'' mean "eye-of-the-sea peak", from the glacial lake at the northern foot of the mountain, called "eye of the sea" (''

Morskie Oko Morskie Oko, or Eye of the Sea in English, is the largest and fourth-deepest lake in the Tatra Mountains, in southern Poland. It is located deep within the Tatra National Park in the Rybi Potok (the Fish Brook) Valley, of the High Tatras mountai ...

'' in Polish).

History

The first known

ascent Ascent or The Ascent may refer to: Publications * ''Ascent'' (magazine), an independent, not-for-profit magazine * ''Ascent'' (journal), a literary journal based at Concordia College * ''Ascent'' (novel), by Jed Mercurio * '' Times Ascent'', a ...

was made in 1840, by Ede Blásy and his guide Ján Ruman-Driečny, Sr. The first winter ascent was completed in 1884, by Theodor Wundt and Jakob Harvey.

Tourism

Rysy is the highest peak in the

that is accessible to individual tourists on foot without a

mountain guide A mountain guide is a specially trained and experienced professional mountaineer who is certified by local authorities or mountain guide associations. They are considered to be high-level experts in mountaineering, and are hired to instruct or ...

. It is possible to ascend the peak from the Slovak side, starting at

Štrbské pleso Štrbské pleso (, german: Tschirmer See, pl, Szczyrbskie jezioro, hu, Csorbató or ) is a picturesque mountain lake of glacial origin and a top tourist destination in the High Tatras, Slovakia. It is the second-largest glacial lake on the Sl ...

and passing ''Chata pod Rysmi'', a mountain chalet at an altitude of . Between November 1 and June 15, the trail and chalet on the Slovak side is closed. The mountain can also be ascended from the Polish side coming from the

lake, which is a more spectacular route, but at the same time more difficult and more exposure. The trail leads from Morskie Oko to Czarny Staw, and from there first along the northern slope and then the west wall. Due to this location, winter conditions prevail on this trail very often still in the second half of June and winter equipment is required to ascent. The

winter Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultur ...

ascent from the Polish side is a serious climb requiring the right equipment (

crampons A crampon is a traction device that is attached to footwear to improve mobility on snow and ice during ice climbing. Besides ice climbing, crampons are also used for secure travel on snow and ice, such as crossing glaciers, snowfields and ice ...

ice axe An ice axe is a multi-purpose hiking and climbing tool used by mountaineers in both the ascent and descent of routes that involve snow, ice, or frozen conditions. Its use depends on the terrain: in its simplest role it is used like a walking ...

) and skills, often with a large

avalanche An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a slope, such as a hill or mountain. Avalanches can be set off spontaneously, by such factors as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, animals, and ea ...

threat. There have been serious avalanche events, including fatal ones. The average slope of the slope above the Czarny Staw is around 30 degrees. In the Rysa

, about 40 degrees to its half. In the upper part, the incline reaches up to 44 degrees. Since the accession of Poland and Slovakia to the

Schengen Agreement The Schengen Agreement ( , ) is a treaty which led to the creation of Europe's Schengen Area, in which internal border checks have largely been abolished. It was signed on 14 June 1985, near the town of Schengen, Luxembourg, by five of the t ...

in 2007, the border between the two countries may be easily crossed at this point like at any other.

References

External links

TOPR - Polish Tatra Mountain Rescue Service

Rysy at Peakbagger.com

Additional information including some photos

3D Panorama