Vysoke Tatry

A great winter trip to the High Tatras. We lucked out with fantastic clear weather, hiking up into the snow-covered valleys with microspikes and ice axes.

The views from the huts and trails were unreal, and we even spotted a few chamois grazing along the rocky slopes above the snowline. We also spent some time down on the ski slopes around Štrbské Pleso, catching the low afternoon sun filtering through the pines.

One of the best moments on the trail was watching a mountain porter haul a massive load, including beer kegs, straight up a steep snow couloir—casually chatting on his phone the whole time while the rest of us were carefully trudging up in crampons. Proper Tatra classic.