Note:
All the digital photographs here were kindly supplied by Gorzi. A close-up of the Window as well as decent shots of the crest of the Low Tatras from the summit of Ohnište are still badly needed. I hope this will have been done and my old photos taken a few years ago with a then-fashionable camera I'd thoughtlessly exchanged for my good old Russian one will be replaced with decent images by the end of the summer of 2009.

It might be a good idea to click here for a start.

For two reasons, Ohnište (which can be translated as Bonfire/Fireside), at just 1538m, is one of the most interesting hiking goals in Nízke Tatry (i.e. the Low Tatras>, which are not part of the Tatra Mountains whatsoever but run parallel to them – east to west – to the south of the basins of Liptov and Poprad). You might even find Ohnište more attractive than the summits of the main ridge, perhaps except for the Ďumbier-Chopok area with its most Tatra-like look, as the former is made of the eccentric limestone and dolomite while the latter is a little lower replica of the gentler parts of the Western Tatras built of crystalline rocks. Ohnište is unique due to its magnificent rock arch which is actually called the Window ("Okno") and constitutes one of the most impressive verse of karstic poetry across the whole Carpathian Arc, undoubtedly being by far the grandest in the West Carpathians.

Whitish karstic massifs of Krakova hoľa (left) and Ohnište (right)

A lone reason for summiting Ohnište can be the fact that it seems more fun to admire part of the spine of the Lower Tatras from a superbly located vantage point than to view the northern swathe of the mountains – composed of the shoulders of the main ridge with their long limestone extensions and valleys that separate them – from up above. However, to enjoy the best of the views and take good photographs it is advisable to reach the summit early in the morning, which I hope I manage to do this year.

Ohnište (1538m) halfway up left-hand edge, opposite Ďumbier (2043m, right)

Getting There

On The Train: River Váh outside

The area is easily accessible from the North, by road or rail, which doesn't necessarily mean that the trails are packed with hordes of holiday-makers. The two villages closest to Ohnište, Malužiná and Nizná Boca, actually sit in the valley to the east of the mountain (see Accommodation).

How to travel to Slovakia

Trains and Buses in Slovakia

Around the summit

The Forest

Most of the area is overgrown by fabulous, dense woodland.

A range of rare mammals live here, from the big brown bear (Ursus arctos arctos) to the tiny northern birch mouse. We were lucky to see one on the trail; it was lucky as well as we didn’t tread on it, scrambling in the same direction on the slope of Slemä. Although I haven’t seen any bears yet, quite a few inhabit the Low Tatras and can be run into when least expected, e.g. on the path

River Váh at Twilight

that links the Borová Sihoť campsite with the village of Liptovský Ján. In between, there are mid-sized species. Once at the bridge across the River Belá, just outside the town of Lipt. Hrádok and ten minutes' walk from the campsite, strange cries, which I thought were birds', caught our ears. To our amazement, it turned out to be two otters playing all across the stream, only the trout, being used as a snack, didn't enjoy the scene whatsoever.

Trail to the summit

The Glades

From the North, a few trails (TH’s at: Liptovský Jan, Liptovská Porúbka and Mihalovo) converge at a place called Brtkovica, which is both a vast clearing and a little hamlet of several shepherd huts and little cottages, some of which have been converted into chalets vacation homes or chalets for rent. From Brtkovica, a steep ascent through the forested slopes of Slemä ((1514m, part of its limestone cliffs shows up) takes you to its, still densely wooded, summit.

Ohnište in very centre (skyline); 2nd on its left: Slemä; right, in clouds: Ďumbier

On the way, there’s a shelter which was used by Slovak resistance fighters during World War II; at the very top of Slemä lies the wreck of a Slovak plane that crashed into the mountain at that time can be seen. Having climbed Slemä, the trail winds its way through coniferous forest down to Michalovske Sedlo (saddle) and Zadna Poľana (glade). If you’re running out of water, you’ll find a spring there--just as you reach the northern edge of the glade, find a path heading NE and follow it for about 100m. The green trail continues upwards across the lush meadow, then through the forest with the first glimpses of Okno, and finally to the edge of another clearing, which is called Predna Poľana. Here the green trail forks. Now you’ll have to make a little round-trip: take the right turn and follow the path, which turns a bit muddy and runs over plenty of tree roots to trip over, which might be a bit annoying for some. Anyway, in about 20-30 minutes the path will bring you to the summit of Ohnište, where you should find a log book at the summit marker.

After returning to the green trail junction at Predna Poľana, the other green thread will take you to Svidovské Sedlo, over a fairly steep drop (a bit of easy scrambling for those heading in the opposite direction) that is an extension of the bluff below the summit of Ohnište, although it is not a cliff any more. Svidovské Sedlo is a pass where marked trails from all four corners of the world intersect. Access from the:
Demänovska Valley, bus stop (West of Ohnište) takes less than 4 hours
village of Malužiná, bus stop (E): 1.5 hours
nearest chalets on the main ridge of the Low Tatras (S): 4 hours

Okno & Ďumbier (2043m)

The Window from N

The saddle, with a rivulet nearby, might be convenient as a place to pitch your tent at night (see Red Tape). If you’re in a hurry heading towards Liptovský Jan, look out so as not to walk along the road, which is also a marked bike trail – to make a short cut, follow the blue and yellow marks down towards, and later along, the brook.

To the South: Svidovské Saddle (bottom) and Rovná hoľa (top right: 1723m)

The Summit & The Window

Crest of Ohnište ('Bonfire') in the sun. The Window round the crag.

Ohnište from S, i.e. from Rovná hoľa.

The summit of Ohnište provides an excellent panorama of the crown of the Low Tatras, over 2,000m in elevation, the rugged Ďumbier drawing most attention.

Below a characteristic limestone bluff, a narrow, unmarked path can be seen that leads to the aforementioned rock arch, just a few hundred metres away, which is called the Window (see Red Tape). From the summit, a path leads to a narrower section of the ridge, where you turn left so as to soon land on the section of the route visible from the vantage point at the 1,538m summit marker. The narrow path is easy under dry conditions but – given considerable exposure - turns dangerous if icy or covered in snow. The Window is – depending how you count – 10 to 20m tall. A dozen of decent photos of the Window as well as of the unmarked path leading to it can be seen here

Vistas to the North are nonexistent from Ohnište's summit proper as the conifers stand in the way.

Ohniště on the left, its very top near the left edge of the photo, well left of the clearing. In the background, Western (left) & High (right) Tatras. Shot from Rovná hoľa.

Accommodation

There are hundreds of guesthouses and several hotels in Liptovský Jan and the nearby towns and villages of the Liptov region, whose capital is the town of Liptovský Mikulaš.

On the outskirts of both the town of Lipt. Hrádok and the national park is Borová Sihoť – an exceptional campsite: fantastic location, friendly staff, hot water 24/7 – no extra fee! Over a suspension footbridge across the River Váh you enter the national park (no gate, no fee), and an interpretive trail greets you right away. If you feel like renting a chalet at the campsite in the summer, you have to book a few months early.

River Váh at Noon

A couple of hundred metres east of the spot where the green trail reaches the southern end of Predna Poľana, in the meadow stands an old shepherd hut, a bit dilapidated, where you can put up for the night if you wish. (see Red Tape)

There is a campsite in Malužiná and a hostel in Nizná Boca.

Not Only Hiking

Swimming in Liptovský Jan : water temperature 26C, not packed with people since a huge water park was set up in Lipt. Mikulas.

The Pool

Plus great and unbelievably cheap lager: a bottle/pint usually costs about 50 euro cents, even at a pub!!!

Biking, White Water, Caves & More

In winter, some enjoy ski-touring or snowshoeing in the area. There are also ski lifts on the outskirts of the national park as well as a large ski resort a few km to the west of Ohnište and Ďumbier.

Red Tape

The Low Tatra Mountains are protected as a national park. The summit of Ohnište is a nature reserve, where as the Park's site reads: "the fifth degree of protection applies. Besides observation of the above-mentioned laws, it is also forbidden to stray from the marked paths and places, to pick plants and their fruits, to collect minerals and fossils, to destroy vegetation and soil cover, to enter chasms and caves which are not open to the public, to smoke, to make loud noises, or to pollute the area. Visitors to the areas with the fifth degree of protection are allowed to enter these areas only during the day from one hour after sunrise to one hour before sunset."

Maps

VKÚ Harmanec: Sheet 1, "Nízke Tatry. Rekreačné strediská" (1:25 000)

To see the area and the trails on an excellent online map, click hľadaj bod on the bar in its top right-hand corner, then select the lower section and paste/typethese coordinates:
N: 48.98
E: 19.70
Finally click hľadaj just below them.

Weather

Today/3-day Forecast for the region of Liptov.

For the main ridge of the Low Tatras

Images



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