Karbunkulový hrebeň

Overview

Karbunkulový hrebeň (Ruby Ridge)

One of the classic Tatras ridge routes, which starts in Jastrabie sedlo (2100 m) and ends in Belasé sedlo. When starting from Jastrabie  sedlo, you are crossing these summits: Predný Kopiniak (2250 m), Prostredný Kopiniak, Zadný Kopiniak (2257 m), Malý Kolový štít (2276 m), and since our goal was Kolový štít (2418 m), we had to visit another summits also: Belasá veža (2290 m), Zmrzlá veža (2310 m) and finally Kolový štít (2418 m).

First ascent: Zygmunt Klemensiewicz and Roman Kordys, 11.8.1905

Getting There

Route Description

This route is rather easy (UIAA II), but it’s very popular due to the panoramic views from the ridge and it is also very popular winter route.
Belaying is advisable, but not necessary.

We started on the bikes from Biela voda (950 m), from where we were following „bike trail“ leading to Zelené pleso (1551 m). Although it’s officially listed as a bike trail, you can't expect it will be walk in the park. Trail’s length is 8,4 km – you can find a gravel road on the first (3 km) and the last section (2 km), but 3 km in the middle are really hard and it looks like you were cycling in a dry creek bed. The total time (with some bike pushing) was around 2 hours (2 h 50 min on foot), although I’m convinced it can be covered faster.

We left our bikes behind Chata pri Zelenom plese and from this place we followed the route leading to Jahňačí štít (2230 m). When we walked past Červené and Belasé pleso tarns, we turned left in the direction of a small meteorological station and from there we continued to Jastrabie sedlo (2100 m). The route finding is not a problem here, because the route to the saddle is very popular, mainly because of the vicinity of Jastrabia veža. There is a possibility of easy ascent of Jastrabia veža (2139 m) towering above Zelené pleso tarn, from below Jastrabie sedlo via a broad ledge leading directly to the summit.

There are great views of the wildest Tatra group from Jastrabie sedlo. You can see the famous north face of Malý Kežmarský štít (the highest face in High Tatras, 900 m), one of the most beautiful ridges in Tatras – Vidlový hrebeň, and the group of Lomnický štít and Pyšné štíty.

What follows was an easy scrambling to the summit of the first of Kopiniaks. Although the ridge is very exposed, there is no difficult climbing and there isn’t necessity of abseiling either. We followed the ridge, although there is a „tourist“ alternative of this route – you can follow the path visible somewhat below the ridge (above Červená dolinka). There are some possibilites how to escape from this route in case of bad weather – from Zadná Sklenená štrbina; from Belasé sedlo, and from Kolové sedlo (via Belasá veža).

The most difficult part of this route is descent to Kolová štrbina, between Zmrzlá veža and Kolový štít and the first section of Kolový štít. The rock is very rotten there, so we abseiled 5 m to this very narrow pass and then continued by easy scrambling (UIAA II) to the summit of Kolový štít. There is 15 m chimney in the last section of this route, but nothing too much difficult. Once we were on the summit of Kolový štít we decided to descent to Čierne sedlo pass (2266 m) and descent through the valleys of Malá and Veľká Zmrzlá dolina back to Zelené pleso.

Approximate time schedule:

Biela voda – Chata pri Zelenom plese, 2 h 50 min

Chata pri Zelenom plese – Jastrabie sedlo, 1 h 30 min

Jastrabie sedlo – Belasé sedlo, 2 h

Belasé sedlo – Belasá veža, 30 min

Belasá veža – Kolový štít, 1 h 30 min

Kolový štít – Zelené pleso, 2 h

Essential Gear

Normal hiking/climbing gear.

External Links