Western Tatras

Western Tatras
Slovak: Západné Tatry

Western Tatras in winter
Highest point
Peak Bystrá
Elevation 2,248.4 m (7,377 ft)
Geography
Countries Slovakia and Poland
State/Province Žilina
Lesser Poland
Range coordinates 49°12′N 19°45′E / 49.2°N 19.75°E / 49.2; 19.75Coordinates: 49°12′N 19°45′E / 49.2°N 19.75°E / 49.2; 19.75
Parent range Tatra Mountains
Borders on Eastern Tatras
Ostrý Roháč
Ostrý Roháč and Plačlivé
Plačlivé
Goryczkowa Czuba
Druhé Roháčske pleso
Chochołowska valley, Mnichy Chochołowskie
Giewont and Czerwony Grzbiet
Giewont from the East
Polana Stoły
Polana Jamy

The Western Tatras (Slovak: Západné Tatry; Polish: Tatry Zachodnie) are mountains in the Tatras, part of the Carpathian Mountains, located on the Polish-Slovak borders. The mountains border the High Tatras in the east, Podtatranská kotlina in the south, Choč Mountains in the west and Rów Podtatrzański (Slovak: Podtatranská brázda) in the north. The main ridge is 37 kilometers long and the mountain range contains 31 two-thousanders.

Western Tatras are the second highest mountain range both in Poland and Slovakia; its highest peak is Bystrá at 2,248 meters. Other notable mountains include Jakubiná (2,194 m), Baranec (2,184 m), Baníkov (2,178 m), Tri kopy (2,136.3 m), Plačlivé (2,125.1 m), Ostrý Roháč (2,087.5 m), Volovec (Polish: Wołowiec; 2,064 m), Kasprowy Wierch (Slovak: Kasprov vrch; 1,987 m) and Giewont (1,894 m). In Slovakia, they are partially located in the traditional regions of Liptov and Orava. The highest point in Poland is Starorobociański Wierch (2,176 m).

All visitors to the Western Tatras area in Slovakia are obliged since July 1, 2006 to cover all costs of their rescue by the Mountain Rescue Service. Visitors are prohibited from leaving the marked tourist routes, sleeping in the mountains or setting fire are strictly prohibited.

Division

The Western Tatras are subdivided into 6 regions on the Slovak side and 4 on the Polish side.

Slovak Western Tatras:

Polish Western Tatras:

Geology and ecology

The Western Tatras are protected by Tatranský národný park in Slovakia and Tatrzański Park Narodowy in Poland.

Peaks

The following is a list of the highest 10 of the 31 two-thousanders in Western Tatras:

Image Slovak name Polish name Height Location & Notes
Bystrá Bystra 2,248.4 m
7,377 ft
Liptovské Tatry, the highest peak in Slovak Western Tatras
Jakubiná Raczkowa Czuba 2,193.7 m
7,197 ft
Baranec Baraniec 2,184.6 m
7,167 ft
Baníkov Banówka 2,178 m
7,146 ft
Highest point on the main ridge
Klin Starorobociański Wierch 2,176 m
7,139 ft
Main ridge, the highest peak in Polish Western Tatras
Pachoľa Pachola 2,167 m
7,110 ft
Main ridge
Hrubá kopa Hruba Kopa 2,166 m
7,106 ft
Main ridge
Blyšť Błyszcz 2,159 m
7,083 ft
Bystrá ridge
Príslop Jałowiecki Przysłop 2,142 m
7,028 ft
Hrubý vrch Jarząbczy Wierch 2,137 m
7,011 ft

Saddles (cols)

Tarns

There are approximately 20 to 32 tarns (Slovak: pleso) in Western Tatras. The exact number is difficult to obtain because of lack of an exact definition and because it is sometimes hard to prove what is a tarn and what is not. The following is a list of 15 largest tarns in Western Tatras:

Image Slovak name Polish name Height (m) Area (ha) Depth (m)
Dolné Roháčske pleso Niżni Staw Rohacki 1563 2.22 6.3
Horné Roháčske pleso Wyżni Staw Rohacki 1718 1.45 8.1
Dolné Jamnícke pleso Niżni Jamnicki Staw 1728 1.13 4.0
Horné Bystré pleso Wielki Staw Bystry 1875 0.86 12.5
Horné Račkovo pleso Zadni Staw Raczkowy 1717 0.74 10.0
Tretie Roháčske pleso Pośredni Rohacki Staw 1653 0.61 3.7
Horné Jamnícke pleso Wyżni Jamnicki Staw 1834 0.41 8.0
Spodné Bystré pleso Niżni Staw Bystry 1837 0.34 4.0
Pleso pod Zverovkou Stawek pod Zwierówką 983 0.31 1.2
Ťatliakovo pleso Czarna Młaka 1370 0.28 1.2
Druhé Roháčske pleso Mały Rohacki Staw 1650 0.28 1.3
Horné Tomanovo pleso Wyżni Tomanowy Stawek 1592 0.19 1.0
Žiarske pleso 1860 0.11 0.8
Kobylie pleso Kobyli Stawek 1742 0.10 1.5
Biele Bobrovecké pleso Biały Stawek Bobrowiecki 1502 0.10 1.5

Caves

Tourism

There are four tourist centers inside the Western Tatras area: Zverovka, Brestová and Ťatliakova chata in the northern region and Žiarska chata in the southern region. All other tourist centers lie at the outside borders of the mountains, including: Oravice, Zuberec, Bobrovecká vápenica, Žiar, Konská, Jakubovany-Studená dolina, Pribylina, Podbanské.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Western Tatras.

References

Sources

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 12/1/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.