Overview
At first sight Ostrý Štit / Ostry Szczyt is inconspicuous and your sight goes to its neighbours: Široká Veža / Mały Lodowy Szczyt, Javorový Štit / Jaworowy Szczyt or Prostredný Hrot / Pośrednia Grań. When you look from the north side it seems by L’adový Štit / Lodowy Szczyt on the east and a huge wall of Javorový Štit massif on the west only of a little pyramidal crag in the main ridge of Tatra Mountains. But it is the one of the most precipitous and difficult summits in High Tatra – all routes are available only for climbers (the easiest route has II grade in UIAA scale). For that reason it was the longest conquer summit on the turn of XIX and XX century, when they “discover” Tatar Mountains for tourism. In Zakopane they made book on who reaches the top as the first and was considered as the most difficult in the whole Tatra.
Ostrý Štit seen from Zbojnicka Chata
It is a very interesting summit for “average” climbers. It offers plenty of easy routes, from II to V, but you can find here only one route for graduates (“Ostra realita” UIAA VIII-) and with the nearby south wall of Široká Veža makes an eldorado for climbers.
It ascends between Vel’ká Studená / Staroleśna Valley (south) and Zadná Javorová / Zadnia Jaworowa Valley (north) and is separated from Široká Veža by Biela Lávka / Biała Ławka and from Javorový Štit by Javorové Sedlo / Jaworowa Przełęcz. In the west ridge of Ostrý Štit rises its smaller brother - Malý Ostrý Štit separated by Prielom v Ostrom / Przełęcz w Ostrym.
The Slovakian and Polish name means “sharp, pointed summit” and comes from its shape, especially when you look from the east direction.
First ascend
Antonina Englisch with his son Karol Englisch and guides Johann Hunsdorfer senior and Johann Strompf reached the summit as the first in 1902 year, after a few unsuccessful attempts, by the north wall. This three of them reached already a few another peaks and new routs as the first in Tatra Mountains, too.
In winter the first ascend belongs to Alfred Grosz and Gyula Komarnicki (1911) by the east ridge.
Summit view
Summit view is a little limited in the east direction by Široká Veža and in the west by Javorový Štit. But I think it is interesting, especialy in Prostredný Hrot direction. Have a look youself!
Getting There
FROM SLOVAKIAN SIDE:
The major city in this area is Poprad, where you can get by bus or train. From Poprad there is a lot of buses and trains to Starý Smokovec (13km) at the foot of Tatra:
train time table
bus time table
train time table from Poprad to Starý Smokovec Tatranská elektrická železnica
Maps of Starý Smokovec and Tatranská Lomnica
FROM POLISH SIDE:
The best point to stars the journey is Zakopane – the biggest town on Polish side of Tatra Mountains. You can get there from Kraków by bus (most recommended), car or train:
By bus: there are a lot of buses from Kraków to Zakopane - time table of PKS and private lines Frey and Szwagropol.
By train: the road is much longer and dearer than by bus - time table from Kraków 0.00-11.59 a.m., 12.00-11.59 p.m. and from Zakopane.
By car: from Kraków take a road number 7 to Chyżne and follow it to Rabka. Here this road turn right to Chyżne, but you follow still straight a head in south direction by road number 95. In Poronin 5 km before Zakopane turn left (east) to border crossing point in Łysa Polana.
From Zakopane: Take a bus to Polana Palenica (time table of PKS, in high season there are a lot of private buses, too – a station is opposite to PKS) and get off in Łysa Polana / Lysá Pol’ana (Attention! private buses sometimes has a direction-board “Morskie Oko”). Cross the polish-slovakian border . Bus station on Slovakian side is about 100m after border crossing point on the right. Take a bus to Poprad, which goes through Starý Smokovec (time table).
IN MOUNTAIN:
Approach to Zbojnicka Chata:
From Stary Smokovec follow green marked trail to Hrebienok / Siodelko (you can take there cable railway (“lanovka”) – (time table ) – 1 h 15 min. Next follow red marked trail in Skalnata Chata direction and after about 15 min turn left on blue-marked trail, leading to Zbojnicka Chata (2 h 30 min).
Routes overview
CLIMBINGS ROUTES:
South wall:
general TOPO
Approach: from Zbojnicka Chata take a yellow-marked trail leading on Priečne Sedlo and follow it to Strelecké Polia / Strzeleckie Pola - the highest part of Vel’ká Studená Valley. When you pass on your right hand a top of Strelecká Veža you have the south wall of Ostrý Štit on your left hand in the north direction.
1. Motykova cesta (IV) 3h.
2. Šwierzov komín (II-III) 1,5h.
3. Häberleinova cesta (III-IV) 2h.
4. Cesta Spišských vodcov (III) 2h.
5. Došek - Komárek (IV) 2,5h. TOPO
6. Petráň - Charvátová (IV) ?h. TOPO
7. Jurzycova cesta (II-III) ?h.
8. Ostrá realita (VIII-) 3h. TOPO
South-west wall:
general TOPO and general VIEW
Approach: from Zbojnicka Chata take a yellow-marked trail leading on Priečne Sedlo and follow it to Sivé Plesa / Siwe Stawy (Lakes). Now you have the south-west wall of Ostrý Štit on your left hand in the north direction.
1. Stejskal-Gross-Páleníček (V,A2) 10h. TOPO
2. Kučera-Oružinský "Jaskynky" (V) 3h.
3. Zamkovského komín (V) 4h.
4. Variant ľavou hornou časťou steny (V-VI) 4h.
5. Žlté nebezpečenstvo (V) 1h. TOPO
6. Ostrie JZ piliera (V) TOPO
Route of rappel from the top by the south wall (on Strelecké Polia / Strzeleckie Pola - the upper part of Vel’ká Studená Valley).
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