Nízke Tatry (Low Tatras) – Ďumbierske Tatry

Part 1 (hiking from Telgárt to Chopok, Kráľovohoľské Tatry) is available here.

This spring I was able to finish the Low Tatras main ridge tour, namely the part between the town of Donovaly and Chopok, a mountain boasting a height of 2024 meters (hence making it the third highest peak in the Low Tatras mountain range).

The section between Donovaly¹ and Útulňa pod sedlom Ďurkovej, a small but cosy cabin where one can sleep and get food and beverages all together for less than twenty Euros, takes about ten strenuous hours. Unfortunately water sources are rare (rather non-existing) along the way, so I advise carrying enough water especially on a hot summer day.

Near Kečka and at Hiadeľské sedlo there exist shelters with nearby water sources, the latter offering just a bare roofed space where one can sleep in his own sleeping bag. In general, everything is easy to find and well marked, so getting lost requires a great deal of oscitancy.

Hiking from Ďurková (the eponym mountain for the aforementioned cabin) to Chopok is feasible in four-odd hours, Kamenná chata pod Chopkom is a spacious refuge offering warm meals and beer in its restaurant, as well as comfortable sleeping spaces.

From there, one can proceed to Chata generála Milana Rastislava Štefánika (see part 1), or descend to Demänovská Dolina in about two hours (and from there take the bus to Liptovský Mikuláš).

Photo and video gallery

May 26 ’24 (Donovaly)

May 27 ’24 (Donovaly – Ďurková)

Somewhere between Veľká Chochuľa and Latiborská hoľa:

May 28 ’24 (Ďurková – Chopok)

¹ Donovaly can be reached by bus from Ružomberok or Banská Bystrica; in Donovaly there exist decent tourist infrastructure, hotels, restaurants and a supermarket that is