Rysy (from the Polish side)

The summit and Panorama

Rysy have two main summits (the third lies entirely in Slovakia):

• Polish (2,499 m a.s.l.): The lower one, through which the state border runs.
• Slovak (2,501 m a.s.l.): The higher one, a dozen or so metres away (you can easily walk over to it).

The view from the summit is widely considered the most extensive and beautiful in the entire Tatras. With good air clarity, you can see around 100 peaks and 12 Tatra lakes from here!

Safety (Key warnings!)

• Killer fitness: The total ascent is over 1,600 metres. That is a gigantic effort. Many tourists run out of steam halfway up (around Bula). If you do not regularly hike in high mountains, under no circumstances should you start your Tatra adventure with Rysy.
• Falling rocks (Helmet!): The trail is very crowded. Tourists walking higher up often accidentally dislodge loose stones, which fly down at great speed onto those below. We strongly recommend taking a climbing helmet!
• Snow in the gully: The northern exposure means that in the upper part of the trail (in the so-called gully/couloir), hard, icy snow remains for a very long time, often until mid-July. Climbing in such conditions without crampons and an ice axe is the most common cause of tragic slips.
• Giant queues: On sunny summer weekends, bottlenecks form on the chains. Sometimes you have to wait 30-60 minutes, hanging on a chain over a precipice. To avoid this, set off from the car park no later than 4:00 - 5:00 a.m.

Alternative: The easier Slovak side

Rysy can also be climbed from the Slovak side (from Štrbské Pleso / Popradské Pleso). This trail is much easier, very sunny, and does not have such long, difficult sections of chains (there are only short secured bits). Along the way, there is also the highest mountain hut in the Tatras – Chata pod Rysmi. This is a great option for less experienced tourists, although it requires travelling to Slovakia.

Parking, ticket and start

The start is the same as for Morskie Oko: Palenica Białczańska. Entry is only possible with a TPN e-ticket bought in advance. Setting off on the trail at 9:00 a.m. in August guarantees standing in kilometre-long traffic jams on the chains and a huge risk of catching an afternoon storm on the ridge. Starting at 4:00–5:00 a.m. from the car park is not a whim; it is the only sensible and safe plan.

Segment times

• Palenica – Morskie Oko: 2–2.5 h (asphalt)
• Morskie Oko – Czarny Staw: 40–50 min
• Czarny Staw – Bula pod Rysami: approx. 1.5 h
• Bula – summit (chains): 1.5–2 h (plus time spent in queues)

The descent takes almost as long as the ascent, because the chains going down do not speed up the movement of the crowd at all. The 11 h 44 min at the top of the page is the pure walking time from the map (without queuing). In reality, a holiday day on Rysy often exceeds 13-14 hours.

Who this is not for?

Absolutely not for a first time in the Tatras. Not for someone with a fear of heights and open spaces. Not for a group where one person will “wait at the summit” (there is no waiting room on the chains). If snow is still lying in the gully in June and you do not have crampons and an ice axe – absolutely turn back at Bula. The Slovak variant from Rysy from Štrbské Pleso is then a much safer option than pushing into hard, slippery firn from the northern side.