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| Dumbier from the west |
30-08-12
Started south of Chopok at Sredisko (1213m) which I discovered by chance as I did
not have a map. This had a nice cool covered car park underneath the chair skilift.
I did not use the ski lifts, and there was a new one being built higher up to take you near to the summit of Chopok.
There is already a lift that goes all the way on the north side.
Used tiny and sketchy map on a skilift leaflet, which at
times was not over-helpful . Directions on the signposts for Dumbier
itself only appeared quite near the summit - highest point
in Niske Tatry (2043m P1143)..
From the ski-centre I took the yellow marked track which zigzagged
through the trees to the left of the ski run and came out in the middle of the
building work. There was some vague attempt to divert the path around the works
– however, the British HSE would have had a fit. At one point, I had to walk through ankle high very loose earth
whilst JCB driver temporarily stopped long enough for me to get by. I then
followed a blue marked path that traversed the hill eastwards for quite a while
to Razcestie na Krupovo sedlo where there was a curious junction with a red
marked path that doubled back sharply. Initially I thought it was just a
variant of the path that I was already on. This
takes you up to the saddle just below Dumbier and where the first sign
for Dumbier appeared. It was 20 minutes from there to the summit, that sports
another of the Slovakian double crosses, plus a range of other markers. There were
a few other people there, but not a lot. Most people seem to be content with
just going to Chopok which is the second highest point on the ridge.
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| Dumb and Dumbier |
I
followed the ridge back westwards on a paved track to the Kamenna Chata refuge
which is just below the summit of Chopok (2024m). After bagging the very
crowded summit I went in the even more crowded refuge for a large cup of sweet
tea and potato cakes.
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| Chopok from Dumbier |
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| Chopok |
To the west is another top, Derese (2003m). Very few people
bother with it and, in fact, the path bypasses it. I was one of the few –
although the large number of silly
looking small cairns built all around it
showed that there are enough visitors to spoil things.
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| Derese |
From Derese I doubled back to an unsignposted yellow marked
track that descended the hill. It soon
became apparent why it was not signposted as it was quite unlike any other path
I have used in Czech R/Poland/Slovakia – there has been no attempt to smooth it
out in terms of direction or terrain. It changed direction dramatically without
apparent reason, it sometimes went back uphill and it was narrow with dwarf
pines lining the sides much of the way and it was deeply grooved with plenty of
roots and rocks to trip you up. In other words, it would have been a pleasure
to do if not already tired by a long walk. It was also lined at times by bushes
full of bilberries and redcurrants – delicious.
Eventually I found the blue marked traverse path that took
me back to the head of the ski-run, where I ignored all the keep out signs and
descended steeply and directly to the ski-centre for a welcome cup of tea.
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| Where did the path go? |
