Chief of Tatra mountains volunteer rescue service TOPR:

Going to trips to the Tatra Mountains in the Winter you need to know of the dangers which are much more imminent than in the summer. The gravest threats are avalanches, sudden and violent weather changes, low temperatures, frequent routes freezing and bad visibility. In a foggy weather or in heavy snow one can easily lose direction in the mountains.

You can minimalize the dangers of Winter hiking in the Tatra Mountains, if you:

Inquire at the TOPR headquarters or duty rooms about avalanche threat in a given region.

Inquire about the weather forecast for a day of your planed trip.

Wear proper warm clothes and shoes protecting your body from cooling down; have proper equipment, such as crampons or ice- axe, and know how to use it.

Before departure for your hike, you may like to study the map of the Tatra region.
If you are lost on the route, try to go back following your own footsteps.

Do not go into mountains alone! Always leave at your hotel precise information where you are going, including the intended route and foreseen time of your return. Do set off for a trip early in the morning, so that you can come back before dark. In any case, even in most difficult situations, be reasonable and "keep cool"!

TOPR
ul. Pilsudskiego 63a
tel: +48 18 206 34 44

GOPR
ul. Pilsudskiego 65
tel: +48 18 206 15 50

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