Hińczowa Przełęcz via Galerie Cubryńskie

 

Net elevation gain: 913m

Total elevation gain: approx. 1,000m

Rock difficulty: Polish grade 0+ / YDS class 3 

! Crumbly last stretch (the couloir)

When to Climb

  The best time to do this route is when there is no snow in the Hińczowy Couloir which drops from Hińczowa/Hincovo Pass. Such conditions are the most likely from August to September. Snow tends to linger on Mała Galeria Cubryńska as well as in the couloir, and the route can be impassable/too dangerous without an ice axe and crampons in early July and sometimes later too. In winter and spring the route - especially Mała Galeria - is extremely dangerous because of avalanches. The steep passage between Mała Galeria and Wielka Galeria is also very dangerous, so it is not advisable to do this route in those seasons.

From the hut take the yellow trail that leads, above the western shore of the beautiful tarn, to Szpiglasowa Pass. In less than an hour you will be at the mouth of Dolina za Mnichem, where you turn left to follow the red marks (which lead to the pass called Wrota Chałubińskiego, i.e. Chałubiński's Gate), but only for several metres. Now on your left begins an unmarked path (not very clear at the very start) that heads for the south foot of Mnich. Follow this path to a kind of terrace called Mnichowe Plecy (Monk's Back), owing to its location behind Mnich. When you are on Mnichowe Plecy, turn right and walk in the direction opposite to Mnich, i.e. to the south, towards the knoll of Mnichowa Kopa and impressive Zadni Mnich (Rear Monk). Having traversed the summit of Mnichowa Kopa on the left, you get a spectacular view of the northeast face of Zadni Mnich. Then the path skirts the upper end of Żleb pod Mnichem (Couloir under the Monk) to sharply descend 80m (YDS class 3, exposure) onto a slanting terrace below and above the cliffs of Cubryna, known as Mała Galeria Cubryńska (Cubryna's Little Gallery). From here you have an excellent view of the southeast face of Mnich. The path traverses the gallery and at its other end enters a little, oblique chute. Walk up the chute for a few metres to soon traverse left towards the exposed edge of this passage, where the path shows again. The path will take you up to a vast gallery, much bigger than Mała Galeria Cubryńska, not surprisingly named Wielka (Great) Galeria Cubryńska. Traverse the Great Gallery, following cairns, towards the outlet of the great couloir (Hińczowy Żleb) that drops from the pass between the massifs of Cubryna and Mięguszowiecki Szczyt Wielki, i.e. Hińczowa Przełęcz/Hincovo sedlo. Cross the outlet of the couloir and keep on following cairns, ascending the left-hand (eastern) side of the crumbly couloir most of the way (lots of scree) and finally via its bottom. Hińczowa Przełęcz/Hincovo sedlo offers a picturesque view of the tarns to its south, i.e. Hincove plesá. From the pass you can reach the summit of Cubryna/Čubrina (2376m) in about 20 minutes and Mięguszowiecki Szczyt Wielki/Veľký Mengusovský štít (2438m) in 1-1.5hrs.