Rysy (; ; , ) 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 t ...

in the crest of the

High Tatras The High Tatras or High Tatra Mountains (; ; ,'' Vysoki Tatry''; ; ), are a mountain range along the border of northern Slovakia in the Prešov Region, and southern Poland in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. They are a range of the Tatra Mountains ...

, eastern part of the Tatra Mountains, lying on the border between

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

and

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, 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 west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

. 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; 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 fissure, o ...

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 ( ; : lynx or lynxes) is any of the four wikt:extant, extant species (the Canada lynx, Iberian lynx, Eurasian lynx and the bobcat) within the medium-sized wild Felidae, cat genus ''Lynx''. The name originated in Middle Engl ...

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

History

The first known ascent 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.

Hiking the peak

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

Štrbské pleso Štrbské pleso (, , , or ) is a picturesque tarn (lake), mountain lake of glacial origin and a top tourist destination in the High Tatras, Slovakia. It is the second-largest glacial lake on the Slovak side of the High Tatras, after Veľké Hi ...

and passing ''Chata pod Rysmi'', a mountain chalet at an altitude of . Between November 1 and June 1, the trail and chalet on the Slovak side are closed. The mountain can also be ascended from the Polish side coming from the Morskie Oko lake, which is a more spectacular route, but at the same brings more difficulties and 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 its location, the trail might have snow cover until the second half of June and winter equipment might be required for the ascent then. The

winter Winter is the coldest and darkest season of the year in temperate and polar 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. Dif ...

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

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 or ice covered (e.g. ice climbing or mixed climbing) conditions. Its use depends on the terrain: in its si ...

) and skills, often with a large

avalanche An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a Grade (slope), slope, such as a hill or mountain. Avalanches can be triggered spontaneously, by factors such as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, othe ...

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
Polish summit 2499 m

Slovak summit 2503 m

Hike to Rysy (from the Slovak side)
{{Authority control Two-thousanders of Poland Two-thousanders of Slovakia Mountains of the Western Carpathians Poland–Slovakia border International mountains of Europe High Tatras Highest points of countries

Name

History

Hiking the peak

See also

References

External links