Sport climbing areas at the foot of the Tatras

Why the sport climbing?

One could ask the simply question - why the hell someone would like to practise short sport rock climbing, while having a lot of huge and beautiful mountain faces around and possibilities to choose the routes from III to X- UIAA?
So, main reasons from my own experience.
a) Weather - it's a well-known fact that the weather is so capricious in Tatras. During a little rain showers you could easily climb e.g. in Tatranska Kotlina or overhang Oblazowa Cave, but on Hokejka on Lomnica West Face you can even drown... so the day isn't wasted and you are safe.

b)Warm up - it is not easy for everyone to jump from the sedentary job or climbing gym straight on the 500 meters faces. There are good places to prepare your brain and muscles for a bigger challenge.

c) 'Team' - Mountain climbing is an extreme sport, so sometimes it is better to take an inexperienced friend to the sport climbing areas, that fight for a life in the mountains and deliver him dramatic memories from the holidays.

d) Taste - climbing is a broad discipline, lot of people prefer sport climbing than the Alpine climbing because of safety, short approach, insensitivity of a climbing effort... Hard to understand, however fashionable last time...

Tatranska Kotlina

Getting there.
Tatrzanska Kotlina is the health resort in Slovakian High Tatra Mountains, located 21km from Lysa Polana (old border crossing) and 8km from Tatranska Lomnica.
The best place to leave your car just before the route mark at the end of Kotlina (driving in Lysa Polana direction). It's a hundred meters after the paid parking - Bielanska Cave.
You cross the street, then few meters by the forest and you're there. (2min)

Climbing.
Limestone. Tatranska Kotlina has about climbing 30 routes, most of them are around 25-30meters so the (min.6m, max 50m), 60m rope is essential. Take about 12 quickdraws and helmets (in places fragile rock) for a people under the wall.
The 90% of routes offers the slab climbing with the technique passages require the bigger effort from your brain and legs than from hand's muscles.
Routes are protected, sometimes with the bigger distance between the bolts.
Grade from IV+ to VII+ (signed), poorly comparable with another areas and mountain routes. I recommend 'Brucho', 'Zakazane ovocie', route graded VI+ on the left from via ferrata chains (my
favorite, 22no. in links), and HZS Via Ferrata for chains admirers

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From the top

http://www.ta3.estranky.cz/clanky/lom.html
http://www.tatry.nfo.sk/skalky/lom-v-tatranskej-kotline.html

Oblazowa

Forgotten, amazing limestone rock garden located in Nowa Biala, in the reserve Przelom Bialki pod Krempachami (Bialka River), 4 km from the Bialka Tatrzanska (one of the most famous polish ski areas).

You could find there two paid parking, and the grass sectors between them when you could legally (according to the polish road traffic regulations) left your car.

Routes are mostly overhanging, with boulder character. 

In the reserve (cave) take place interesting archaeological discovers - examples (pl).

Dwie Twarze ('two faceies', XI-) is definitely one of the most amazing sport routes of Podhale, well holding crack in the roof.

 TOPO

Kraminca

Jaroniec

Jaroniec- little valley in the Kościeliskie Kopki massif in Western Tatras, whole wooded, having an outlet near Bialy Potok meadow (925asl.). The path starts from the route Kiry-Podhale, "Józef" (Joseph) roadside cafe is the best place to left your car. Walk up by the ski slope, to the 'final station' and go 100m straight ahead crossing the stream into the forest, by prepared trial under the wall. 10min.

Routes are 10-23m long, so 50m rope and 12quickdraws is enough.
Jaroniec is a 'miniature' of western sport areas, well protected, with good friction and beautiful surrounding, clean - you could see that people has taken care of this place.

The climbing with endurance and technical character, you have to keep your eyes and mind open to find good holds.

Grade (IV;IX+), recommended for a climbers climbing 6c and up. Grading on Jaroniec gives a chance to personal records.

My beloved route is Kriminalna Rassija, XIII+. Iluzja Mocy also worth of consider.

Remember that Jaroniec is located in Tatra National Park.

climb.pl
kw zakopane
south-west face - easiest routes
west face

Slovensky Raj

Sport Climbing in Tatras.

Winter: Ice climbing and drytooling.

Images

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