We set off for the mountains early in the morning, as soon as the night rain stopped. Although there was still a chance of a few drops falling, we didn't want to wait any longer. So we set off along the blue trail, without knowing what adventures we would experience during the ascent. We passed the lower station of the cable car, which was just starting up at that moment. For a moment, I considered taking it, but in the end, I decided that we would climb Brestová the honest way. We began a relatively steep climb up Spálený žleb. We passed a signpost with a green tourist trail and continued climbing along a path through the bushes.

Suddenly, we heard branches cracking in the forest not far from us. I peeked out from between the bushes and saw a huge wolf running toward us. At that moment, a large deer jumped out at us. It ran past us in fear and disappeared into the bushes. It was clear to me what was happening. The wolves were hunting... We managed to take about five steps back, and then the giant wolf was upon us. We stared at each other for about three seconds, and then it suddenly disappeared into the bushes. When we calmed down and continued our ascent, we suddenly saw more wolves about 50 meters away from us. Fortunately, they were already calmly walking away from us.

Thanks to this experience, we didn't even realize that we had climbed Predný Salatín relatively quickly. From there, beautiful views opened up, mainly towards Orava. We continued along the ridge towards Brestová. From there, we could already see the High Tatras and part of the Roháče Mountains. The last steep climb is to the very top of Brestová. We enjoyed views of Malá Fatra, Veľký Choč, and other mountain ranges in Slovakia.

Then we headed back. First, we descended again along the blue trail. However, we left the ridge and continued our descent along the green trail. This trail took us to the upper station of the cable car. Here we had some refreshments and then continued our descent. The path leads along a ski slope, so we could enjoy the mountains around us. Finally, we returned to the parking lot at the lower station of the cable car.

Difficulty

Technically, this is a classic mountain trek. The entire route follows forest or mountain trails. The climb is steeper in places, but nothing too difficult. Even trained children can manage the route.

Water availability

We had our own water supplies. On the way down, we stopped for refreshments at the bistro near the upper station of the cable car.

Sleeping options

We spent the night in our car in a parking lot, but there are cottages nearby – Zverovka and Chata Spálená. Sleeping outdoors in the Western Tatras is strictly prohibited.

Mountain peaks

From the summit of Brestová (1,932 m above sea level), there are beautiful views of the High and Western Tatras, Malá Fatra, and Orava. The Beskydy Mountains are also visible.

Danger

Apart from storms, perhaps the greatest danger is the wild animals that live in the Roháče Mountains. In addition to bears, which cause problems in Slovakia, there are other predators here. We were lucky enough to come face to face with a wolf...